Richard the Lionheart · The Crusader King of England

Whilst Richard I is one of medieval England's most famous kings he is also the most controversial. He has variously been considered a great warrior but a poor king, a man driven by the quest for fame and glory but also lacking in self-discipline and prone to throwing away the short-term advantages that his military successes brought him. In this reassessment W B Bartlett looks at his deeds and achievements in a new light. The result is a re-evaluation of `The Lionheart' which finds that the King is every bit as remarkable as his medieval contemporaries found him to be. This includes his Muslim enemies who spoke of him as their most dangerous and gallant opponent. It also shows him to be a man badly let down by some of those around him, especially his brother John and the duplicitous French king Philip. His character foibles are also exposed to the full including his complicated relationships with the key women in his life especially the huge contemporary figure of his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine and his wife Berengaria with whom he failed to produce an heir leading to later suggestions of homosexuality. This is a new Richard, one for the 21st Century, and a recapitulation of the life story of one of the greatest personalities of medieval Europe.