Two years after King John had agreed to the terms of Magna Carta, he reneged on his word, plunging England into war. The rebellious barons offered the throne to the French prince Louis and set off the chain of events that almost changed the course of English history.

In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis meets Catherine Hanley, author of 1217: The Battles that Saved England which charts the three key battles that would determine England's destiny. It's an epic story of medieval siege warfare, royal politics, and fighting at sea.

Gone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis and edited by Ella Blaxill. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code MEDIEVAL - sign up here.

You can take part in our listener survey here.