A beautifully produced account of the signing, impact and legacy of Magna Carta, a document that became one the most influential statements in the history of democracy.

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.

"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

"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