ABSTRACT
Richard's reputation as a general rests very largely on his conduct of the war against Saladin but in fact, of course, he fought many more campaigns than this. Since Count Philip was well-known as one of the shrewdest soldiers of the day, it seems likely that Richard began his apprenticeship under a good master. In the year 1180 we know nothing of Richard's movements, so we simply cannot say whether he went to war or not, but apart from this one gap, we know that he was on campaign in every year between 1173 and his crusade. Yet although there may be some degree of uncertainty about the number of Richard's battles on crusade, what is certain is that he did not adopt a battle-seeking strategy. Richard, of course, is famous as an aggressive commander — leading the attempt to capture Jesusalem, and then, later in the 1190s, recovering the territory lost while he was in prison.
