Outlaw: A Novel of Robin Hood (The Outlaw Chronicles, 1)

Robin Hood as a true antihero with as many motives as arrows in his quiver. A great telling of an old story. Maybe closer to the truth than all others. Times were brutal and they bent men in multiple directions.

As a boy, I thrilled to adventures depicted by the great team of director Michael Curtiz and his frequent stars, Errol Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland; and to this day, The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition) remains my pick as a perfectly done boy's tale. Recent years have brought the opportunity to return to Sherwood with a pair of fine trilogies, one by the well established, successful author Stephen Lawhead ( Hood (The Raven King, Book 1) ), the other by newcomer Angus Donald ( Outlaw ) (reportedly, two more volumes are planned). Since not everyone will feel the urge to tackle a series by an unknown author when there is already available one who is already very popular. I will focus my attention on the Angus Donald series lest people miss out on a terrificly entertaining journey. The "Outlaw" series is told from the perspective of Alan Dale, the young troubador in Robin Hood's band of merry men. Robin (or Robert Fitz Odo in this version of the tale) himself is the object of Alan's hero worship/criticism, and he is a rather complex figure who remains at arms length throughout the series, a distance appropriate to the point of view. Little John and Friar Tuck, King Richard and Prince John, Maid Marian and other favorites are all present, as is a wonderful villain in the Sheriff of Nottingham, herein cast as one Ralph Murdac. There is even a Saracen, but not at all in the way one would expect. There is gore, rape, pillage and plunder that all seems to fit realistically into the milieu, and indeed Mr. Donald's fine attention to historical detail is a welcome addition to the myth. Put another way, this is not a version that should be recommended to youngsters. It is thrilling and fast-paced, as though Michael Curtiz had done an R-rated movie for current audiences. I read and enjoyed both series, but on the whole think that I preferred Mr. Donald's take on the legend. I greatly look forward to the final two parts.

I loved this book. I found it completely engrossing. It fleshes out the characters from the legend (at least Robin Hood and Alan Dale) nicely and adds the richness of historical detail to stories that are much more realistic than simple "stole from the rich and gave to the poor". I'm already on the second book and am hooked. I'm sometimes a stickler for historical accuracy, but the essence of historical fiction is plausibility, which I think some readers who have critiqued the book here have missed. Yes, it's entirely plausible that there was a real Robin Hood and that he was the head of a Mafia-like gang of "criminals" in a period of change in England's history. And it's even plausible that he was an avowed pagan. Many crusaders were not particularly devout or even Christian -- they went on the Third Crusade because they were strong-armed into it, either by their monarchs or by the Pope. However, it's the second book that is really about the crusade. This first book lays the groundwork, and gives us an entertaining look into the lives of Alan Dale and Robin Hood. I like Bernard Cornwell's Saxon series just like the next person, but I actually think this is faster paced and doesn't sag in the middle, as some of Cornwell's books do (I know I will be vilified by his fans for writing this, but to each his own). Of course, it isn't a contest. Having more entertaining books to read is always better, whether they are Cornwell or Donald, and I intend to get on with reading the rest of this series. It's a good read.

