The Lute Player

Name: The Lute Player
Rating: 3.82 (655 reviews)

by Norah Lofts

First published 1951

Amazon

3.8(655)

The story of Richard I is seen through people whose lives intersect with the celebrated warrior king, including the musician Blondel and women drawn into the politics of his dynasty. Richard’s departure on the Third Crusade turns kingship into absence: military reputation grows abroad while marriage, succession and government at home depend on people who cannot control the king’s priorities.
The narrative follows crusade, captivity and ransom rather than accepting the later legend of Richard the Lionheart at face value. His courage and charisma coexist with the financial and political cost of prolonged warfare and imprisonment. By using observers around Richard rather than a single heroic viewpoint, Lofts examines how royal legend is created by those who wait, serve, love, remember and pay for it.