The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

Howard Pyle (1853–1911), author and illustrator, was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Inspired as a child by Grimm’s German Fairy Tales and The Arabian Nights, he decided as an adult to write and illustrate stories for children. After some success contributing to children’s magazines, he became famous with his book The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood of Great Renown in Nottinghamshire. He also wrote and illustrated historical romances and fairy stories. Having studied painting at the Drexel Institute in Philadelphia, he was one of the most influential illustrators of his time, known for his imagination and detail. He also taught painting and wrote many stories for young people, illustrating his own works.

David Thorn spent his childhood in the Channel Islands off the coast of France, was schooled in England, and then immigrated to the United States at the age of twenty-three. He is retired from international commerce and currently resides in California.