First published 2019
Thomas Asbridge examines the paradoxes surrounding one of England's most famous medieval kings. Richard I earned the nickname Lionheart through his reputation for courage and knightly virtue, yet he massacred nearly 3,000 prisoners in a single day. This monarch became a symbol of English national identity while speaking French as his native tongue and spending barely half a year on English soil during his decade-long reign. Asbridge questions common assumptions about Richard's supposed neglect of his kingdom and explores his dedication to holy war. The author traces how Richard's actual life became entangled with legend and myth over the centuries. The king emerges as a skilled military leader with both martial brilliance and intellectual sophistication, yet he remained haunted by his troubled family legacy and driven by an relentless quest for glory and fame.
Genres: history, historical-fiction, biography-memoir, military-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-figure, military-leader
Setting: England, France
Period: 1189-1199
128 pages · Paperback · Penguin
Content warnings: violence