Edward Garboczi
Tag: Book Review
Out of Print
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The same Prince John that the legendary Robin Hood opposed later became King John when his brother, King Richard the Lion-Hearted, died in battle. Going from Prince to King did not improve his character. John fought with his barons and ruled poorly. In the end, at the fields of Runnymede in southern England in 1215 AD, his barons forced him to sign a document that we now call the Magna Carta. This document formed the basis of English common law, which later influenced the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Four original copies are on display in Great Britain, and a copy is under glass in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. I have stood on the field at Runnymede and imagined this historic event, with armored lords gathered beneath colorful banners blowing in the wind. The book Magna Carta by C. Walter Hodges is somewhere between a picture book and a Landmark-style book—about a middle school level. It is beautifully illustrated, as one would expect from Mr. Hodges, and it neatly summarizes the background leading up to the signing. It is an important piece of British history with a profound influence on American history.