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Otto of the Silver Hand (1888) is Howard Pyle’s epic take on the medieval legend, a high adventure yarn that was the first novel that explored the darker historical aspects of the Hapsburg empire. Despite its realism, this classic children’s book is heartwarming story of true valiance, kindness, and the power of love.
About the author
Howard Pyle (1853-1911) was an American Illustrator and author. He was the founder of one of the most influential institutions of American illustration, known as the Brandywine school; notable students included N.C Wyeth and Jessie Willcox Smith. In addition to teaching and illustrating, he was a prolific children's book author. Among his best known works are
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883), Otto of the Silver Hand (1888), and his beloved pirate stories. Pyle's was an influence on generations of artists and writers ranging from Vincent Van Gogh to Ernest Hemingway.
Summary
“A personification of divine forgiveness.”-Jill P. May
“From American history books to Pirates of the Caribbean, the work of Howard Pyle continues to captivate us...”-Big Think
“...it has a significant, universal theme, and it presents the details of daily life in Germany of the thirteenth century accurately and unobtrusively, making the period real and alive.”-Malcolm Usrey
“He is as careful and painstaking and artistic with his children’s books as the very best novelist are with their novels...But best of them all is Pyle’s Otto of the Silver Hand. It is a story of German chivalry in the days of the robber barons.”-Willa Cather
Otto of the Silver Hand (1888), Howard Pyle’s first novel for children, is a grim yet empowering narrative of medieval Germany, following the adventures of a young hero caught between the power struggles of two families. With its gripping battle scenes, romance, and villainous warlords, this is a reading experience that continues to thrill over one hundred years after its initial publication.
Otto, a gentle boy born to a noble germanic family in the middle ages, has been raised in the compassionate seclusion of a monastery to protect him from the violent rivalries of his family. When the boy turns twelve years old he is retrieved back to Drachenhausen, his ancestral castle to begin his training in knighthood. Soon Otto discovers that his father, the Baron Conrad, a brutal robber baron, is in the midst of a savage vendetta with his the family of his slain foe, the Baron Fredrick. When Otto’s father and his knights are summoned to the Imperial Court the Fredrick clan attacks Castle Drachenhausen, burns it to the ground, and kidnaps the boy. Baron Henry, the heir of Fredrick’s clan, keeps Otto in the dungeon of his own fortress. Until his father arrives to rescue him, Otto experiences both terrible brutality and the gentle affections of Henry’s beautiful daughter. Through Otto’s ordeals and suffering he recognized the deficiencies of the human character, yet he rose above the wickedness with his gentleness and love.
With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Otto of the Silver Hand is both modern and readable.
