Chris Manson deserves a heaping amount of credit. He recovered and translated diary entries from centuries ago, compiling Lionheart: The Diaries of Richard I. My mind still cannot grasp how much time and work that must have taken.
The front cover has an interesting but simple appeal. Strangely enough, the more I look at the cover, the more I like it.
The back has a short summary, which provides some basic facts about Richard I. You can click on the images to enlarge them. Seeing as I took all the pictures myself, I don’t do any of the illustrations justice.
I honestly had no idea what to expect at the start because I didn’t know anything about Richard or this time period in history even after taking three history courses over the past three years. The piece is very different from what I’m used to picking up since I don’t naturally gravitate towards reading auto- or biographies. So safe to say I was in for a surprise.
And it turned out to be a pleasant one.
The book is a heavy, mature read, but somehow that made learning about Richard the Lionheart even more enjoyable. There are over 400 pages of exciting entertainment. The few footnotes sprinkled throughout explains more complex concepts or terms quite thoroughly.
Each entry starts with the date followed by a location. It makes following his life much easier. Although there are many characters, keeping up with all of them isn’t too difficult.
A great feature is the postscript, helping to tie up any loose ends nicely. Kudos once again to Chris Manson for that.
You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy learning about history. Getting a firsthand glimpse into the mind of one of the greatest rulers to ever live is fascinating. What’s more the book reads like a fast-paced story.
At one point, I was so attached to Richard, I didn’t want his story to end.
If you’re interested, you can buy the book here.
This post contains affiliate links, so if you purchase through them, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Herminia Chow 
I’m not a history person, but this does sound like an interesting read.
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Yeah it’s completely different from reading a history textbook.
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I’m sure it’s a great story.
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Mm I enjoyed it very much.
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Oh my gosh, I didn’t realise these were his actual diaries, I thought it was fictional like the ‘My Story’ series! I NEED THIS BOOK. LIKE, NOW. (Oh my gosh I’m going to a bookstore tomorrow. If I find this I will be so happy.)
(As you can probably tell… I love history.)
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I think the fact that these were his real diaries and he’s talking about real events makes the book even better. If anything I’ll airmail you my copy. 😉
You’d love it.
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Haha, thanks 😉 I’ll see if it’s in Waterstones (UK book store, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it) and drag my boyfriend down there tomorrow!
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I’ve never heard of Waterstones, but thanks for clarifying. Hopefully you’ll find it.
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