Howard Pyle Books

This is the most wonderful collection of fairytales, which I first encountered in the third grade and have reread countless times since. I'd rank it with the multicolored Fairy Book series by Andrew Lang as world class for this genre. A classic!

This book has been in my family for four generations, the 1912 edition having been given to my father by his grandmother in 1948.

The premise of the story is given in the introduction; the narrator happens upon a marvelous clock in Father Time's attic, which strikes the hour with songs and puppet dances. Twenty-four stories follow, one for each hour of the day. Each story begins with a verse that corresponds to the hour of the day: lighting the fire, preparing breakfast, sending the children to school, making the noonday meal, milking, tea, bedtime. The verses alone are fascinating, as they bring to life the househould routines of a very different era.

The stories are illustrated with Howard Pyle's remarkable drawings. Each tale has a frontispiece for the title, and the beginning of the text and each picture caption is heralded with a large ornmental letter like those in illuminated manuscripts. The illustrations are gorgeous. Pyle was fond of capturing scenes of nobility and royal splendour, pastoral life, and witchcraft. Some are stylized portraits of princesses in exquisite gowns and classic poses, while others demonstrate Pyle's gift for caricature and expression.

The stories themselves are wonderful, full of heroes and heroines, bravery, beauty, wits and trickery. Although there are allusions to mystic and Christian themes, and to folklore and fables, most of the stories will be unfamiliar and fresh to modern readers. The langauge is rich with metaphor, droll imagery, and dialogue that is made to be read aloud. As with Aesop's fables, the stories are meant to instruct, but the morals take a back seat to the storytelling, at least until the conclusion of each tale, and a great deal is left up to the reader to interpret.

This was my favorite book as a child, and I still turn to it on sleepless nights. But our beloved family heirloom is growing very delicate, so I am very glad that the book is still in print. I hope to share it with my own children someday.

My father heard these stories as a child. He read them to me. I read them to my kids and my grandkids. The vocabulary, the cadences, the varied plots and the sheer magic of these tales is timeless. The poems at the beginning of each chapter are related to the hours. Kids insist that you read them too. Pyle always sees to it that bullies, evil magicians, cheaters and older nasty siblings get their comeuppance. Little ones enjoy that aspect. Great archaic words are dusted off along with long disused similies and metaphores. It's the kind of book that comes to mind when you meet a bright eyed new child who has read everything else or seen everything else. At age 70 I still keep a copy in my bed's head board. Rap, tap, tap he knocked at the door.

The narrator of the twenty-four stories (plus an introduction) finds a special clock in Father Time's attic, which strikes on the hour with songs and puppet dances. "Four and twenty marvelous tales, one for each hour of the day" all start with a verse to coincide with that particular hour. Drawings are included to add further depth. Each ends with a morality lesson, which never interferes with the story, but helps wrap up that entry.

This nineteenth century collection is remarkable in different ways depending on the reader. The tales provide insight into daily household life and the morality of a bygone era. The contributions also furbish delightful fairy tales for the young at heart that are enhanced by superb figures of speech and tremendous illustrations with a finale moral lesson. This collection is a winner and will send many a reader searching for other works by Howard Pyle.

Harriet Klausner

I have been searching for this book for quite a while. The stories included are gloriously written and the illustrations are phenomenal. The reason I started looking for it again was because my Grandson will soon enjoy it. He is only 5 years old, but again, I started reading it (repeatedly) starting at age 7. I think I re-loaned it until my card was worn out! I will get him his very own copy and I know he will enjoy it as much as I.

The images floor me. If a picture is worth a thousand words.... then this collection speaks incalculable volumes.

We saw the exhibit in September and I bought the book as a reminder of the awe and joy I felt looking at the originals. The book lives up to the exhibit. A feast for the eyes, the book captures well the power and talent of Pyle and the Wyeths.

For many years it has been the practice of critics and art aficionados to relegate "popular artists" the likes of Norman Rockwell and the Wyeth clan to the bin of kitsch. Time heals and alters and distance is kind as the current resurgence of appreciation of these and other artists of the land testifies. Norman Rockwell now is considered an important American artist, sensitive to basic issues of what makes America the land of the common man's dream. With this beautifully designed and written tome the same adulation should follow for the Wyeth clan. The authors (Betsy Wyeth among them) had the good idea to show the seeds of the very familiar Wyeth imagery in the work of Howard Pyle, an artist known primarily as an illustrator along the lines of over the edge fantasy adventure books. His pupil N.C. Wyeth took up the torch, primarily emulating Pyle's style but taking it to a new level. His works of isolation, thwarted desire, and simple American traditions are absorbed by his son Andrew Wyeth who won favor among collectors of realist art during the time the country was running after Modernism, Expresionism, Abstraction. And finally Jaime Wyeth, son of Andrew, has been a constant presence with his quasi-surreal take on many of the same subjects as his progenitors. The circle comes round with Pyle and Jaime Wyeth embracing the more perverse subjects - an interesting century wheel turning round and round.

The color reproductions are generous and well selected. Many of the well know Wyeth images are excluded, but in their place we are treated to images we have never seen. This is a beautiful volume and a tender one, a memento of what our childhood in the 20th Century was like before the madness currently painted hit.

For the non-art initiated, the book is a feast for the imagination as well as the eyes. I bought the book because I come from the mid-coast of Maine, like the Wyeths. But when I took the time to look at the book on a night we lost power due to a snow storm, I found the views conjured stories up in my mind to match the Wondrously Strange images. I've driven by the Wyeth Center a thousand times, but made a point to visit to see for my self. I'm also fortunate to have a copy signed by Jamie Wyeth, and hope to keep as a treasure for a long time.

