Even people with only a nodding acquaintance of British
history know the sacred place held by Magna Carta. The authors begin
this book with an introduction--which you should read, even if you normally skip introductions on a matter of principal—evoking an aura of that sanctity. They describe the document in its place of honour in the British Library with such intense detail that you can almost hear the scratching of the goose quill pen on parchment as the immortal lines are written. Such writing draws the reader into the world of this historic text, with promise of much more to come.
1215: The Year of Magna Carta is both a comprehensive explanation of a landmark document as well as a study of English life in the Middle Ages. It makes the archaic wording of the
charter relevant by showing how several of the main clauses would affect the people of that day. For example, the chapter entitled “Hunting in the Forest” begins with a clause restricting King John’s ability to claim lands as forests. This seems insignificant to us, until we read about the severity of the laws governing the forests. Death or horrible mutilation were common punishments for killing the deer and wild boar reserved for the king’s use. The laws regulating forest land, even land held as private property, were so oppressive that, in some years, forest fines generated close to 50% of the total royal revenue. The authors use such information to arouse and then satisfy the reader’s curiosity, as chapter after chapter reveals what it was like to live in that remarkable year. The topics range from the place of the church in everyday life to a typical day at a Grammar school to the many hours spent preparing and consuming food in a nobleman’s castle.
The latter section of the book describes how the charter came to be written and signed and how it changed English
history. It also dispels some misconceptions. For example, some people believe that the charter was an ironclad agreement, holding King John and later kings accountable for their actions and prevented them from infringing on human rights. In reality, King John signed the charter much against his will, but later refused to honor it and resumed his war against the barons within a few months. When he died the next year, leaving his under-aged son in a precarious position, the document was subtly revised and used as a propaganda tool to secure the good will of the population. Without it, King Louis of France, invited by the English aristocracy to come and overthrow the English tyrant, might have succeeded in becoming King of England and uniting the two countries. One can only imagine the course of events from that point.
A person does not need much of a background in English history to enjoy this book. Danziger, a journalist and experienced writer of histories, and Gillingham, a professor of history at the London School of Economics, provide enough background information on King John and his immediate predecessors to make the story of the text easy to follow without being tedious. However, because the book is arranged topically instead of chronologically, I had difficulty keeping track of the minor characters, and I needed help in remembering which baron had done what in a previous chapter. Fortunately, the book ends with a comprehensive index for reference in such situations.
This book is full of fascinating pieces of trivia that will make the reader pause and remark to anyone within hearing distance, “Did you know that . . . ?” It also makes the people of a far distant time seem more human, and reminds us how little people have changed over the centuries.