A detailed study of King John's campaigns in France, examining his strategy, logistics, and leadership in his struggle to defend and restore the remnants of the Angevin Empire.


By the end of 1204, King John of England (r. 1199-1216) had lost the duchy of Normandy, Maine, Anjou, Touraine, and Brittany to King Philip II of France, severing the great bloc of lands stretching from the Anglo-Scottish marches to the Pyrenees known as the Angevin Empire. Only the duchy of Aquitaine remained, but it too was under attack. John spent the remainder of his reign attempting to reverse his defeats and defend his inheritance, culminating in two large-scale military expeditions to France, in 1206 and 1214.

Drawing upon a wide range of contemporary source material, this book provides the first detailed analysis of these expeditions, considering their every stage, from the procurement of provisions, equipment, ships, and armies to the strategies employed by John and his enemies. Special attention is given to John's abilities as a strategist, commander, and administrator, as well as to the broader impact of this conflict on political developments throughout Western Europe, from Iberia to Germany. Overall, the volume offers original examinations of these significant campaigns, reassesses John as a more competent general than hitherto thought, and highlights the extraordinary scale of consideration given to the conduct of war in thirteenth-century England.