Magna Carta: The Making and Legacy of the Great Charter

By the summer of 1215 King John of England had lost control of his kingdom. In June, his rebellious barons forced him to attach his regal seal under oath to a remarkable document. Its signing would echo around the world in centuries to come. The so-called '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. As a milestone in the development of constitutional politics and the rule of law, Magna Carta has inspired democrats on every continent. Three of its clauses remain on the statute book of England and Wales to this day. In this exquisitely designed and beautifully illustrated book, Dan Jones sets Magna Carta in the political context of its era, narrates the circumstances of its signing, and outlines and analyses its long-lasting political legacy.