The novel by the English writer Jay Williams, a famous expert on the Middle Ages, takes the reader to the turbulent years of the Third Crusade. The legendary King Richard the Lionheart, a great and merciless warrior, leads the Crusaders to Palestine to liberate the Holy City of Jerusalem from the power of the infidels. Knights who have sworn an oath of allegiance to their king become participants in bloody battles, grueling sieges and treacherous intrigues that play out around the division of the wealth of the East. What is more important: honor or justice - this painful question haunts the heroes of the novel, caught in the maelstrom of grandiose events of the late 12th century. Jay Williams (1914 - 1978) is a British writer who gained great popularity with children's books. However, his “adult” works are also appreciated by critics and readers. "The Flame of the Future" is recognized as his best novel.