robin hood(15點)

From the Blurb: “David Baldwin sets out to find the real Robin Hood, looking for clues in the earliest ballads and in official and legal documents of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. … The reason why the real Robin is inexplicably missing from contemporary records is that he was not called Robin Hood in his own day.” …

What I most liked about this particular look into the possibility of a foundation for the “real” Robin Hood was the fact that David Baldwin takes time to look at a number of areas before delving into his main conjecture about the identity of the outlaw. This makes the conclusion that is reached seem all the more logically reasoned than other texts that present a historical Robin. Baldwin uses only the earliest ballads for the basis of his research and focusses on the period of history leading up to their first known appearances.

Baldwin writes in a fluid style that never becomes tedious. His points are all suitably backed up with references fully documented and provides a well rounded background into the history of the period he explores – it’s kings, outlaws and the society of the day.

This is an excellent presentation – well researched and thoroughly backed up, it’s difficult to argue with the overall conclusion, even when one’s own thoughts place Hood in a slightly different period of history. An excellent insight and well worth a read to either those interested in the Outlaw or even this particular period of medieval England.

Rate It: 4 / 5