In the waning years of the fourteenth century, the household of
John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster was scandalized when twelve
petulant English knights publicly mocked the twelve
ladies-in-waiting to the Duke's wife, calling them ugly to their
faces. Outraged, the ladies sought immediate redress, but so
fearsome were the knights' reputations that none would step
forward. Desperate for help, the Duke appealed to his son-in-law
King Joao I of Portugal to find champions ready to fight for the
ladies' honor. Enter the 'Twelve of England,' a band of
battle-hardened Portuguese knights. Led by the redoubtable Alvaro
Goncalves Coutinho, known as 'Magrico,' or 'The Lean One,' these
twelve fearless men set out for England to fight the English
knights in judicial combat, prepared to shed their blood to save
the honour of ladies they had never met. Such tales of valour and
derring-do, which often hinge on the notion of a team of warriors
venturing into hostile territory on a quest for vengeance or
redress set against a sweeping historical backdrop, have captured
the imagination of audiences through the ages, from Jason and the
Argonauts to Lieutenant Aldo Raine and the 'Inglorious Basterds.'
Although undoubtedly a fictional tale inserted into historical
reality, the action does not end at the household of the Duke of
Lancaster, and other adventures ensue in France, Germany and
Burgundy, as the twelve heroes spread the fame of Portuguese
chivalry throughout the great courts of Europe. The third volume of
the Deeds of Arms series presents a complete translation of the
earliest known version of the Twelve of England, which has survived
in only one manuscript. Professor Fallows presents the text in both
the medieval Portuguese and an accompanying English translation. A
facsimile of the original manuscript and an extensive introduction
covering the historical context of both the text and the deeds it
discusses are also included. An overview of the arms and armour
used by the combatants, colour illustrations, genealogical tables,
maps and a comprehensive bibliography further complement the text.
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