1215: The Year of Magna Carta

A few years ago Danny Danziger wrote a popular book about what life was like during the year AD 1000, a year of great psychological significance for much of Europe's population. Now, with the help of John Gillingham, he directes his attention to a milestone year in English history, 1215, a year which saw the transformation of England's monarchy, government and legal system all due to King John's signing of the Magna Carta. Each chapter adopts a theme, such as the castle, the countryside, town, school, tournaments and battles, King John, the English, the Church, Christianity, the wider world, and the reasons for the Magna Carta, to look at how rich and poor lived their lives and how they viewed their changing world. As one would expect, the text is approachable, full of interesting facts and complemented by extracts from all manner of texts.