Danny Danziger & John Gillingham - 1215 (The Year of Magna Carta) (2nd Hand Paperback)
Synopsis
1215: The Year of Magna Carta is a historical documentation of life in Medieval England written by author and journalist Danny Danziger and emeritus professor of history at the London School of Economics John Gillingham.
Surveying a broad landscape through a narrow lens, 1215 sweeps readers back eight centuries in an absorbing portrait of life during a time of global upheaval, the ripples of which can still be felt today. At the centre of this fascinating period is the document that has become the root of modern freedom: the Magna Carta. It was a time of political revolution and domestic change that saw the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart, King John, and - in legend - Robin Hood all make their marks on history.
On 15 June 1215, rebel barons forced King John to meet them at Runnymede. They did not trust the King, so he was not allowed to leave until his seal was attached to the charter in front of him.
This was Magna Carta. It was a revolutionary document. Never before had royal authority been so fundamentally challenged. Nearly 800 years later, two of the charter's sixty-three clauses are still a ringing expression of freedom for mankind: 'To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay right or justice'. And: 'No free man shall be taken or imprisoned or in any way ruined, except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land'.
1215 - The Year of Magna Carta explores what it was like to be alive in that momentous year. Political power struggles are interwoven with other issues - fashion, food, education, medicine, religion, sex. Whether describing matters of state or domestic life, this is a treasure house of a book, rich in detail and full of enthralling insights into the medieval world.
Details
- Format : Standard 2nd Hand Paperback
- Condition : Very Good
- Category : Non-Fiction - History & Futurology
- Published : 2003 (Coronet Books)
- ISBN : 9780340824757
- SKU : B002091
- PPC : LL350gm
- RRP : £9.99
- Quantity Available : 1 only.
External Reviews
"A magnificent look at 13th century England, nicely compartmentalized into palatable headings (e.g., Hunting in the Forest, The Church, King John, etc.) describing each and their influence on the creation of the Magna Carta or how the document influenced them. Fascinating to see nascent attempts to put checks on monarchic power, perhaps used as the inspiration for separation of powers hundreds of years later, and some aspects lifted for use in our most cherished documents." - Goodreads Review.
The Authors
Danny Danziger's The Year 1000 went to number one and stayed on the bestseller list for seven months. Danny has a weekly interview column in the Sunday Times: Best of Times, Worst of Times, which over twelve years has won many accolades and awards.
John Bennett Gillingham is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. On 19 July 2007 he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy. Gillingham is renowned as an expert on the Angevin Empire.
