Blood Cries Afar
An often overlooked event in English history comes to life in this information-packed account of the French Invasion of 1216. Using an extensive list of primary sources and paying homage to many secondary works, McGlynn takes the reader through the events leading to King John’s devastating loss of Normandy and its disastrous consequences; as his barons desert him, John’s inept responses create an opportunity for Prince Louis to unite the king’s enemies and stage the first French invasion on English soil since the Battle of Hastings. McGlynn takes a vast amount of research and makes it accessible and engaging without being too dry or too dramatic, going beyond dates and charts to include details of military culture and methods of the time as well as the political and social background. The result is a dense and satisfying work of nonfiction recommended for military, political, and cultural history readers alike.
