Robin Hood

by J. Walker McSpadden

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Childrens, Audiobook

94 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1904

About the author

Joseph Walker McSpadden

Reviews

[Stjepan Cobets · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brings me back to my childhood. :)

[Cindy B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as a young person ( too long ago to remember the year. I do remember thinking that there should be more men like him in the U.S. Congress. 😊👍

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a charmingly enjoyable fictionalisation of a most likely already fictional outlaw whose mythic appeal still resonates for obvious reason. Wouldn’t we all - us “lesser” people who cannot afford a house or stand to inherit from wealthy parents in this extortionate world - love our own Robin Hood? Especially when he or she is so gallant and imbibed with the chivalrous virtues of a moralistic English fairytale.

All the same, in reading this old but quite likeable book, my mind kept struggling with two vying ideas of the hero and his Merry Men: the more earthy, wizened bunch from the Kevin Costner movie, and the hilarious sendup of the legends in the first Shrek film.

[Cori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was younger.

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember my mom read this book aloud to me and my sister years ago, so when we were cleaning out her books I snagged this one as I’ve become more interested in reading legends and lore as of late and I wanted to revisit these tales myself as an adult. Suffice it to say I enjoyed this more then I thought I would!

Robin Hood is such a hoot with his slyness and devil-may-care attitude but the man has a head on his shoulders and comes at and out of the wildest schemes imaginable without barely a scratch, though I’ll admit he has a temper he might want to control better to not end up in some of these situations he lands himself in! 😂 His merry men and Maid Marian are rollicking, distinct characters who round him out so well, and I like how Marian is feisty in the face of all the dangerous scrapes they get into yet is sweet and kind as well—she’s quite the role model for a “strong female character” that more writers should be taking note of as she’s not obnoxious or weak in the slightest!

Gotta say though the Sheriff and Bishop are quite stupid with all the times Robin disguises himself or tricks them and they fall for it every. single. time! It’s actually quite hilarious even though if I were them I would be so paranoid of strangers for fear they were Robin out to make me an idiot again. 😂 The situation kind of reminds me of the Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon where Coyote is always chasing Roadrunner and he always escapes (now I’m wondering if Robin Hood legends had anything to do with the inspiration behind this… 🤔)

A couple parts were slow and the last story where Robin Hood dies is too sad (these Brits like to end everything tragically!), but they’re minor complaints to the pure fun and danger of the rest of the stories.

I enjoyed these tales a lot and will be looking for more Robin Hood legends to devour!

[Shihab Uddin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Adventures of Robin Hood" by J. Walker McSpadden is more than just an adventurous tale—it’s a living treasury of European folk tradition. As a student of Folklore at the University of Rajshahi, I was fascinated by how the text preserves the essence of the legendary English outlaw while also reflecting the deeper functions of folklore: communal memory, moral instruction, and social protest.

Through episodic storytelling, Robin Hood emerges as both a trickster and a folk hero, embodying the people’s resistance against unjust authority. The repeated motifs of disguises, archery contests, forest banquets, and the camaraderie of the Merry Men connect the work to oral narrative cycles and hero archetypes common across cultures. The Sherwood Forest itself becomes a liminal space—a folkloric "greenwood" where societal rules are renegotiated and justice is redefined.

From a folkloristic lens, this adaptation is not merely literary entertainment—it is a cultural artifact that continues to evolve in the collective imagination, proving that folk heroes live as long as communities need their stories. I rate it 5 stars for both its literary charm and its folkloric richness."

[Angela Blount · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful short-story collection recounting the origins and legendary escapades of England's most famous outlaw.

Aside from the anthropomorphic Disney version, and the occasional satire, this reader's Robin Hood experience was pretty limited. I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable this read turned out to be. Robin Hood himself is a wry, puckish character with a consistent moral code and a boyish sort of enthusiasm for freedom. With unparalleled charisma an a knack for improvisation under pressure, his skill in archery is nearly eclipsed by his sheer guile.

The way in which he gradually assembles his loyal band of Merry Men was continually amusing. New recruits were, in most cases, either men who'd been sent to collect a bounty on him--whom he won over through wily charm and chivalry...or they were initially targets of his sanctimonious thievery who proved formidable enough to match or even best him. Perhaps the most endearing part about Robin Hood was the fact that he wasn't invincible. The cocksure rogue gets taken down a notch on several occasions, and generally accepts these knocks to his pride with grace and optimism. Regarding his conflict with the Sheriff and Bishop, however, he is a tireless crusader against injustice.

