Robin Hood - Two books

I recently read two books about Robin Hood for a course I’m taking this summer, so for this review I’m including both of them, comparing them in terms of content, focus, and tone/writing style. These books are choices for the category Myth, Legend and Folklore for the 2025 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book’d Out.

The earlier book is Robin Hood: A Complete Study of the English Outlaw, by Stephen Knight, 1994. Knight was a Professor of English at the University of Wales, College Cardiff, and a former Professor and Head of the Department of English, Media and Cultural Studies as De Montfort University, England. Much of Knight's scholarly writings have been in the areas of medieval English literature, Robin Hood, Merlin and the Arthurian myth.

Knight’s literary background is clearly the basis for his comprehensive literary and cultural study of the Robin Hood legend. It explores how Robin Hood has evolved through ballads, literature, plays, films, and popular culture. Many of these sources are included in the book, with Knight’s analysis. The book places a strong emphasis on ideology, politics, and class, interpreting the legend through a variety of viewpoints. Rather than trying to find a historical Robin Hood, Knight is more interested in what the figure of Robin Hood means to different periods and audiences.

Knight’s writing style is rather academic and analytical, often dense and filled with literary criticism. This might be more readable for scholars or students interested in literature, folklore studies, or cultural theory. For the general public, the tone can be challenging but insightful, especially for those interested in the literary aspect of the Robin Hood tales.

Robin Hood: Legend and Reality, by David Crook, 2020. Crook worked in The National Archives in the UK, where he studied surviving Medieval records of the English royal administration and common law. Through these records he worked to identify a criminal as the original of Robin Hood.

In contrast to Knight’s book, Crook focuses more on a historical basis for Robin Hood. He aims to separate myth from fact, looking for a possible real-life basis for the character. The book includes archival research, medieval records, and analysis of legal documents and social history. Crook explores how and why the legend could have emerged based on actual historical figures and events.

His writing is historical and factual, with a clear, evidence-based approach. The style is scholarly but more accessible than Knight’s — less theoretical, more pragmatic. This book would appeal to readers interested in medieval history or factual investigation of folklore origins.

For an extensive overview of the Robin Hood legend, history, and cultural influences up to the present day, I found that both books were useful, since they each focused on the topic from different angles, and provided different viewpoints.