Magna Carta: A Very Short Introduction

The Magna Carta is arguably the greatest constitutional document in recorded history. This Very Short Introduction, which includes a full English translation of the 1215 Magna Carta, introduces the document to a modern audience, explaining its origins in the troubled reign of King John, and tracing the significant role that it played thereafter as a symbol of the subject's right to protection against the absolute authority of the sovereign. Drawing upon the advances made in understanding 13th-century English history, Nicholas Vincent demonstrates why the Magna Carta remains hugely significant today.