A certain adolescent machismo run thick through the whole of it, but in the most authentic and era-appropriate way possible. Good men can solve most of their problems though:

a.) A rousing stick fight.
b.) A pissing archery contest.
c.) Disguising themselves and misleading their foes.

This reader's favorite element was actually found in the characterization of Maid Marion. The long pined-for childhood playmate of Robin Hood, theirs is a pure and endearing sort of relationship. While she doesn't appear in many of the stories, Marion shows up often enough to assert she can hold her own in spite of societal expectations. She's no weepy damsel in distress. Not only does she prove to be an equal to Robin, her bravery very likely saves him and his men on more then one occasion.

Really, this classic was close to a 4 ½ star. The only detraction this reviewer made was purely one of personal taste. I wasn't a fan of the hurried summary that made up the final story, touching on the end of Robin's life. It didn't feel particularly fitting or satisfying as a conclusion. Then again...it may simply not be the ending I'd hoped for.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling that sticks pretty faithfully to the ballads. There's a bit in the beginning about Robin's childhood, and how his father Hugh Fitzooth had probably been defrauded of his title by the man now the Earl of Huntingdon, who is Marian's father, but it gets briskly to the outlawry.

Less forsoothly than Pyle, but not as well constructed.

[Shea Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this book and the character of Robin Hood. The stories are full of adventure, good cheer, and virtue. I look forward to reading this book with my boys and encouraging them to play Robin Hood in the woods.
He may be one of my favorite characters in history. The death of Robin Hood at the end of the book truly made me sorrowful.

[Huda Aweys · Rating 3 out of 5]

هاااااااااااا
:)
و مين فينا ماحلمش في يوم يكون روبن هود
:))))

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I plan on reading more retellings of Robin Hood so I figured why not read the original? Or at least one of the more original ones. This is why I read it, and also it is a free e-book. I hope the retellings are better. Not that this was bad. It just felt like a lot of short stories about the same person. And short stories are never my favorite. The stories were interesting but too simplistic for me.

Some of the chapters felt kind of repetitive even though they are all different and set up in a sequence of time; from the start of Robin Hood to the end of his tale. Robin recruits quite a few merry men like this: first telling the man to give him their money or something equally demanding, second the man refuses, third they start fighting while both characters are surprised by their opponent’s skills, and fourth Robin usually has to call on his merry men because he is losing and then offers the yeoman to join them. There was a lot of fighting but it was not in a way that I felt like I was involved in it (i.e. I didn't feel like I was watching the action in my head). Perhaps this is a result of my lack of imagination but I kind of felt like I was just being told that it was a great duel instead of actually thinking it was. Not all the chapters are like this but there were more than three I'm pretty sure.

Also, and I hate to say this, but Robin Hood doesn't seem as noble as I wanted him to be. There wasn't so much giving to the poor as recruiting men, duping the sheriff and bishop, and killing the king’s game. It does show Robin and his men giving to the poor a few times but nothing thats really heart warming.

There is this one part where Robin catches a man about to kill a deer or something and Robin feels possessiveness over the game. He stops the man from killing it and acts like he owns the forest and all the game in it. This I don't get, since he and his men are killing game that belongs to the king but no one else can?

In any case it was not bad just not what I was hoping for. Some of the tales were actually interesting but I just couldn’t get into it.

[Amy Emtage · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple and familiar narrative amid the many retellings and creative divergents which have stemmed from this iconic character. The moral questions and decisive actions faced by and carried out by the characters are timeless echoes of dilemmas spanning history and cultures. I appreciate the relevance to current conundrums. I also appreciate Marian's identity (considering the context) in that she disguises herself, journeys alone, shoots her own dinner, duels Robin (before recognizing him), is actively involved in court politics, makes decisions and is valued for her character and choices.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reason I found this book interesting is because for all the Robin Hood based stories I've seen, I don't think I've actually read the original base stories such as these. Also, it was cool to read something and think, "Hey! I saw something like that in Hood by Lawhead. Or, "Look, that's something used in Ivanho!"

[Alabama Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was awesome!! I loved the writing style and the characters, and I giggled out loud at some parts. :) I'll definitely pick this up again when I need a fun story!

