King of Thieves

The story of Christian Kasebier is a true one, albeit embellished and shaped into a novel. What is more interesting is the personal tie to the author: Kevin Casebier is a distant relative of the man who has become known as the Prussian Robin Hood.

Christian is born into a family of tailors but after his furtive attempts at smuggling are noticed by his overbearing father, he runs away and turns fully to a life of crime. He truly does resemble Robin Hood, as is noted in the book, preferring to use charm and wit over brute force. He is, in fact, a pacifist, and insists his band use violence as little as possible.

The story is fascinating, delving into the history of Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire. It doesn’t read as a traditional historical novel would but is presented more episodically. The chapters have little true rising action but are rather a collection of stories detailing Kasebier’s exploits. This will not appeal to every reader, but those who do pick it up will find the life of a truly compelling man.