150 years after the Norman Conquest, history came within a hair’s breadth of repeating itself. In 1216, taking advantage of the turmoil created in England by King John’s inept rule, Prince Louis of France invaded England and allied with English rebels. The prize was the crown of England. Within months Louis had seized control of one-third of the country, including London. This is the first book to cover the bloody events of the invasion, one of the most dramatic but most overlooked episodes of British history. The text vividly describes the campaigns, series, battles and atrocities of the invasion and its colourful leaders – Louis the lion, King John, William Marshal, and the mercenaries Fawkes de Breaute and Eustace the Monk – to offer the first detailed military analysis of this epic struggle for England.

This specially updated edition of Blood Cries Afar contains new material on the importance of the Magna Carta and the conflict that surrounded its birth. It tells a dramatic and violent but overlooked story, with a broad appeal to those interested in the history of England and France, and war in an age of kings, knights, castles, battles and brutality.

“A full and well-researched narrative … makes for a powerful and gripping read showing a mastery of the sources…. [McGlynn] keeps the reader turning the pages. A lively and wide-ranging study” Nigel Saul, History Today

“This book provides a highly readable and well-researched narrative of the events of a crucial and dramatic period”  Michael Prestwich, Times Literary Supplement

“Tells a dashing story with gusto…This is an entertaining military history of a very exciting reign” Dan Jones, The Spectator