[John Rimmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always good to revisit Sherwood Forest, this time with my kids during car rides. One of the founding myths of our family.

[Mirjam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy Robin's recruitment skills, which come down to consistently getting your ass handed to you by every man you meet in the woods, only for these men to be so impressed by you that they profess their undying loyalty to you anyway. It's a win-win!

I really liked this collection of ballads-inspired stories. McSpadden's language was charmingly archaic, and there were some tales in here I hadn't encountered yet.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to believe this was written 130 years ago. Despite the deliberate use of some easily understandable archaic language, this text feels fresh, contemporary, and vibrant. The thrills come fast and lively as it bounces along from one exciting Sherwood adventure to the next.

[Devon Flaherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son is in a home school co-op this year. I am the fifth and sixth grade writing teacher. I was given my curriculum, which came complete with a list of reading for the year. So I read the novels along with the kids, and there were some mixed results. As you should be able to tell from the title of this blog entry, the theme of their writing course of the year was Medieval times, which was cool because they were also studying the Middle Ages in their history class. So there was a lot of overlap and it worked out nicely. I’ll just start plowing through the book reviews. (Note: We did not get to the last two books, due to Covid-19 and the stay at home restrictions. We missed a book about Marco Polo and one about the Crusades.)

The first book we read was The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, by Tania Zamorsky. If you know me at all (even just as a blog follower), you know that I enjoy King Arthur stuff. I have reviewed several King Arthur books and series here on the blog, as well as some TV series and maybe a movie. My second novel (a novella, actually) is based in the Middle Ages and has the flavor of Camelot. So I was excited to begin the year this way. I hadn’t read any children’s chapter books about King Arthur, and, well, this would not be the one I would recommend. There must be better out there. (Or not. I am only guessing.) It has decent ratings, but it just wasn’t very engaging. Sure, it told some of the stories so that kids could follow along, but it lacked cohesion (perhaps on purpose, remaining true to the bits-and-pieces legends) and it just wasn’t a page-turner. I didn’t enjoy it and either did the kids. It fell flat. It may be that I enjoy King Arthur approached with a more modern sense of storytelling, but I kept wondering where all the drama and the energy was. The romance. The adventure. It felt almost textbook-y. I wonder if the Howard Pyle original might have been better.

And then we went into Robin Hood by J. Walker McSpadden. Again, I rejoiced, because I like Robin Hood stories, although not nearly as much as King Arthur. I also hear Bryan Adams singing in my head whenever Robin Hood is mentioned. And again I was disappointed. And again I was left hoping there was a better version of the Robin Hood stories for children. This book was actually better than the other, though. Written better a little bit. Actually had some life in it, and a sense of humor. It was broken up into stories without a real arc (or at least one you noticed while it was arcing), however, and this made it hard to keep reading. I asked the same questions as last time, except less about adventure and more: where’s the romance and maybe where’s the drama? If you have a kid on your hands who likes short stories and British history, then perhaps this is the book for him or her. I mean, English children have been loving these stories for like a million years, so maybe yours will as well. Sadly, this book (though a Dover classic,) made the stories feel outdated.

I had no idea what to expect from The King’s Shadow by Elizabeth Alder. Turns out it is a book about a Welsh boy who is orphaned and maimed and then betrayed into slavery among the Anglo-Saxons. In the Middle Ages, of course. His tongue is cut out near the beginning of the book, so I had to warn parents about this. Not that it was especially graphic, but the idea is a little intense. Evyn, the boy, is resilient and has just enough luck and intelligence to be able to make himself useful and be promoted over and over until he is, as the title says, the King’s shadow. Since the children had already learned about King Harold and the Battle of Hastings, it was nice to make connections to history. On the other hand, I used this book to teach the kids a couple of things that they should NOT do when they write. (Among other things, they should not use physical attributes as sure indicators of characteristics. Just because someone is tall and muscular does not make him a great king, etc. or just because someone is wearing black and has a scar does not make him a villain. The author does this regularly. There’s also a whole lot of telling and not showing going on, so we learned about that.) While the book was useful as a tool for teaching writing pitfalls, again we found ourselves not enjoying a book. Though I had one or two who did like this book and reviews online are pretty good. I really didn’t like it.

