Author's note

I first heard about King John losing his crown jewels in the Wash when I was a boy, though mostly because it made for such a bad pun. But I’d never really looked into it until recently, largely because I didn’t think there was enough mystery about it to carry a whole book. But, as so often happens in my job, the more I read about it, the more intriguing it became, and the more possibilities opened up.

I hope I’ve done these possibilities justice, and that at least some readers enjoy the story enough to find out more – in which case I’d warmly recommend The Mystery of King John’s Treasure by Shirley Charters and The Lost Treasure of King John by Richard Waters. There are, of course, countless good books on both King John and William Marshal. For casual readers, I’d recommend Marc Morris for the former and Richard Asbridge’s The Greatest Knight for the latter.