Angus Donald's "Outlaw" is a Saturday afternoon matinee of historical fiction; an action-packed thrill ride through Henry II's 12th century England as seen through the eyes of Alan Dale, side kick to the mythical Robin Hood, aka - in this version of the oft told tale - as Robert Odo, "Lord of Sherwood." Donald's Robin Hood is like none other you've likely encountered - a brutal and savage rebel who uses raw power and fear to maintain the loyalty and support of the peasants he protects while plundering those rich enough and foolish enough to travel through the King's royal Sherwood Forrest without sufficient protection. Yet at the same time he is an insightful and inspirational leader who understands human nature as well as he does battle strategy. Since there is no definitive proof that there ever was a Robin Hood, Donald's interpretation is as good as any - at least as fun to read as the gritty cinema versions splashed across the screen by Kevin Costner or, more recently, Russell Crowe, are to watch. Definitely not for the squeamish, Donald doesn't shy away from 12th century brutality, whether practiced on the battlefield or in medieval methods of torture deployed in equal measure to instill loyalty or extract information. The elderly Alan Dale is the narrator, recounting the story from his youth where, as the surviving son of a widow, he resorts to thievery to supplement his mother's meager income. When caught by the evil Sir Ralph Murdac, High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Dale is sentenced to have his right arm chopped off. Narrowly escaping, limbs intact, young Dale seeks out the outlaw Odo for protection, and is soon a contributing member to Odo's growing army of thieves. You'll find all the familiar characters of your youth - Little John, the hulking giant enforcer of the gang, Friar Tuck, the mildly pious, stout monk accompanied by a pair of wolf hounds from hell, and of course "Marie-Anne," a beautiful but chaste woman from a noble family who occasionally escapes to the deeply hidden caves of the gang to cavort with Robin. Considering the near constant drunken partying, with no lack of food, wine and ale from their plunder, Robin and his boys - and requisite groupie wenches - could I guess be described as "merry," though any of his adversaries crossing their paths may take issue. These are hardly fun guys. I won't pretend to be an English historian, but Donald's research seemed authentic enough - if perhaps derivative of Bernard Cornwell. A sick and aging King Henry is vulnerable, while the estranged but still powerful Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine languishes in near exile, supporting son and heir Richard, who prefers southern France to England. At least when not chasing the infidel around the Holy Land. Donald shares a Cornwell-like distain for the early Christian Church, and throws in some dark scenes of the pagans whose ancient Gods most certainly maintained a strong - if diminishing - following at that time. Critics may point out that Robin Hood's speeches sound a lot like Braveheart, and may question the veracity in the scale of the battles between the outlaw army and Murdac's men. But that would be like questioning the physics depicted in Star Wars. For Donald's goal is not to educate, but to entertain. And he succeeds, delivering a raucous and grisly tale of high adventure in the Middle Ages. This is the first of at least three volumes - I'm looking forward to the sequel.

O problema do livro é que a personagem que narra a história não é cativante. A personalidade de Alan fica sempre na sombra daqueles que estão a sua volta, bem diferente de Derfel ou Uthred de Bernard Cornwell. O autor caracterizou um Robin Hood interessante, mas o jeito paternalista com que ele trata Alan não ajuda no crescimento da personagem principal.

This is my all time favorite book If you are considering it Buy it You will not regret it

I was hooked from page one! I loved every bit of this story! fantastic writing! Robin is a smug twisty bad ass that reminds me of a very early London gangster! You never know if he's going to laugh or break your fave. Told from the POV of the lovely Alan a Dale who has always been a favorite of mine I will definitely be getting book 2 asap!

On the cover of my copy of Outlaw, there was a sticker saying 'As good as Bernard Cornwell or your money back'. Cornwell is, of course, a master of the historical novel genre with few equals (Conn Iggulden, Justin Hill, Steven Pressfield are the only ones that spring to mind) so this, I thought, was fightin' talk from the publishers. But the publishers were right to be confident; Outlaw is a brilliant novel. Angus Donald's Robin is a charismatic character but he is a tough, almost brutal man and is not always sympathetically portrayed by the narrator (one of Robin's men who is looking back on life with Robin from the perspective of old age.) This gives the book a welcome edge, with Donald plunging the reader headlong into the dangerous days of medieval England. Everything I want in a historical novel is here: strong characters, a believable setting, good story-telling, vivid action scenes and, most importantly, high quality prose. After finishing Outlaw, I bought the second in the series and the good news is that it was even stronger than the first. This is a series of books to cherish and Angus Donald a writer to follow.

This certainly ties all the stories and movies about Robin Hood together along with King Richard in a fine story written by an excellent writer. I have not read his books before but I will look forward to his future novels