And then we read One Thousand and One Arabian Nights by Geraldine McCaughrean and I felt very happy. My mind had been trained by now not to expect much from this reading list, though it kept to topics that I normally would really enjoy. One Thousand and One Arabian Nights was a book that I had been meaning to read for many years. This is, obviously, a version of the Islamic classic adapted for children. Which makes it a bit awkward, because the premise is this: King Sharyar is jilted and spends years in bitterness, marrying a new woman every day to have her executed the next morning. The clever Shaharazad “sacrifices” herself by marrying the king and uses storytelling to keep him from executing her day after day after day. We, as the reader, get to listen in to all the tales. Again, I had to warn the parents about the sadistic king. Containing within it some real classics, like Aladdin and Ali Baba and the forty thieves, I was blown away by the humor and the voice of this rendition. In the end, I would probably recommend it for an older audience, but I really had a great time reading this and marveling at the cleverness of the story itself. Maybe one day I’ll get around to reading the original, but I also wouldn’t mind giving this one another read on my own.

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli felt like déjà vu. It’s about a boy who loses everything, including his future plans and his legs (instead of tongue) to the Plague. Robin finds himself at the mercy of the monks and with his personality and his ability to learn, he works his way up and finds a new future for himself. So, very similar to The King’s Shadow. While this one tends to get lower reviews than the other, I can’t agree with that. I thought that this book had a charm that the other was lacking, even if it still wasn’t my favorite. A Newbery Award winner, it is a bit heavy on the morals and perhaps suffers from a lack of action, but I still liked it alright and would recommend it for the right child.

Before Covid-19 forced us into quarantine, we read Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray. Another Newbery Award-winner, this was my second-favorite book of the bunch because it contained a levity and tenderness that I enjoyed. It’s about yet another boy who suffers a loss and has to be strong, keep going, and use his wits to overcome. In this version, he loses his dog and his father, both of which he pursues for the duration of the book. Part of why this book is so interesting is because of the sheer otherness of Adam’s experiences in contrast to a child today. As a minstrel’s child, Adam had almost complete free-range and he lived on the road, which could mean sleeping on the side of it. While we can see a little around it, Adam adores his father and his life as the son of a minstrel, and I was intrigued by what this life might have looked like in the Middle Ages. The book gives you a glimpse into life at the time and also gives you a handful of characters to love.

Here are a few titles in middle grades Middle Ages, which I have not read, that might be worth a try. (They are also more diverse.):

The Inquisitor’s Tale, Hatem Ally
Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, David Macaulay
The Sign of the Chrysanthemum, Katherine Patterson
Possibly The Shakespeare Stealer Trilogy
The Crystal Ribbon, Celeste Lim
The Mad Wolf’s Daughter, Diane Magras
The Ugly One, Leanna Statland Ellis
I might recommend trying Crispin: The Cross of Lead (Avi) or Leonardo’s Shadow (Christopher Peter Grey), but I’m tired to stories of boys in the Middle Ages who lose everything and have to be resilient and have their wits about them to succeed.

***REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG***

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I like the adventure and I like the action and I thought it was pretty cool. I like the rescues and I like Robin Hood in general and I need to watch the movie. Robin Hood is the son of a noble, his lands get taken away because he's so nice and he gives money to the poor. All the nobles hate him because he's nice. One day he goes to Nottingham fair and shoots a deer and gets in trouble with the foresters and then he shoots the head forester and he hides in Sherwood Forest. Then he gathers a band of other outlaws and they go on pretty cool rescues and take lots of money from the rich and give it to the poor. They find good bowmen and so on. Other good characters were Little John and Maid Marian. Characters I didn't like were the tinker, the sheriff and the fat bishop of Hartford. And King Henry.
I did like King Richard of the Lionheart. I recommend this book for 10 year olds who can understand old language cuz there's a little bit of it." - Jasur 10

*read as a free read for homeschool 5th grade.

[Janelle]

Another unfinished book. It's basically a collection of short stories centred on a similar plot - Robin (or one of his merry men) encounter someone, fight, and then invite him to join their band. There's lots of quothing, and thous as though the 19th century author was attempting to evoke the language of the 12th century. It did put me to sleep a number of times, but I just couldn't stand it anymore.
I also found the Librivox reader was very stilted. A lot of other listeners seem to like him, but for me he only made the book more difficult to listen to.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is 50% toxic masculinity and 50% a nice vision of male companionship. It's just story after story of two guys running into each other in the forest, challenging each other to a fight to prove something to themselves or others, nearly killing each other, and then confessing their admiration to each other and the new guy joins the band. I found it fairly tiresome. Also were people back then so stupid that they were fooled just by someone wearing a hood or a different colored outfit?

