"The Forgotten French Invasion of England 1216" Topic

Well, who would have thought it? A French prince and a Scottish King besieging Dover Castle. Not something I was taught about in school.

Sean McGlynn's Blood Cries Afar: The Forgotten Invasion of England 1216 (2013) presents the circumstances of the meeting between these two Royals, engaged in battling King John in England after he had lost his royal lands in France and was in danger of losing his English ones.

I found this book to be a particularly good source for ideas on alternative scenarios for medieval gaming. There is even reference to an alternative Robin Hood character, William of Kensham @ Willikin of the Weald, a guerrilla leader, a royal baliff, and his volunteer archers in the great forest of the Weald in Kent and the south.

link

Enjoy.

I didn't realize this wasn't generally known with it being as tied into Magna Carta history as it is.

William of Kensham is featured in the latest issue of Medieval Warfare.

I'm currently looking at the naval aspects of this period for a set of rules I'm working on. One of the scenarios covers the demise of Eustace the Monk (a rather unpious monk who was actually one of the Channel's most notorious pirates and something of a turncoat)

It is one of my favorite time periods. The Magna Carta, first Baron's War, Bouvines Campaign, etc. Prince Louis and the rebel barons actually held almost the lower third of England I believe. DEwell it does provide many fun alternative scenarios.

John was such an unattractive character that almost everyone was willing to come round and give him a punch in the face. What are less well known are the Bulgarian invasion of 1214, the Peruvian onslaught of 1215, and the Botswana bus-party of 1216.

William Marshal is the most fascinating character during this "French invasion". The old guy took down two brothers half his age in combat at Lincoln. "The Wolf at the Door" by Graham Shelby (now a very old book) caught the flavor of the whole campaign very well, I thought….

…the rebel barons actually held almost the lower third of England I believe

I understand it was the whole eastern half of England from a line approximately from Portsmouth northward. But yes, many fun alternative scenarios.

Thanks guys.

I never heard about that, thank you! :)

So it was easier to invade Britain in 1216?

So… 2016 will be the 800th year anniversary, right?

…Let's do it again… ;)

Patrice- it must have been a lot easier to invade England if the Scottish king could besiege Dover.

It's easier to invade if you have been invited by someone with a power base (see also 1688 'Glorious Revolution')…….

This was the time of the 'Nearly good King Louis of England' wasnt it?