The man did it all, but no body has heard of him until now. The First Grand Master of the Knights Templar Hugh de Payen is his Great Uncle. He marries the King of Scotland's daughter. He goes on the 3rd Crusade with King Richard the Lion Heart. Angers the King of Austria during that Crusade which causes King Richard to be Held for Ransom. He raises 25% of a Kings Ransom. He is the Sheriff of Nottingham. Leads the First Barons Revolt, that forces King John to sign the Magna Carta. Gets Excommunicated by the Pope. Is one of the Famed Magna Carta Surities. Raises King Henry III from a small child until adulthood. Yet nobody has heard of him until now.
This book promised so much. I was really looking forward to finding out about the life of my direct ancestor. Unfortunately, there seemed to be very little information about Robert de Ros. Instead the book has lists of who is related to who. The author expresses some surprise at this. My only surprise is how little the author seemed to know about the history of the conquest and the complexity of the aristocratic relationships. A great disappointment.