[Emil Leorato · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very interesting as it is quite a slow book but it still manages to give a sense of adventure every time I have read it. However, you will have to understand the concept of Robin Hood's cause to understand why he would steal from wealthy gentlemen and portrayed as an outlaw in the old stories.

[Duda Camargo · Rating 3 out of 5]

me surpreendi


ao começar a ler esse livro, não estava entendendo nada, e não havia me apegado aos personagens. Mas após uns 30% do livro eu comecei a entender e a gostar. É um livro com muita aventura e ação misturado com momentos fofos e engraçados. Gostei mas acho que em 1 semana já não vou lembrar da história.

[Carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did like this retelling of the classic tale of Robin Hood. It was just how I would have pictured it, and I even learned something about the plot that I hadn't known before. I recommend this for anyone who wants a light read, as this is a nice quick to read book.

[Rasha | رشا · Rating 4 out of 5]

استمتعت جداً بالقصة، يذكرني سلوك البطل بأبطال الملاحم الشعبية عندنا، يملك الكثير من الاخلاق ولكن سلوكه فيه الكثير من الحرية، مثل السرقة من المتسولين، النهاية بالنسبة لي (اتكرفتت) كانت سريعة وانهاها ببساطة وأسطورية رغم كل شيء،

[R. G. Nairam]

I need to re-read for a story review, but the illustrations are amazing.

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a blended novel (Librivox & Gutenberg). The tales were what I remembered and expected. The Librivox reading was not as good as it could have been.

[Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, fantastical, hilarious tales. Excited to share with my boys when they are a little older.

[Anna Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read while driving to and from work. Thanks to Librivox for the free audiobook! The reader did a great job, and it was well worth the download.

Overall, this felt very much like a traditional Robin Hood ballad. Each chapter recounted another tale of Robin's daring do and bravery or quite often his escapades fighting with other talented men- in these particular types of chapters, they always began with a show of bravado on both sides, and ended with mutual admiration and the new man joining Robin's forces. And while many have criticized this book as having no plot, I felt like it didn't need it. The title itself denotes the fact that this book is really an amalgamation of many different epic stories told of Robin Hood and his merry men. And while I do believe that the stories themselves sometimes got a little repetitive (I mean, there's only so many times you can have a pissing contest without it feeling vaguely...vaguely familiar...), I honestly was never bored. This book was a collection of stories that were more than likely told around fires or at bedtimes, or during festivals and of course, they wouldn't all be told back to back like they were in this book. And maybe the fact that I read this book in 20 minute snippets over several weeks helped me to see this.

I honestly am glad that I read this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Robin Hood. However, be forewarned that if your only experience with Robin Hood is the animated Disney version, this is very different! Perhaps take the time to watch the old live action Errol Flynn version before you read this book...which I actually grew up on, so, I was very familiar with that. Expect a series of short stories, and you will not be disappointed in the lack of an overarching plot. I think this book would do very well as a read aloud, especially to boys. (I can imagine that my aunt and uncle read this aloud to my 4 very rowdy boy cousins once upon a time, especially as they were very into classic literature and tales of chivalry.)

[Anthony Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite having read the Pyle version first, McSpadden's Robin Hood is my Robin Hood. In it, Robert Fitzooth, son of Hugh, who is the head forester of Sherwood is exiled to the forest under the reign of Harry the second for killing, first a deer to win a wager, and then the man who set him the wager, the man who had succeeded his father as head forester. He will live in the Greenwood until King Richard returns from the Holy Land. All the usual gang is here, plus a few names that may not be familiar. So Richard of the Lea gets a lot more attention here than in most versions as does Will Stuteley, who Robin replaces as the leader of the band. You probably don't know the name Richard Partington but you will and you'll be glad of it.

McSpadden insists these stories come from the old poems and provides us with modern verse at the beginning of every chapter. Though the prose style is ostensibly intended for children, there is no feeling of being condescended to. The book is filled with gusto and vigor telling the stories concisely but adequately flowered. As in all the best versions we are there for Robin's death although McSpadden bungles his description of a few of the details. But the sense of brotherhood among the merry men, the romantic attachment between Robin and Marion, and his heroic fight for justice for the common people are better portrayed here than anywhere else I have found.