Magna carta : the true story behind the charter / David Starkey

Includes appendices and index.

Introduction -- The great king? : John and his opponents -- The crisis -- Rebels with a cause -- The road to Runnymede -- Runnymede -- For all and for ever -- Failure -- Roman echoes -- Civil war and war of words -- Desperation -- New king; new charter -- Victory and reconciliation -- Spontaneous and free consent -- After Magna Carta : a tale of two charters -- Appendix: The Charters.

At Runnymede, on the banks of the River Thames, on 15 June 1215, the seal of King John was attached to the Magna Carta, and peace descended upon the land. Or that's what successive generations have believed. But is it true? And have we been persuaded (or persuaded ourselves) that the events of 15 June 1215 not only ended a civil war between the king and the barons but - as if by magic - established a British constitution beloved and copied throughout the world? Often viewed as a victory for the people over the monarchy and a cornerstone of democracy, the true significance of Magna Carta is misunderstood and misrepresented. In Magna Carta: The True Story Behind the Charter, David Starkey paints a vivid portrait of the years 1215-1225, ten revolutionary years of huge significance that produced not one but four charters. Peopled by colourful historical figures - John, the boy-king Henry, Pope Innocent III, Archbishop Stephen Langton, William Marshal - Starkey tells a story of treachery and idealism, politics and peace-making that is surprising and enthralling.