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The Magna Charta
In the rich turbulence of English history, one day stands magnificently apart: June 15th, 1215, the day of the signing of the Magna Charta. On that day the first blow for English freedom was struck, and it has forever affected the Western World. Here is the story of three men, Stephen Langton, William Marshall and Hubert de Burgh, whose heroic deeds are set against those of the ever deceitful and crafty King John.
181 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
September 9, 2015
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I found Daugherty’s writing to be witty, lively, and often, elegant: “England in June was a fair garden, and through its flower-strewn meadows the Thames wound down to London town, reflecting white cloud drifts and blue sky in its shining surface” (104). What I enjoyed most about his writing though was his dry sense of humor: “When King John was angry, he threw himself down and rolled on the floor, yelling and chewing the expensive oriental rugs that Crusaders had brought back from the East. If there were no rugs about, he chewed the straw and sticks that littered the floor. It was bad for his teeth” (53).
The Magna Charta is an excellent way to get a quick overview of early English history, particularly that of King John and the events leading up to and players involved in the Magna Charta. I also learned quite a bit about the power struggles between the king and the Pope. His quirky illustrations are an added bonus to the reading experience.
The Magna Charta is an excellent way to get a quick overview of early English history, particularly that of King John and the events leading up to and players involved in the Magna Charta. I also learned quite a bit about the power struggles between the king and the Pope. His quirky illustrations are an added bonus to the reading experience.
July 1, 2021
Landmark book. Loved how the author started with the first document in history designed to ensure rights and liberties of others: The Magna Carta. This thread is then tied to all other documents throughout history designed to ensure individual liberties and freedoms.
February 19, 2025
It was more interesting than i thought it would be. I never knew about the Magna Charta. It also answered a question i had about prince John. What happened to him after Robin Hood. Three and a half stars.
October 2, 2025
Read for homeschool. We really enjoyed it
June 2, 2024
Absolutely amazing and enjoyable read! The Magna Charta is a short but perfectly informative book on the charter that changed history. It provides a perfectly accurate image of 13th centuy England and the events that led to the signig of the infamous charter. Stephen Langton, William Marshall and Hubert de Burgh, the men behind the Magna Charta are trying to bring King John to sign it in order to restore peace between the unpopular king and some rebel barons. Little did they know how this event would change history!
What made this book a 5-star-read for me was the connection the author made between the Magna Charta and the American Institution, the Atlantic Charter and the foundation of the United Nations. From King John to Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, this book is a masterpeace in tracing the history of constitutional law starting on that June day of 1215.
What made this book a 5-star-read for me was the connection the author made between the Magna Charta and the American Institution, the Atlantic Charter and the foundation of the United Nations. From King John to Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, this book is a masterpeace in tracing the history of constitutional law starting on that June day of 1215.
August 4, 2023
Another in the Landmark series, this one was published in 1956, so expect it to be somewhat dated. It's still a fairly good overview, both of the historical context and events surrounding the famous charter, and what it itself entailed. There seem to be two primary camps, with regard to the Magna Carta, or Great Charter, technically the Magna Carta Libertatum, or Great Charter of Freedoms. Some believe, as apparently the author, that it was the precursor to modernity, in that it was one of the first, and, arguably, most significant royal charters ever conceived, which guaranteed a series of rights and freedoms to the people, who were previously ruled by the whim of the king. Others state that it's overrated, and too much significance is placed on it, as it wasn't the first and certainly not the last contract which tried to establish certain rights and freedoms of, in particular, wealthy nobles who resisted the power of their sovereign.
The Magna Carta was drafted by the Archibishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, in an attempt to settle a conflict between the oft-villainized English king John and his rebellious barons, in the wake of a dispute over royal succession. After much armed conflict, as the book describes in a very accessible manner, King John met with rebel leaders at Runnymede, on the south bank of the Thames, on June 10, 1215, which was neutral ground between the royal fortress Windor Castle and the barons' outpost at Staines. The barons presented King John with the "Articles of the Barons," which over the course of about 10 days, morphed into the Magna Carta, or at least the initial draft (there would be several in succeeding years) which the king was essentially forced to accept. It was formally signed, and on June 19, the barons renewed their loyalty oaths to their king. Copies of the charter were then issued and circulated.
The charter is often considered the precursor to the modern Constitution. That point is debatable, but it is certainly notable as an early example of the guarantee of rights and protections to a group of citizens who had rebelled against royal authority. These included religious rights, protections against illegal or arbitrary arrest and imprisonment and a guarantee of a speedy trial (sort of), as well as limitations on payments to the crown.
