1217: The Battles that Saved England by Catherine Hanley

A Sunday Times Book of the Week'A thrilling episode from England's medieval history.' Dan Jones, The Sunday TimesAn engrossing history of the pivotal year 1217 when invading French forces were defeated and the future of England secured.In 1215 King John had agreed to the terms of Magna Carta, but he then reneged on his word, plunging the kingdom into war. The rebellious barons offered the throne to the French prince Louis and set off the chain of events that almost changed the course of English history.Louis first arrived in May 1216, was proclaimed king in the heart of London, and by the autumn had around 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