King John, Henry III and England's Lost Civil War

by John Paul Davis

Overview

This sweeping history of thirteenth century England examines how the successive reigns of two very different kings established the English way of life.

In 1204, the great Angevin Empire was fragmenting under King John’s rule. Unable to withstand France’s invasion of Normandy, John also faced difficult relations with the papacy, and rising dissent among his barons. By the time John died in 1216, the failed Magna Carta gave way to civil conflict, and more than half of the country had fallen to the dauphin of France. These troubles were then passed, along with the crown, to John’s nine-year-old son, Henry III.

Even with a regency government commanding the ship of state, Henry faced a dire threat to his royal authority. But the First Baron’s War came to an end as Henry aligned himself with the pope and offered a revised Magna Carta. While this may have ensured short-term survival, living up to the promises of this foundational contract would create a more significant challenge—and lay the groundwork for the Second Baron’s War.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526750082
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	07/08/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	42,481
File size:	46 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

John Paul Davis is the international bestselling author of eleven thriller novels and four works of historical non-fiction. His debut thriller, The Templar Agenda, was a UK top 20 bestseller; The Cortés Trilogy has also been an international bestseller. As well as being a thriller author, his debut work, Robin Hood: The Unknown Templar, has been the subject of international attention, including articles in The Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Mail, Yorkshire Post and Nottingham Evening Post, mentions in USA Today and The Independent and reviews in the Birmingham Post and Medieval History Journal. His second work, Pity for the Guy, was the first full-length biography of Guy Fawkes and was featured on ITV’s The Alan Titchmarsh Show in November 2011. His most recent work on Henry III, The Gothic King, was released in 2013. His latest work of non-fiction, A Hidden History of the Tower of London, also published by Pen & Sword, was released in February 2020. He was educated at Loughborough University and lives in Warwickshire. His websites are www.officiallyjpd.com and www.theunknowntemplar.com. Twitter @unknowntemplar.

Table of Contents

Introduction vi

Chapter 1 940-1204: The Devil's Brood 1

Chapter 2 1204-1213: In God We Trust 13

Chapter 3 1214-1215: From Runnymede to the Wash 22

Chapter 4 1146-1216: The 'Greatest Knight' 32

Chapter 5 1216: The Hollow Chaplet 46

Chapter 6 1216-1217: The Long Winter 55

Chapter 7 1217: God Helps the Marshal 66

Chapter 8 1217-1219: Tearful Farewells 72

Chapter 9 1195-1219: The Three Wise Men 81

Chapter 10 1219-1220: Rocking the Castles 90

Chapter 11 1221-1223: War and Peace 103

Chapter 12 1223-1224: An Englishman's Home is His Castle 114

Chapter 13 1224: The Baying of Bedford 122

Chapter 14 1224-1227: The Poitevin Potential 130

Chapter 15 1227-1230: A Steep Learning Curve 139

Chapter 16 1230-1231: The Awakened Dragon 152

Chapter 17 1232: The Harrowing of Hubert de Burgh 163

Chapter 18 1232-1233: Between a Rock and a Hard Place 171

Chapter 19 1233-1234: The Marshal War 182

Epilogue The Birth of a Nation 194

Bibliography 211

Notes and References 217

Index 245