The latter was significant, as John had lost much of his ancestral holdings in France to his rival King Philip II in 1204, which resulted in a near-constant state of warfare largely funded and supported by taxes on the king's barons. When John was defeated, as the book describes, he had to sue for peace and pay restitution, leading to even more financial hardship for his cash-strapped citizens. There were even rights for serfs, included, which was a departure indeed and managed to ruffle quite a few feathers. It's not surprising that the Magna Carta also created a council of 25 barons who would essentially administer the charter.
Also not surprisingly, this wasn't exactly popular with the royals, or their supporters, which, unfortunately, at the time included the Pope, Innocent III, who almost immediately annulled the charter, in a letter dated August 24, which arrived in September. He declared the charter shameful and demeaning, but also "illegal and unjust," and threatened to excommunicate anyone who had had a hand in it - including even beleaguered King John, should he honor or try to enforce it! This ushered in the war described in the book in some detail, the First Barons' War. The Pope made good on his threats, and excommunicated the rebel barons in addition to some clerics who supported them.
Perhaps fortunately for all, John wasn't long for this world, dying of dysentery in October, 1216. The son of the formidable Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine, he didn't exactly impress or inherit his parents' greatness. He was nicknamed John Lackland because he wasn't expected to inherit much, but nor could he hold onto what he did inherit. The charter experienced something of a resurrection under Henry III, John's son and successor. Sensing that his end was near, John appointed a council to assist Henry in reclaiming the kingdom from the rebels, which ushered in a whole new series of conflicts, both at home and abroad.
It's something of a misnomer to call the Magna Carta a single document, as there were multiple iterations of it, in 1215, 1216 , 1217, 1225, and beyond, all of which featured varying provisions and stipulations. Another Great Charter was issued by King Edward I in 1297, so efforts at resolution were ongoing for a century.
One unique facet of this book is the section called Children of the Magna Carta, which the author lists as the Mayflower Compact, the US Constitution, all the way to the establishment of the United Nations Charter in the 20th century. It's certainly accurate to state that English colonists brought royal charters to the New World when they established the colonies there, which included the Massachusetts Bay and Virginia Charters of the 17th centuries, which likewise formalized the rights of the immigrants to the same liberties, franchises and immunities as English citizens. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties even contained some material likely copied from Clause 29 of the Magna Carta, which had become "the chief embodiment of English common law."
Whether or not you think it's overrated as a document, if not a concept, its far-reaching influence is still manifest today: there's a replica of it on display in the rotunda of the US Capitol building, and there's also a Magna Carta Memorial at Runnymede, erected by the American Bar Association in 1957. This short volume is a good introduction to the time period and events surrounding the creation of this famous document, which definitively was a precursor to modern charters, which are essentially contracts which formally establish rights and protections of citizens, which is why the Great Charter of 1215 is still held in such great esteem today.
The Magna Carta was drafted by the Archibishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, in an attempt to settle a conflict between the oft-villainized English king John and his rebellious barons, in the wake of a dispute over royal succession. After much armed conflict, as the book describes in a very accessible manner, King John met with rebel leaders at Runnymede, on the south bank of the Thames, on June 10, 1215, which was neutral ground between the royal fortress Windor Castle and the barons' outpost at Staines. The barons presented King John with the "Articles of the Barons," which over the course of about 10 days, morphed into the Magna Carta, or at least the initial draft (there would be several in succeeding years) which the king was essentially forced to accept. It was formally signed, and on June 19, the barons renewed their loyalty oaths to their king. Copies of the charter were then issued and circulated.
The charter is often considered the precursor to the modern Constitution. That point is debatable, but it is certainly notable as an early example of the guarantee of rights and protections to a group of citizens who had rebelled against royal authority. These included religious rights, protections against illegal or arbitrary arrest and imprisonment and a guarantee of a speedy trial (sort of), as well as limitations on payments to the crown.
The latter was significant, as John had lost much of his ancestral holdings in France to his rival King Philip II in 1204, which resulted in a near-constant state of warfare largely funded and supported by taxes on the king's barons. When John was defeated, as the book describes, he had to sue for peace and pay restitution, leading to even more financial hardship for his cash-strapped citizens. There were even rights for serfs, included, which was a departure indeed and managed to ruffle quite a few feathers. It's not surprising that the Magna Carta also created a council of 25 barons who would essentially administer the charter.
Also not surprisingly, this wasn't exactly popular with the royals, or their supporters, which, unfortunately, at the time included the Pope, Innocent III, who almost immediately annulled the charter, in a letter dated August 24, which arrived in September. He declared the charter shameful and demeaning, but also "illegal and unjust," and threatened to excommunicate anyone who had had a hand in it - including even beleaguered King John, should he honor or try to enforce it! This ushered in the war described in the book in some detail, the First Barons' War. The Pope made good on his threats, and excommunicated the rebel barons in addition to some clerics who supported them.
