Can anyone recommend any books that deal with the history of King Richard and Prince John??

I've read books that romanticize that time period....like Robin Hood. And there are scads of movies that delve into King Richard's imprisonment and Prince John's plotting....

But, I'd like to learn more about the true history of that time period, or maybe just medieval history in general.

Any suggestions??

In historical fiction, Jean Plaidy has a couple of books:  The Heart of the Lion (King Richard) and The Prince of Darkness (King John).  They are out of print in the US but you can often find ones on ebay.  Also, they have been recently reissued in the UK and if you order them from The Book Depository, you get free shipping.  I've read both of them and they're pretty good.

Alys Clare has a series set in that time period. Richard & John are not central characters, although they are sometimes peripheral plot points, and Eleanor is a character in several.

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/C_Authors/Clare_Alys.html

Thomas Costain's The Conquering Family covers the reigns of those two kings as well as their father, Henry II,

A book I ordered recently but have not read is: The Troubadour's Song: The Capture and Ransom of Richard the Lionheart

A book on my wish list is: 1215: The Year of Magna Carta

Sharon Kay Penman's "Here Be Dragons" deals with John's illegitimate daughter, and goes into his history.  Pretty much any book about Eleanor of Aquitaine will discuss them as well.  I second the recommendation of Jean Plaidy.

I will be watching this thread as I love this era.

I second Charlie's recommendation of the Alys Clare series as well as Mimi's mention of Sharon Kay Penman's medieval mysteries featuring Justin de Quincy, who is in the employ of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Another series set in that time frame is Bernard Knight's "Crowner John" mystery series...Crowner John is the first ever coroner (which was a vastly different thing than a coroner today!) in the county of Devon, UK, and is a staunch supporter of King Richard, fought with him in Outremer, etc. I'm quite enjoying that series. There are definitely some political intrigues between the factions supporting each of the brothers.

Cheryl