Richard I

Jacob Abbott told the story of Richard the Lionheart for the illustrated biography series he and his brother built for young readers, which Harper renamed Makers of History in 1900. The book opens with Richard’s mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his early years, then follows his accession in 1189, his coronation, and the crusade that made his name. Abbott tracks the embarkation, the winter at Messina, the campaign in Cyprus and the wedding to Berengaria there, the fall of Acre, the battle of Jaffa, and the truce with Saladin, ending with Richard’s capture on the journey home and his ransom and return to England. He writes as a storyteller rather than an analyst, pitching the account at general and younger readers without talking down to them. A clear first door into the Third Crusade.