Magna Carta: The Making and Legacy of the Great Charter

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A beautifully produced account of the signing, impact and legacy of Magna Carta, a document that became one of the most influential statements in the history of democracy, as part of the stunning landmark library series.
On a summer's day in 1215 a beleaguered English monarch met a group of disgruntled barons in a meadow by the river Thames named Runnymede. Beset by foreign crisis and domestic rebellion, King John was fast running out of options. On 15 June he reluctantly agreed to fix his regal seal to a document that would change the world.

A milestone in the development of constitutional politics and the rule of law, the 'Great Charter' established an Englishman's right to Habeas Corpus and set limits to the exercise of royal power. For the first time a group of subjects had forced an English king to agree to a document that limited his powers by law and protected their rights.

Dan Jones's elegant and authoritative narrative of the making and legacy of Magna Carta is amplified by profiles of the barons who secured it and a full text of the charter in both Latin and English.

Reviews

Stonking narrative history told with pace, wit and scholarship * Observer *
Jones is a born storyteller * Evening Standard *
Jones deftly condenses a wealth of historical detail into the story of how it became hallowed as a founding document of the western traditions of liberty, democracy and rule of law * The Times *
Dan Jones addresses what the Magna Carta meant at the time, how it came to be granted, and what it should mean to us * Military History Monthly *
One of the most thorough and entertaining historical tales we've read in a long time... As a historian, journalist and television presenter for both the BBC and Channel 5, Jones' pedigree is clear. But it's his passion for this era of history and the telling of this story that makes Magna Carta for anyone not just for the history buffs' -- All About History
This beautifully presented guide, by leading historian and broadcaster Dan Jones, offers a compelling narrative of the charter's origins and legacy * History Revealed *
Beautifully illustrated, this books gives a wonderfully clear and concise account of King John's Thameside confrontation' * Good Book Guide's Bestsellers *
The enthusiastic historian Dan Jones provides a series of insights and explanations in his highly presentable book -- Magnus Mills, Independent

Author Bio

Dan Jones is a historian, broadcaster and award-winning journalist. His books, including The Plantagenets, Magna Carta, The Templars and The Colour of Time (with Marina Amaral), have sold more than one million copies worldwide. He has written and hosted dozens of TV shows including the acclaimed Netflix/Channel 5 series, Secrets of Great British Castles. His writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines including the London Evening Standard, the Sunday Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian, GQ and the Spectator.