Richard I

"Richard I" from Jacob Abbott’s "Makers of History" series details the legendary life of King Richard I of England, universally known as Richard the Lionheart (Richard Cœur de Lion). Abbott portrays Richard not as a modern, domestic administrator, but as the ultimate medieval warrior-king—a man whose life was defined by the Crusades, chivalric battle, and an insatiable love for military glory.

The biography spans Richard’s rebellion-filled youth to his dramatic death on the battlefield:

A Rebellious Prince: The book explores Richard's early life in Aquitaine and his turbulent relationship with his father, King Henry II, against whom Richard and his brothers famously rebelled.

Ascension and Crusade Fever: Upon taking the English throne, Richard immediately drains the royal treasury, sells titles, and taxes the kingdom to fund his ultimate ambition: the Third Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem.

The Journey and Conquest of Cyprus: Abbott details the perilous sea voyage to the Holy Land, including Richard’s conquest of Cyprus after the island's ruler mistreated his shipwrecked fiancée, Berengaria of Navarre.