The name of Joseph Ritson, born in Stockton-on-Tees in 1752, will be familiar to very few people. The name of Robin Hood is known the world over. Yet it was Ritson whose research in the late eighteenth century ensured the survival of the Robin Hood legend. He traveled all over the country looking for ancient manuscripts which told of the life and deeds of England’s most famous outlaw. Without his efforts, the legend of Robin Hood might have gone the way of other medieval outlaws such as Adam Bell — famous in their day but not so much now. Yet this is not only a story about the formation of the Robin Hood legend. Ritson’s story is one of rags to riches. Born in humble circumstances, his aptitude for learning meant that he rose through society’s ranks and became a successful lawyer, local official, and a gentleman. However, underneath the genteel and bourgeois façade of Joseph Ritson, Esq. was a revolutionary: having traveled to Paris at the height of the French Revolution, he was captivated by the revolutionaries’ ideology of liberté, egalité, fraternité. He returned to England as a true democrat who sought the abolition of the British monarchy and the ‘rotten’ parliamentary system and wished for French Revolution and its reign of terror to spread over to England. This the history of the life and times of Joseph Ritson: gentleman, scholar, and revolutionary.

When a violent storm uproots an ancient oak tree, a young boy finds a mysterious object among its roots. He then sinks into a dream, or perhaps relives a memory, of a time filled with danger, excitement and adventure -- a time when the forest was ruled by outlaws led by the legendary Robin of Sherwood.

The legends of Robin Hood are very familiar, but scholarship and criticism dealing with the long and varied tradition of the famous outlaw is as elusive as the identity of Robin himself, and is scattered in a wide range of sources, many difficult of access. This book is the first to bring together major studies of aspects of the tradition. The thirty-one studies take a variety of approaches, from archival exploration in quest of a real Robin Hood, to a political angle seeking the social meaning of the texts across time, to literary scholars concerned with origin, structures and generic variation, or moral and social significance; also included are considerations of theatre and film studies, and folklore and children's literature. Overall, the collection provides a valuable basis for further study. STEPHEN KNIGHT is Professor of English Literature at the University of Wales, Cardiff; he is well-known as an authority on the Robin Hood tradition, and has edited the recently-discovered Robin Hood Forresters Manuscript.

Twelve selected adventures of Robin Hood and his outlaw band who stole from the rich to give to the poor.

Life in Sherwood Forest has never been livelier than with this selection of tales of the fun-loving outlaw and his merry men. A fast-moving adaptation of the classic adventure will delight older slow readers as well as kids reading on grade level.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Robin Hood" by Henry Gilbert. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

Little John lives a lifetime of adventure—from humble ferryman to legendary outlaw John Little is strong enough to be a knight, but he knows he is destined to life as a thief. He spends his days on the river, poling nobles back and forth on a wooden ferry, the master of which robs the passengers blind. When an arrogant knight draws his sword to protect his purse, John defends his unscrupulous boss. The struggle leaves the knight dead, and John becomes an outlaw who must flee into the forest to hide from the king’s justice. John thinks his life is over, but his adventure has just begun. In shadowy Sherwood Forest, John meets a mysterious bandit dressed in green, who goes by the name Robin Hood. At Robin Hood’s side, John Little becomes “Little John”—friend of the poor, defender of the weak, and scourge of evil men across Nottinghamshire.

The identity of Robin Hood is one of the great historical mysteries of English history - until now. Everyone has heard of Robin Hood, the brilliant archer who 'robbed the rich to give to the poor' and who always triumphed over the forces of evil, but the man behind the legend is as mysterious as King Arthur. There were outlaws who lived in the royal forests preying on unwary travelers, and Robin Hoods whose names are recorded in historical documents: but no one has been able to prove that one of these real Robins was the individual whose exploits were commemorated in ballad and song. 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. His search takes him to the troubled reign of King Henry III, his conclusions turn history on its head and David Baldwin reveals the name of the man who inspired the tales of Robin Hood.