Perhaps fortunately for all, John wasn't long for this world, dying of dysentery in October, 1216. The son of the formidable Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine, he didn't exactly impress or inherit his parents' greatness. He was nicknamed John Lackland because he wasn't expected to inherit much, but nor could he hold onto what he did inherit. The charter experienced something of a resurrection under Henry III, John's son and successor. Sensing that his end was near, John appointed a council to assist Henry in reclaiming the kingdom from the rebels, which ushered in a whole new series of conflicts, both at home and abroad.
It's something of a misnomer to call the Magna Carta a single document, as there were multiple iterations of it, in 1215, 1216 , 1217, 1225, and beyond, all of which featured varying provisions and stipulations. Another Great Charter was issued by King Edward I in 1297, so efforts at resolution were ongoing for a century.
One unique facet of this book is the section called Children of the Magna Carta, which the author lists as the Mayflower Compact, the US Constitution, all the way to the establishment of the United Nations Charter in the 20th century. It's certainly accurate to state that English colonists brought royal charters to the New World when they established the colonies there, which included the Massachusetts Bay and Virginia Charters of the 17th centuries, which likewise formalized the rights of the immigrants to the same liberties, franchises and immunities as English citizens. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties even contained some material likely copied from Clause 29 of the Magna Carta, which had become "the chief embodiment of English common law."
Whether or not you think it's overrated as a document, if not a concept, its far-reaching influence is still manifest today: there's a replica of it on display in the rotunda of the US Capitol building, and there's also a Magna Carta Memorial at Runnymede, erected by the American Bar Association in 1957. This short volume is a good introduction to the time period and events surrounding the creation of this famous document, which definitively was a precursor to modern charters, which are essentially contracts which formally establish rights and protections of citizens, which is why the Great Charter of 1215 is still held in such great esteem today.
January 10, 2020
Originally published in 1956 by Landmark Books, this title is written and illustrated by artist and muralist James Daugherty. His writing is as impressive as his illustrations. He gives the historical facts about on how John, the fourth son of Henry II, became king himself. All John's deceits and greed caused his barons to rebel, and with Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to write the Magna Charta. Most reluctantly King John signed the charter, but immediately broke it's provisions, going to war to win back his father's lands in France. The Pope supported John against the barons, and even rejected the charter. John's death, a 9-year-old king sworn to defend the Magna Charta, and the leadership of Stephen Langton, William Marshal, and Hubert deBurgh ensured the charter's importance in the history of representative government. The final section includes charters that have been born from the Magna Charta, including the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, civil rights, women's rights, and the United Nations Charter. Very readable and informative. Unfortunately, there is no bibliography.
April 13, 2024
Not too bad...
This was an interesting and fairly simple to understand telling of the events leading up to the signing of the Magna Carta, as well as its influence on communities and governments since. I found it especially interesting to hear the dramatized conversation between King John and the barons as they read out the charter for him. I'd never really considered the way this document affected him and it was thought-provoking to hear his reactions at the freedoms granted the people and the power taken away from him. It went from “his kingdom” to “their kingdom” and he did not like that!
It did get a little preachy toward the end with anti-war propaganda and lots of praise for the UN, but it was written at a time (1956) when many still had stars in their eyes...
This was an interesting and fairly simple to understand telling of the events leading up to the signing of the Magna Carta, as well as its influence on communities and governments since. I found it especially interesting to hear the dramatized conversation between King John and the barons as they read out the charter for him. I'd never really considered the way this document affected him and it was thought-provoking to hear his reactions at the freedoms granted the people and the power taken away from him. It went from “his kingdom” to “their kingdom” and he did not like that!
It did get a little preachy toward the end with anti-war propaganda and lots of praise for the UN, but it was written at a time (1956) when many still had stars in their eyes...
October 11, 2025
An engaging homeschool read that really let us dig into the whole drama around King Richard and King John. There are plenty of believable imaginative details added to bring the different scenes to life, and lots of short chapters for stopping points.
The last section (which I didn't read through aloud because it jumps ahead too far in time) gives brief but colorful descriptions of other charters through history afterwards, such as the Declaration of Independence and the United Nations. It was an interesting little history speed-read.
I enjoyed his punchy writing style. It probably is a bit opinionated in tone from time to time - statements like "the evil King John", but one doesn't so much object to bias with which one generally concurs. 😅
The last section (which I didn't read through aloud because it jumps ahead too far in time) gives brief but colorful descriptions of other charters through history afterwards, such as the Declaration of Independence and the United Nations. It was an interesting little history speed-read.
