Synopses & Reviews
Surveying a broad landscape through a narrow lens, 1215 sweeps readers back eight centuries in an absorbing portrait of life during a time of global upheaval, the ripples of which can still be felt today. At the center of this fascinating period is the document that has become the root of modern freedom: the Magna Carta. It was a time of political revolution and domestic change that saw the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart, King John, and in legend Robin Hood all make their marks on history.
The events leading up to King John's setting his seal to the famous document at Runnymede in June 1215 form this rich and riveting narrative that vividly describes everyday life from castle to countryside, from school to church, and from hunting in the forest to trial by ordeal. For instance, women wore no underwear (though men did), the average temperatures were actually higher than they are now, and the austere kitchen at Westminster Abbey allowed each monk two pounds of meat and a gallon of ale per day. Broad in scope and rich in detail, 1215 ingeniously illuminates what may have been the most important year of our history.
Review
"A reader-friendly glance at a turning point in history." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Brimming with period detail." The Washington Post
Synopsis
From bestselling author Danny Danziger and medieval expert John Gillingham comes a vivid look at the signing of the Magna Carta and how this event illuminates one of the most compelling and romantic periods in history.
Surveying a broad landscape through a narrow lens, 1215 sweeps readers back eight centuries in an absorbing portrait of life during a time of global upheaval, the ripples of which can still be felt today. At the center of this fascinating period is the document that has become the root of modern freedom: the Magna Carta. It was a time of political revolution and domestic change that saw the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart, King John, and--in legend--Robin Hood all make their marks on history.
The events leading up to King John's setting his seal to the famous document at Runnymede in June 1215 form this rich and riveting narrative that vividly describes everyday life from castle to countryside, from school to church, and from hunting in the forest to trial by ordeal. For instance, women wore no underwear (though men did), the average temperatures were actually higher than they are now, and the austere kitchen at Westminster Abbey allowed each monk two pounds of meat and a gallon of ale per day. Broad in scope and rich in detail, 1215 ingeniously illuminates what may have been the most important year of our history.
About the Author
Danziger is an award-winning journalist. He is co-founder and coeditor of
Cover Magazine.
John Gillingham is Professor of History at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. His previous books include European Integration, 1950-2002 , and Coal, Steel, and the Rebirth of Europe, 1945-1955, which was awarded the John Beer Prize of the American Historical Association for the best book on the history of foreign relations published that year.
Table of Contents
Contents Introduction
Map of Britain and France
Chapter 1: The Englishman's Castle
Chapter 2: The Countryside
Chapter 3: Town
Chapter 4: School
Chapter 5: Family Strife
Chapter 6: Tournaments and Battles
Chapter 7: Hunting in the Forest
Chapter 8: The Church
Chapter 9: King John
Chapter 10: The King's Men
Chapter 11: Trial by Ordeal
Chapter 12: A Christian Country
Chapter 13: The English and the Celts
Chapter 14: The Wider World
Chapter 15: The Great Charter
Chapter 16: The Myth
The Text of Magna Carta
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index