On at least 50 occasions during the 14th century French invaders landed on British soil, where they razed trading centres and massacred their inhabitants. As he tells the story of these incursions, Cameron corrects the usual interpretation that they were merely ‘pirate raids’ and describes the French plans for full-scale conquest. He also considers the major economic and political damage that was inflicted by the invasion crisis, as well as its lasting effects on English society.