 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| The Entertainment Review |
| By: Frank McLynn Publisher: Da Capo Press |
Over the years Hollywood has given the world images of the noble King Richard and the villainous King John, but how
true are these representations of these two infamous kings? “Richard & John: Kings at War” shows readers what
Richard and John were really like, at least as much as it is possible because of the fact that they lived eight centuries
ago. Also, it is difficult to understand all of their actions through twenty-first century eyes and base out perceptions
on the records of that distant age that have survived until today.
“Richard & John: Kings at War” is an amazing, yet dense, history of the famous kings. These two kings, known as
Richard “The Lionheart” and John “Lackland,” were both sons of Henry II, one of the Plantagenet kings who ruled
during the 12th century, the time of the Third Crusade and the era of Robin Hood.
The popular opinion is the Richard I is seen as one of the greatest kings of England, mostly because of the fact that
he was one of the central Christian commanders during the Third Crusade and fighting against his equally famous
Muslim opponent, Saladin. The reality of Richard’s story is that he spent very little time in England, spoke very little
English and spent most of his time in Aguitaine and Normandy fighting and laying siege from a very young age. He
became famous because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior. Richard was commanding his own
army and taking out rebellions at the age of 16.
On the other end of the spectrum is John “Lackland, the perceived evil king of English history, the corrupt and wicked
king who tried to overthrow his brother to take the throne when he was away on Crusade and taxed the British people
until they finally rebelled, which eventually led to the rise of Robin Hood. John “Lackland,” who would later succeed
the throne when King Richard I died, acquired the nickname “Lackland” because of his lack of an inheritance as the
youngest son. Of course he had already gained a reputation for treachery, having conspired with and against his
brothers Henry, Richard and Geoffrey. After the death of Richard in 1199, John became ruler and was seen as an
efficient ruler, but lost Normandy to Philip of France in the first years in power and he lost a lot of the support he had
with the English barons by taxing them in ways that weren’t allowed by kings. This led to him having to sign the
Magna Carta in 1215, his most famous act as king.
The biggest problem with this book is the fact that author Frank McLynn has a tendency to confuse his readers by
using a lot of terminology that the average reader wouldn’t understand. This means that the book isn’t highly
accessible and will leave the average reader needing to read a dictionary along with the book.
“Richard & John: Kings at War” is a great book of history that is very educational, but also very dense with a lot of
hard to understand terminology. For those who think they understand the lives of King Richard and King John based
on their portrayal in Hollywood films, think again. This book is a must read for any history buff and those who want to
know the real stories of these two famous kings.
true are these representations of these two infamous kings? “Richard & John: Kings at War” shows readers what
Richard and John were really like, at least as much as it is possible because of the fact that they lived eight centuries
ago. Also, it is difficult to understand all of their actions through twenty-first century eyes and base out perceptions
on the records of that distant age that have survived until today.
“Richard & John: Kings at War” is an amazing, yet dense, history of the famous kings. These two kings, known as
Richard “The Lionheart” and John “Lackland,” were both sons of Henry II, one of the Plantagenet kings who ruled
during the 12th century, the time of the Third Crusade and the era of Robin Hood.
The popular opinion is the Richard I is seen as one of the greatest kings of England, mostly because of the fact that
he was one of the central Christian commanders during the Third Crusade and fighting against his equally famous
Muslim opponent, Saladin. The reality of Richard’s story is that he spent very little time in England, spoke very little
English and spent most of his time in Aguitaine and Normandy fighting and laying siege from a very young age. He
became famous because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior. Richard was commanding his own
army and taking out rebellions at the age of 16.
On the other end of the spectrum is John “Lackland, the perceived evil king of English history, the corrupt and wicked
king who tried to overthrow his brother to take the throne when he was away on Crusade and taxed the British people
until they finally rebelled, which eventually led to the rise of Robin Hood. John “Lackland,” who would later succeed
the throne when King Richard I died, acquired the nickname “Lackland” because of his lack of an inheritance as the
youngest son. Of course he had already gained a reputation for treachery, having conspired with and against his
brothers Henry, Richard and Geoffrey. After the death of Richard in 1199, John became ruler and was seen as an
efficient ruler, but lost Normandy to Philip of France in the first years in power and he lost a lot of the support he had
with the English barons by taxing them in ways that weren’t allowed by kings. This led to him having to sign the
Magna Carta in 1215, his most famous act as king.
The biggest problem with this book is the fact that author Frank McLynn has a tendency to confuse his readers by
using a lot of terminology that the average reader wouldn’t understand. This means that the book isn’t highly
accessible and will leave the average reader needing to read a dictionary along with the book.
“Richard & John: Kings at War” is a great book of history that is very educational, but also very dense with a lot of
hard to understand terminology. For those who think they understand the lives of King Richard and King John based
on their portrayal in Hollywood films, think again. This book is a must read for any history buff and those who want to
know the real stories of these two famous kings.
