Head of Zeus

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Magna Carta: The Making and Legacy of the Great Charter

by Dan Jones

The Landmark Library, 1

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.

Head of Zeus * History

04 Dec 2014 * 192pp * £6.99 * 9781781858844

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

ALSO IN THE SERIES

Author

Dan Jones

Dan Jones is the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of ten non-fiction books, including The Templars, The Colour of Time and Powers and Thrones. He is a renowned writer, broadcaster and journalist, and has for many years wanted to write authentic but action-packed historical fiction. His debut novel, Essex Dogs, is the first in a planned trilogy following the fortunes of ten ordinary soldiers in the early years of the Hundred Years' War. He lives near London with his family.

ALSO BY Dan Jones

The Colour of Time: A New History of the World, 1850-1960

The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings

Women's Work

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