From Reviews (ADR) by Arthur D. Rypinski:
The first volume of Alexandre Dumas' two-part interpretation of the
story of Robin Hood, popularized for Nineteenth Century audiences by Sir
Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, set in England in 1162-66.
In this book, Dumas tells the story of Robin Hood's youth: how he is
delivered by an unknown man to be raised by poor but honest foresters,
his great skill as an archer, how he comes into conflict with the Baron
[sic] of Nottingham, how he meets Friar Tuck, the Maid Marian, Little
John, Will Scarlett, and others, how he is declared an outlaw by the
King, and decamps, with his followers, into Sherwood Forest to wage war
against the Baron.
This is not one of Dumas' better books. Dumas normally intensively
researched his historical novels, typically using contemporary memoirs
to form an opinion of the character of the historical figures, which
then informed his writing. He would also often visit the scenes of his
novels, so that his descriptions of geography, landscape, and even
particular buildings were precise and vivid. In this case, both the
characters and the landscape are generic and uninteresting. Since Robin
Hood possesses superhuman skill, and the Baron is a murderous fool,
Dumas' hardest novelistic task is to keep finding reasons for Robin to
spare the Baron's life.
From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: LE PRINCE DES VOLEURS.
ROBIN HOOD LE PROSCRIT.
These two works, each in two volumes, are once more one long work divided for convenience of publishing. They were merely stated to be "Publié par Alex. Dumas." Quite likely all he had to do with them was to point them out as likely material, or perhaps bring together a needy translator and a willing publisher, out of the kindness of his heart, much as he did for "Ivanhoe."
They are somewhat adapted and slightly compressed versions of Pierce Egan the Younger's "Robin Hood and Little John; or, the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest."
Seemingly there was no edition or appearance of the volumes until Lévy added them to the "Œuvres Completes" after Dumas' death.
Original edition : Paris, Lévy, "Le Prince des Voleurs," 2 vols., 12mo., 1872; and "Robin Hood le Proscrit," 2 vols., 12mo., 1873.
They still remain in the Calmann-Lévy standard edition, each part in two volumes.
In Le Vasseur's "Alexandre Dumas Illustré" they are both to be found in Vol. IX.
Reference :—
"The Academy and Literature," No. for September 5th, 1903.—"The New Dumas," an article by R. S. Garnett.
English Translations :—
Translated, without knowledge of its English origin, in two parts, respectively: "The Prince of Thieves," and "Robin Hood the Outlaw;" London, Methuen, sewed, 1903. The same edition, with coloured plates by F. Adams, 1904. Reprinted, same firm, 18mo., 1920.
"Robin Hood and Little John ; or, the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest," the original work by Pierce Egan the Younger; London, W. S. Johnson (N.D., but the dedication bears the date of October, 1850). Frequently reprinted.
