Magna Carta

'No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions ... nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land.

To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.'

These statements, buried deep in the text of King John's Magna Carta, lie at the root of its fame but they were not central to its original purpose. Yet the intrinsic adaptability of such clauses elevated Magna Carta to its subsequent iconic status.

This book, the first in a new series, explores the roles of the protagonists involved in Magna Carta's creation in 1215 and describes the political situation in England at the time - the wars with France, the king's exploitation of the feudal system, the barons' financial grievances, abuses in the administration of justice and the king's relationship with the Church. Illustrated throughout, and with a complete text translation, the book explores the context in which Magna Carta was issued, in order to understand what it really meant to its creators and to those who have used and revered it since.