A Brief History of The Magna Carta – Book Review
The Story of the Origins of Liberty by Geoffrey Hindley
A Brief History of The Magna Carta is a study of a document created eight centuries ago. Yet, Geoffrey’s Hindley book begins in the present day. This may seem an odd place to start a medieval history text, but it is actually perfectly logical and helpful to the reader. He briefly shows how the charter affects current world affairs, then goes back in time to when Magna Carta was created.
Hindley’s purpose in writing this book is to argue how an ancient document continues to be of relevance in the twenty first century. He believes that Magna Carta influenced England’s seventeenth century civil wars and the struggles for American independence.
The Origins of Magna Carta
The author precedes his main chapters with a detailed timeline of the events leading up to the creation of Magna Carta. The study begins in the reign of Richard I, brother of King John. Richard is presented as a monarch obsessed with raising money for the Crusades, a man who spent less than six months of his reign in the country he ruled.
The seeds of unrest, argues Hindley, were sown in Richard’s need to raise money and in the growing power of the barons, important landholders who could provide a monarch with funds he badly needed.
The Signing of Magna Carta at Runnymede
Magna Carta was a document in which King John promised how he would in future treat his subjects, both rich and poor. Through the charter, the king explained the processes of justice, the application of fines and penalties and confirmed the freedom of the English Church.
The author provides a helpful summary of the main points of the charter and, through the seventeen chapters of the book, explains just what these promises and concessions meant to the people whom they affected.
These groups of people include the citizens of London, communities of the forest, the community of Jewry and women. Various groups of people had their own needs and problems and Hindley clearly explains what the charter offered to them.
Magna Carta as an Influence on History
A Brief History of the Magna Carta ends with an examination of the effects the charter has had on global events. The author strongly believes that Magna Carta continues to be a powerful and relevant document to governments today.
He quotes from various sources, including the settlement at Virginia in 1607, through to the actions of England’s Chartists in the nineteenth century, showing that the charter was still in the minds of the public, centuries after it was created.
Summary
King John and Magna Carta is a subject which has been discussed extensively. Geoffrey Hindley brings a fresh and interesting viewpoint to the topic, offering new opinions, which are sure to provoke further discussion on this period of medieval history.
Publication Details
Hindley, Geoffrey A Brief History of the Magna Carta [Constable & Robinson Ltd, 2008]
ISBN 9781845295059, 334 pages
A Brief History of The Magna Carta
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