Men of Iron

Howard Pyle, who lived from 1853 to 1911, was one of the leading American illustrators of his day and a writer of books for young people. He founded an influential school of illustration in Wilmington, Delaware, and his students included N. C. Wyeth. Among his best-known works are The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, published in 1883, and a series of retellings of the legend of King Arthur. Men of Iron appeared in 1891 and is regarded as one of the best historical novels of its time for young readers.

The story is set in the 1400s, a time of knighthood and chivalry, and tells how Myles Falworth grows from a child into a knight. Pyle paints a convincing picture of the training of a young nobleman: the exercises in arms, the rules of conduct, the rivalries among the pupils, and the loyalty owed to a lord. Behind the personal tale lies a political one, since the family’s misfortune is bound up with the struggles of the period. As Myles grows up and trains as a knight, he perseveres in an effort to clear his father of the charge of wrongdoing.

The writing has the clarity of an author who was also a visual artist, and many scenes seem to be made for illustration. The tone is serious but not grim, and the moral is one of courage and fidelity.

The recording has 35 chapters, beginning with an Introduction, and lasts about seven hours. A team of LibriVox volunteers shares it. It is a pleasure for fans of medieval adventure and a good choice for reading aloud to a family. The scenes of training, hunting and combat are described with a clarity that makes them easy to picture, and the shifting voices of the volunteers keep the long story lively.