This book is a collection of the paintings included in an exhibit which will be at the Delaware Art Museum in December -- works by Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, & Jamie Wyeth, chosen particularly because of their "wondrous" and "strange" way of looking at the world. A glossy, colorful, and exciting book featuring the progression of artistic technique from generation to generation! Something of interest for everyone.

In response to the previous review:

This book was originally written in Dutch and first published in Amsterdam in 1678 - most texts refer to him as a French surgeon, as he originally came in contact with the buccaneers as a result of his 1666 journey to tortuga with the French West India Company. His name is spelled Alexander Exquemelin....

The events of the book cross reference fairly well with Spanish historical documents - most errors are in place names and dates, according to David Cordingly (british historian, and expert on all things pirate).

No one knows for sure the spelling of the man's name of his nationality, but in 1684 Alexander Esquemeling published in London a powerful, some say mendacious, personal reminiscence of Henry Morgan and other pirates. Histerical at times, this work brilliantly recreates Morgan's most memorable, indeed incredible adventures. A must read for anyone wishing to capture an authentic view of the Carribean during the period of pirates and the battles of Spanish main.

This is probably the original source for information of pirates. It contains such a vast compendium of information that it is difficult to select anyone in particular. The cruel reality of pirates is sometimes terrifying; however, in the context of their times this may not have been so shocking. Each reader will take away what they find most interesting. I find that the interaction between the pirates and the indigenous people of these island most intriguing.

This is a book about buccaneering written by one of the participants. Esquemeling was a Dutch physian who went to the Caribbean during the heyday of the Spanish Main. He was the surgeon to Henry Morgan's expedition against Panama City.

Like many educated men of his time, he tried to be a scientific observer of the New World. As a result, you'll see descriptions of flora and fauna of the Americas mixed in with anecdotes about the famous and near famous of the period. The phraseology can be stilted in places, but that is how people spoke at the time.

Is it worth reading? I certainly think so! It's valuable in the same way that Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Mexico is valuable, it gives a flavor for how the participants saw themselves. So, if you want real, this is it.

If you can find this in any addition, though the hardback is very nice gift, it is a great addition to any Grail Lore Collection.

Pyle did so many books great books on the Medieval Myths and Legends. First published in 1905, Pyle wrote and illustrated his own tales, such as Lancelot, Tristam & Isoult, and Percival. The pen in and ink drawing are simply amazing and so bring alive his stories.

Highly recommended for those interested in tales of the Round Table. Hopefully, with the interested Tolkien's Rings, it will reawaken a hunger for these tales of chivalry, of valour and those willing to stand and fight in what they believe.

Howard Pyle weaves another masterpiece in this, the sequel to The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. It is frought with adventure, chivalry, and Pyle's own version of Old English to go with it. Pyle's english and his drawings add greatly to the already great story, making this series one of the best I have ever read.

This book details the early adventures of Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram, and Sir Percival. One would think that the jousts/battles would get repetitive and boring after a while, but Pyle is so masterful a storyteller that it never gets boring, and each adventure captures the imagination more than the last.

Overall grade: A+

The book The Adventure of Robin Hood is a great read. This Traditional Literature was written by Howard Pyle. This book is full of action packed adventure. In this book is about an outlaw named Robin Hood that lives in Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood and his merry band of men are very helpful by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. The sheriff of Nottingham doesn't appreciate Robin Hood's good will. Will they achieve? I think this is a great book because they meet new people, the definitions of Robin is very descriptive. I also think this is a great book is because at one of my family reunion's I saw it at the kid table. I could not put it down. I think this book is great book for people who like action and adventure. This book is for kids and adults of all ages.

My 11 year old active, sports-oriented boy LOVES this book. Has read it four times and I have found it with a flashlight near his bed. He tells me he likes it for the fighting, and (more importantly for my point of view) because the good guys always win. It is violence but with a purpose and it reinforces values I appreciate. It teaches him about honor and I'm looking for more to do the same.

I read this book in middle school and so it struck me at a very impressionable age. It is a story of a young man who becomes a knight (not a pirate as the amazon picture seems to show). There is adventure and friendship, hardship and perserverance. It was an inspiring story to read and I remember relishing every page and carrying it with me almost as a badge of honor, that I would be privileged enough to be allowed to read such a story that seems to be not words, but a swirl of images, almost as if the story was in my brain already and the reading of it just jogged my memory. It is not thick language, like Robert Louis Stevenson, but is not super easy. I would buy this book for a 10-16 year old who likes lost worlds and adventure, but also has empathy.

This is a book I first read in the ninth grade but is easily read by any good reader 5th grade up. An Adventure about a young boy taken from his family at a young age who learns to do what is right , to stand up against bullies , to organise others in a right cause. We follow him to young manhood and the righting of a terrible injustice. Boys will love it. Makes you want to make a shield and sword and be courageous and right wrongs your self. This book was written expressly for boys. My sons have read it and I hope my grandsons will too.

I picked this up in my local library and absolutely loved every page. I liked the story of Robin Hood to begin with thanks to a certain Errol Flynn and had always wanted to read it. This book is so much better than any movie. I was a little daunted at first by the old English, but after a few pages found myself thinking in the witty vernacular of a timeless classic. Buy it if you can find a copy, but at least check out your library and hopefully you can read it.