Troubadour’s Song: The Capture, Imprisonment and Ransom of Richard the Lionheart

Originally published in Great Britain in 2005 by Penguin as "Blondel's Song: The Capture, Imprisonment and Ransom of Richard the Lionheart". On his way back from the Third Crusade in 1192, Richard the Lionheart, one of England's most famous and romantic kings, was shipwrecked and stranded near Venice. Trying to make his way home in disguise, he was arrested and handed over to Henry VI, the Holy Roman Emperor, who held him for ransom. Truly a king's ransom — one quarter of the entire wealth of England — was paid by Richard's powerful mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, to secure his release. In chronicling one of the most storied incidents in medieval history, "The Troubadour's Song" opens a fascinating new window on the turbulent late twelfth century, when the realities of violence and geopolitics were juxtaposed against chivalric ideals, courts of love, and unparalleled tolerance. According to legend, Blondel — a twelfth-century troubadour and Richard's faithful minstrel — journeyed across central Europe singing a song he knew Richard would recognize in hope of finding the king. Whether Blondel actually sang under castle towers in search of his friend or not, David Boyle brings to life the evocative world of the troubadours, the emergence of Gothic cathedrals such as Chartres and a new culture of music, romance, and chivalry. Retracing and rediscovering Richard's secret journey across the Alps in winter, "The Troubadour's Song" uncovers for the first time the full story of the arrest of Europe's most powerful king, two thousand miles from home, and the crippling effects of his gigantic ransom. David Boyle recreates the drama of the Third Crusade and the dynamic power politics and personalities of this pivotal era.