In 1215 King John had agreed to the terms of Magna Carta, but then reneged on his word, plunging the kingdom into war.
Rebellious barons offered the throne to the French prince, Louis, and set off a chain of events that almost changed the course of English history.
Louis arrived in May 1216, was proclaimed King in London, and by the autumn had half of England under his control.
However the choice of a French prince had enormous repercussions: now not merely an internal rebellion, but a war in which the defenders were battling to prevent a foreign takeover.
John’s death in October, 1216, left the throne in the hands of his nine-year-old son, Henry, and his regent, William Marshal, which changed the face of the war again, for now the king trying to fight off an invader was not a hated tyrant but an innocent child.
This book charts the nascent sense of national identity that began to swell.
Three key battles would determine England’s destiny: the fortress of Dover was besieged; the city of Lincoln was attacked; and a great invasion force set sail and, unusually for the time, was intercepted at sea. Medieval siege warfare, royal politics, and fighting at sea bring this remarkable period of history to life.
1217: The Battles that Saved England by Catherine Hanley is published in paperback on 11 September, 2025.
Read Catherine’s feature about what chivalry really meant in this turbulent era.
There are many more historical books in our list of over 190 published this year.
