jjares reviewed Magna Carta: A Captivating Guide to the History of the Great Charter and its Influence on Medieval England and the Rest of the World on + 3278 more book reviews
One would expect that a document as old as the Magna Carta (signed in 1215 CE), would just be a nice bit of historical nostalgia. After all, it was written by some English barons to protect themselves (and their possessions) from tyrannical King John. Instead, this book teaches the reader that the protections offered back then continue to resonate with people, and nations, today.
In typical Captivating History style, the book starts by setting the scene (the tyrannical actions of King John), the barons' anger, and their writing the Magna Carta. Anyone ancient enough to remember watching "Robin Hood" on tv knows how oppressive rules by King John were. (And if memory serves, that tv show was about John when he was ruling for his brother, King Richard, who was busy at the third Crusade. John seems to have gotten really mean when he became king after Richard.) John seems to have been an 'equal-opportunity' tyrant; he was in trouble with his nobles, the taxpayers, and the Vatican.
Of course, John lost interest in following the Magna Carta when it cramped his style too much. So John got the Pope to invalidate the Magna Carta, which led to the First Baron's War, which was actually an English civil war. The noblemen invited Louis of France to come to be their king. Louis brought his army and thought he would be the King of England.
However, John died and left his young son, Henry III, as heir with a regent, William Marshal, a knight and the Earl of Pembrooke. Marshal rushed Henry's coronation and that seemed to settle the country when Marshal and King Henry III reissued the Magna Carta.
In fact, this book is the story of how one charter changed over the course of history because citizens of many nations had questions about their liberties in the face of their government. And over the ages, the Magna Carta has gone by various names, including our Constitution. It still protects us in the same way it protected the barons in King John's time, protecting individuals from the abuses of government.
In typical Captivating History style, the book starts by setting the scene (the tyrannical actions of King John), the barons' anger, and their writing the Magna Carta. Anyone ancient enough to remember watching "Robin Hood" on tv knows how oppressive rules by King John were. (And if memory serves, that tv show was about John when he was ruling for his brother, King Richard, who was busy at the third Crusade. John seems to have gotten really mean when he became king after Richard.) John seems to have been an 'equal-opportunity' tyrant; he was in trouble with his nobles, the taxpayers, and the Vatican.
Of course, John lost interest in following the Magna Carta when it cramped his style too much. So John got the Pope to invalidate the Magna Carta, which led to the First Baron's War, which was actually an English civil war. The noblemen invited Louis of France to come to be their king. Louis brought his army and thought he would be the King of England.
However, John died and left his young son, Henry III, as heir with a regent, William Marshal, a knight and the Earl of Pembrooke. Marshal rushed Henry's coronation and that seemed to settle the country when Marshal and King Henry III reissued the Magna Carta.
In fact, this book is the story of how one charter changed over the course of history because citizens of many nations had questions about their liberties in the face of their government. And over the ages, the Magna Carta has gone by various names, including our Constitution. It still protects us in the same way it protected the barons in King John's time, protecting individuals from the abuses of government.
