The History of Richard the First by Jacob Abbott is a part of the Makers of History series intended for young readers which contains biographies of important historical figures. This biography depicts the life of famous English king Richard the Lionheart, a large historical figure in the annals of Europe and particularly in the period of the crusades. Richard I was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He is known as Richard the Lionheart because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior. Richard lived most of his adult life in the Duchy of Aquitaine, in the southwest of France. Following his accession, he spent very little time, perhaps as little as six months, in England. Most of his life as king was spent on Crusade, in captivity, or actively defending his lands in France.

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Jacob Abbott (1803-1879) was an American writer of children's books. He was a prolific author, writing juvenile fiction, brief histories, biographies, religious books for the general reader, and a few works in popular science. Abbott is best known for his series of biographical histories called Makers of History and his Rollo series, having as its chief characters a representative boy and his associates.