Other editions of book Otto of the Silver Hand

Children and adults will love “Otto of the Silver Hand”, a wonderful book about honor and virtue in the Middle Ages. Otto, the young protagonist of the novel, proves that evil begets evil and good begets honor -- and above all that CHARACTER DOES MATTER. This book is as captivating and beautiful as a knight in shining armor tale can be. It's a tale of love, courage, good and evil. The love begins between husband and wife with as much fervor and honesty as is felt in the movie "Braveheart" (Mel Gibson). Conrad, the baron of the Castle Drakenhausen whose love is so great for the Baroness Matilda, takes their son Otto to the "White Cross on the Hill" soon after his birth. There his good, holy and wise Uncle Otto resides. Baroness Matilda had died at Otto's birth and Baron Conrad knew his cold castle and bitter feudal world were not suited for the raising a child. Young Otto developed a pure, simple and docile attitude in the 12 years he lives at the monastery. His father came to reclaim him at this point and here the story begins to unfold. There is much more to the story—how a near-death Otto later escapes from a cold, dark dungeon when he is near death; how his father gives his life in the end for that of his son and the "faithful few" who remained with him till the bitter end. The spirit of great love from a man to his wife, a father to his son as found in this book is truly refreshing. The story was indeed uplifting to the mind, heart and soul. First published in 1888 by Howard Pyle, one of America's finest authors, “Otto of the Silver Hand” is inspiring and exciting. A great book to read aloud to children.

Between the far away past history of the world, and that which lies near to us; in the time when the wisdom of the ancient times was dead and had passed away, and our own days of light had not yet come, there lay a great black gulf in human history, a gulf of ignorance, of superstition, of cruelty, and of wickedness. That time we call the dark or middle ages. Few records remain to us of that dreadful period in our world's history, and we only know of it through broken and disjointed fragments that have been handed down to us through the generations.

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Otto of the Silver Hand is a children's novel about the Dark Ages written and illustrated by Howard Pyle. It was first published in 1888 by Charles Scribner's Sons. The novel was one of the first written for young readers that went beyond the chivalric ideals of the time period, and showed how cruel the time period could really be.Plot summary The book centers around the life of Otto, the son of German warlord Baron Conrad. Otto's mother, Baroness Matilda, has died in premature labour, brought on by the sight of the Baron's battle wounds, prompting Conrad to take his newborn son to be raised in a nearby monastery. When Otto reaches the age of eleven his father returns to claim him from the gentle monks, taking him back to live in Castle Drachenhausen, ("Dragons' House", in German) the ancestral mountaintop fortress from which the Baron launches his attacks. Here Otto learns of and is horrified by his father's life as a robber baron, and particularly the revelation of how Conrad killed a defeated, surrendering enemy, Baron Frederick, a rival robber baron who with his men was defending a column of merchants in return for the tribute they were paying him. Shortly thereafter Baron Conrad obeys a summons to the Imperial Court, taking the vast majority of his men-at-arms with him as an impressive escort but leaving Castle Drachenhausen practically undefended as a result. The late Baron Frederick's heir, his nephew Baron Henry, then attacks the castle, burning it to the ground, and taking Otto captive to his own fortress, Castle Trutzdrachen ("Dragon-scorner," in German). In the dungeon of his castle, Baron Henry explains to Otto that he has sworn a solemn oath that any member of Baron Conrad's House who fell into his hands would never be able to strike a blow like the one which killed his uncle, Baron Frederick. Because Otto is so young, the Baron keeps this oath by cutting off his right hand instead of killing him, and as an afterthought has a healer sent to tend to him. While Otto is feverish from the pain of his wound, he is comforted by Baron Henry's eight-year-old daughter, Pauline, who visits his cell.Otto's father Baron Conrad then returns and rescues him with the help of a few remaining loyal followers. Baron Henry and his men give chase and Otto's father kills Baron Henry in single combat but dies in the process, choosing to sacrifice his life so that his son can escape. Otto flees to the monastery where he grew up, and is given refuge there. After Otto regains his health the Abbot accompanies him to an audience with the Emperor, who promises restitution and takes responsibility for Otto's future upbringing. Otto becomes a respected statesman, marries his former captor's daughter Pauline, and is known for his wise counsel and peaceful nature, his amputated swordhand being replaced by an artificial and immobile one made of silver. The Emperor has Castle Drachenhausen rebuilt for the couple, and over the gatehouse is carved the motto "Manus Argentea Quam Manus Ferrea Melior Est", which translated from Latin means "A hand of silver is better than a hand of iron". Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy.

Children and adults will love “Otto of the Silver Hand”, a wonderful book about honor and virtue in the Middle Ages. Otto, the young protagonist of the novel, proves that evil begets evil and good begets honor -- and above all that character does matter. This book is as captivating and beautiful as a knight in shining armor tale can be. It's a tale of love, courage, good and evil. The love begins between husband and wife with as much fervor and honesty as is felt in the movie "Braveheart" (Mel Gibson). Conrad, the baron of the Castle Drakenhausen whose love is so great for the Baroness Matilda, takes their son Otto to the "White Cross on the Hill" soon after his birth. There his good, holy and wise Uncle Otto resides. Baroness Matilda had died at Otto's birth and Baron Conrad knew his cold castle and bitter feudal world were not suited for the raising a child. Young Otto developed a pure, simple and docile attitude in the 12 years he lives at the monastery. His father came to reclaim him at this point and here the story begins to unfold. There is much more to the story—how a near-death Otto later escapes from a cold, dark dungeon when he is near death; how his father gives his life in the end for that of his son and the "faithful few" who remained with him till the bitter end. The spirit of great love from a man to his wife, a father to his son as found in this book is truly refreshing. The story was indeed uplifting to the mind, heart and soul. First published in 1888 by Howard Pyle, one of America's finest authors, “Otto of the Silver Hand” is inspiring and exciting. A great book to read aloud to children.