Louis: The French Prince Who Invaded England by Catherine Hanley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Louis is a biography of Louis VIII of France, who was the son of Philip II Augustus and father of Louis IX. Louis was King of France for only a very short period of time, approximately three years, so he is probably remembered mostly for his invasion of England in 1216, which is not particularly well-known either.

Briefly, and there are some spoilers here, when the barons rose in revolt against King John after he revoked the Magna Carta, they offered the throne to Louis. Louis accepted the offer and invaded England, where he and the barons rapidly gained control of most of the country. However, King John died unexpectedly, and there was considerable sympathy for his 9 year old son and heir, Henry III. There were some opportunities that Louis missed, but the timing of John’s death was obviously out of his control. Eventually Louis reached a settlement with William the Marshall who led Henry’s forces.

Though he controlled England for a year or so, Louis is not really considered a king of England. It is a fascinating story and the author has done a great job of bringing the story to life. Louis is a relatively obscure figure, but he played an important part in the history of both France and England. I highly recommend this book.