Magna Carta: Manuscripts and Myths
(Paperback, Reissue ed.)
Available Formats
Publishing Details
Magna Carta: Manuscripts and Myths
By (Author) Claire Breay
British Library Publishing
The British Library Publishing Division
26th April 2011
Reissue ed.
United Kingdom
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
European history: medieval period, middle ages
Constitutional and administrative law: general
Legal history
342.42029
Physical Properties
Paperback
64
Width 176mm, Height 246mm, Spine 10mm
Description
The Magna Carta is one of the most celebrated documents in English history and one of the British Library's greatest treasures. But despite this, the reinterpretations of it since 1215 have tended to obscure its real meaning for King John and his baronial opponents. Magna Carta was not intended to be a lasting declaration of legal principle, still less an embryonic code of human rights. It was a practical solution to a political crisis and it served the interests of the highest ranks of feudal society by reasserting the power of custom to limit arbitrary behaviour by the king. This work explores the context in which Magna Carta was issued to discover what it really meant to its creators and how it came to be an iconic historical document. This updated edition includes full colour illustrations.
Author Bio
Clarie Breay is Curator of Medieval Manuscripts, Charters, and Seals at The British Library.
