Richard I (The English Monarchs Series) [Hardcover]

Professor John Gillingham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 11, 1999 | Series: The English Monarchs Series

In this new account of Richard the Lionheart's reign, John Gillingham scrutinizes the king's fluctuating reputation over the centuries and provides a convincing revised interpretation. Neither a feckless knight-errant nor a neglectful king, Richard I was in reality a masterful and businesslike ruler. This paperback edition includes an updated bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Deserves to be regarded as definitive, and... will surely find its way on to the shelves of every student of the period. As befits the magnificence of his subject, Gillingham is a truly great historian." Nicholas Vincent, Times Literary Supplement "There is enough violence and intrigue to appeal to any reader; one wonders why Richard's life has not been made into a movie. The book should appeal to any reader, and its mastery will be obligatory for any serious student of the period... A splendid book." Fred A. Cazel, History: Reviews of New Books "an authoritative reading of Richard and his times... with a lively and engaging style that makes the book highly readable. The result is medieval political history at its best." Scott L. Waugh, Albion "In John Gillingham, Richard I has found his most able biographer. This is a tremendous book and a great read compelling written." S.D. Church, English Historical Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

English Monarchs Series --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 392 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 2 edition (December 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300079125
• ISBN-13: 978-0300079128
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scrupulously well-balanced account of a remarkable ruler, August 14, 2000

By 

John Cragg (Delta(greater Vancouver), B.C Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Richard I (The English Monarchs Series) (Hardcover)

Richard the Lionheart's life and personality may be the stuff of legend, but they are hidden by the mists of time -- or rather the paucity of relevant documents. Gillingham does a brilliant job of breathing as much life as possible into rather arid fragments without stepping beyond what is warranted by the evidence. For his understanding of the king, he draws as much on contempory Arab sources as European ones, arguing convincingly that the Arab writers may have had fewer axes to grind in talking of Richard. Gillingham goes so far as to place his evaluation of Richard's character at the point where the evidence ends -- following his captivity in Germany -- rather than at the end of the book. Instead the book ends with a well reasoned argument that it was John (and John alone) who lost Normandy whereas Richard was winning the war against Philip Agustus of France. Gillingham also points out that, had Richard lived to complete that struggle, the empire of Henry II might still have disappeared with his death.

Inevitably, some of the work is frustratingly dry -- especially for the process of Richard's development into a strong ruler and military genius against the background of one of history's most disfunctional families. But that dryness arises from the lack of evidence, not from immersion in trivia at the expense of substance.

The book itself is a delight, with strong narrative supported by a myriad of footnotes which are where they should be -- at the bottom of the pages. All in all, a good story well told with insightful analysis based on the record.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest hero of his age or ungrateful son? You decide., July 25, 2007

By 

Mahlon Christensen (Monterey, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Yale English Monarchs - Richard I (The English Monarchs Series) (Paperback)

This is the most balanced royal biography I've read to date. Gillingham begins by tracing Richard's reputation through the ages, beginning at it's peak in the 12th and 13th centuries, when he was considered one of the great leaders of his time to it's nadir in the 1950's when academics began to consider him a "Bad son and a bad king..." who spent far more time on the continent than he ever did in England, leaving it in terrible financial straits when he went off to fight in the crusades, and began to conjecture about his sexual preference. Gillingham explores and discounts these and other myths about Richard and his reign simply by letting the historical record speak for itself and allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions, rather than stating his own opinions as facts and then selectively using the historical record to back them up. He also isn't afraid to admit that he can't be sure of something when the historical evidence is either too thin or simply obscured by the mists of time, which is refreshing. The author is among the first to rely heavily on contemporary Muslim sources in constructing his portrait of Richard, because he believes they are less biased in their evaluation of Richard's character than a European chronicler might be. These sources are, for the most part, complimentary, and add great perspective and depth to the reader's understanding of Richard as a warrior. Gillingham strikes the perfect balance between academic research and popular history, making the book very readable. Whether you're interested in Richard himself, or merely seeking an introduction into reading further about his fascinating family dynamics, or the crusades, this is the book to read!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Bio of Richard, November 19, 2007

By 

K Culbertson (Greensboro, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Yale English Monarchs - Richard I (The English Monarchs Series) (Paperback)

I was sceptical getting started on this biography. Certainly, the early parts were fact-laden, slightly uninteresting and slow going.

I am very glad I did not give up.

This is one of the few strictly historical books that restores one's faith in objective research and non-agenda, non-ego driven truth finding.

One might wish for a bit more of a picture of Richard's persona, but from the remove of nearly a millenium, this would be fudging anyway. The facts that there are are clearly and neatly laid out regarding all of Richard's attributes, and some of the modern fadist mythologies (so many of which have their underpinnings in a given academic's desire or need for attention) are dealt with fairly and thoroughly.

Example: Richard was not a homosexual, as "The Lion in Winter" would have a viewer believe. The evidence against it is clear and plenary. It isn't that one doesn't wish him to be, it's just that this notion has its roots in a modern attempt to overlay ancient male and political bonding customs with a template of modern behaviours and modern conclusions which would stem from modern interpretations of those behaviors.

All in all, Richard emerges from the historical record as a great warrior King, who was grossly treated following his exertions during the Crusades, and was forced to try to reclaim the lands that Phillip of France stole while Richard was away. He was therefore forced to stay away from Britain, because the Angevin and Acquitainian and Norman parts of his empire were on the continent. He did not stay away from Britain by choice or by neglect (another myth debunked), but because he was forced to by the duties of his Kingship. Also, Britain WAS part of continental Europe as well in those days. (Or vice versa, if you happen to be English.)