In 1189, the invincible Sultan Salah ad-Din, known to Europeans as Saladin, captured the holy city of Jerusalem, bringing to the brink of destruction all achievements in Outremer, the lands of the Crusaders in the East. Obeying the call of the Pope, the young sovereigns Philip of France and Richard of England gather troops for a campaign overseas. But while seemingly allies, Philip and Richard are in fact irreconcilable rivals, thinking only about how to outplay each other. The brilliant saga of the Plantagenets is entering a new, completely independent stage. In 2011, Sharon Penman's novel about a young king with a lion's heart topped the New York Times Best Seller List.