cover image The Sheriff of Nottingham

The Sheriff of Nottingham

Richard Kluger. Penguin Books, $12 (496pp) ISBN 978-0-14-017703-9

This earthy, richly textured tale by a NBA finalist inverts the Robin Hood legend, focusing instead on the customary villain--here identified with an actual 13th-century figure who is torn between duty and conscience in rooting out corruption. (Feb.)