Robin Hood FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About England’s Greatest Outlaw and His Band of Merry Men

Robin Hood FAQ is a thorough survey of one of the world s most enduring and popular myths, tracing the story of the legendary outlaw from the earliest ballads and chronicles to the present day. An in-depth discussion of the legend s origin pinpoints the many historical characters who might possibly have provided the inspiration not only for Robin but also for certain of his merry men (and women). The political and religious landscape of his age are examined, not only in an historical context but also geographical, as the book describes Robin s impact on the place names and landmarks of his English homeland. Other chapters look at some of the fighting men who followed in his footsteps, including such renowned revolutionaries as Ned Ludd and Sir William Courtenay. From broadsides to penny dreadfuls, comic books to novels, the book traces the evolution of Robin Hood s legend from the earliest times, while surveying the vast corpus of plays, operas, musicals, television, and movie adaptations of the tale, including works by a wide range of artists from Ben Jonson to Kevin Costner, Alfred Lord Tennyson to Jonas Armstrong. Detailed appendices list both the cast and the scores of many of these productions.