Antonia Fraser's retelling of Robin Hood features all the well-known characters: Robin himself, Maid Marian, Little John, Alan A Dale, Will Scarlett, Friar Tuck and of course the bad guys, the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John. But there are also lesser-known characters as well: Dickon Barleycorn, originally a soldier of the Sheriff's but eventually a convert to Robin's side; the evil Walter of Weybridge, Guy of Gisborne, Oswald Montdragon and, baddest of all, Black Barbara. The adventures of Robin and his men are well told, and the division between the Saxons and the Normans is well covered; Lady Fraser is an historian, after all! This book, first published in 1955, is meant for children, perhaps especially the 9-12 age bracket, and it may well engender in some of those children an interest in history, which is never a bad thing. Recommended. ( )