I enjoyed his punchy writing style. It probably is a bit opinionated in tone from time to time - statements like "the evil King John", but one doesn't so much object to bias with which one generally concurs. 😅
July 20, 2022
The review of the history of King Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland was excellent. Straightforward and to the point while still giving social and economic context. I think this would be excellent for high schoolers and middle schoolers. However, I think the author was totally wrong when I came to his take on the UN. He takes a couple short chapters in the ens to discuss the Magna Charts implications for modern society and in it praises the UN. But, perhaps this can be forgiven as he wrote this at the beginning of the UNs formation and did not see for his own eyes how much of a pathetic and abominable failure it is.
October 12, 2023
2 on research. 1 on weight. 2 on style. 1 on logic. 1 on affections. 7 out of 10. This book provided a good background summary of the details and causes of the document that has since been so foundation in western political philosophy. I liked how he showed the Magna Carta's influence on other documents, until we reached 150 years ago. He said some silly things about it supposedly promoting the UN and Susan Anthony, which I thought was a stretch. The UN is a foolish idea by every God-honoring standard, and we should not impose modern liberal sensibilities upon the nobles on medieval Britain.
April 18, 2025
James Daugherty sets the scene for how the Magna Charta came to be, showing how life was for the English population because of the capriciousness of the King’s power, the strange political quarrels and alignments of the time, and how finally the English barons and the Archbishop of Canterbury came to prevail over King John with their groundbreaking charter. I enjoyed the historical storytelling of the first part of the book. The second part tries to show the influence of the Magna Charta in other charters and political papers written since, which necessarily involved a lot of skimming.
February 17, 2022
Enjoyable, informative, and straight forward. By no means the first book on the subject I'd recommend, but not a bad way to spend the day if you're not overly familiar with this area of history. Certain parts seemed dry and opinion is presented as fact a little too much for my liking, but one expects that in this type of work. It also seems to jump ahead quickly towards the end and glosses over relevant areas of history that could easily fill another volume.
January 24, 2018
This was a very good read. Having studied somewhat the story of King John, and the Magna Charta, I found this to be a very interesting story . Up until the 4th section, I would have given it 5 stars, however, I personally could not agree with the authors' admiration of the United Nations, and the "new world order" that it would create, so I gave it a 4.
January 29, 2020
This is an in-depth look at King John and his signing of the Magna Charta. It is written in an old-fashioned style. At times, the language was a little confusing. For me this was a quick read. If you're learning about this time period in school, this might be an interesting addition to your curriculum.
August 8, 2022
I listened to the audiobook to pre-read this for this upcoming school year. It was quite interesting and I enjoyed it. It featured not only the Great Charter but also those that came after it and were based upon its principles, including the Declaration of Independence and the charters for the League of Nations, Pan-American treaty, and the beginning of the UN.
May 25, 2021
A good brief rundown of some important events. I listened to The Magna Charta through Audible and I found that when I was trying to listen to it, I would zone out here and there. I think I would have taken more from the book if I would have read it myself.
February 22, 2022
I listened to this one free on audible since it will be an assigned historical literature book for my ninth grader next year. I found it to be an interesting historical account and I think he'll enjoy it as well.
February 23, 2023
An engaging story about how the Magna Charta came to be, as well as chapters on the "children" of the Magna Charta: the declaration, the constitution, amendment about the right to vote for black people and women, as well as the U.N. My kids enjoyed it.
June 5, 2025
Fairly quickly read. Interesting, somewhat narrative. Lots of rabbit trails one could follow to learn about other aspects of history. part 4 is slower talking about all the other documents inspired by the Magna Charta.
October 7, 2025
I just love Daugherty's writing. I read this aloud to my kids for homeschool and my 9th grader, who is taking a government class this year, said it the best: "EVERYTHING I read this year is connected!"
October 21, 2025
I really enjoyed the history of King John and the time that brought the Magna Charta to fruition. However, I did not necessarily like the abrupt time jump for the last couple of chapters to show the outworkings in modern times.
October 29, 2025
An entertaining history of England during the 13th century. And brought forward to modern times describing the many charters that have given boundaries to the relationships between governments and citizens around the world. I loved this as an audiobook in particular.
July 15, 2018
How important the signing of the magma carta was in bringing about basic freedoms. An easy summary for children.
February 22, 2019
Much more fun reading this than reading a textbook that just says King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta.
May 26, 2019
I gave this book five stars because my fifth grade son enjoyed it enough to recommend it to me. That's a good history book.
September 4, 2019
A good, light but rough sketch of a period of English history. I think it is, as was intended, a good introduction to a bunch of historical idea as people for middle school to high school kids.
December 18, 2019
I liked how short the chapters were. It was about a ton of kings, or 3 kings.
May 26, 2020
Not my favorite book but it was a quick read and good information.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews