Magna Carta: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #321

by Nicholas Vincent

The Magna Carta is arguably the greatest constitutional document in recorded history, yet few people today understand either its contents or its context. 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 great advances that have been made in our understanding of thirteenth-century English history, Nicholas Vincent demonstrates why the Magna Carta remains hugely significant today.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Law, Politics, Medieval History, Medieval, Historical

136 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2012

About the author

Professor Nicholas Vincent of the University of East Anglia has published a dozen books and some hundred articles on twelfth- and thirteenth-century history for both scholarly and popular audiences, including work on the English and European context of Magna Carta as well as Magna Carta: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2012). When a 1297 issue of Magna Carta recently came up for auction, Professor Vincent was commissioned by Sotheby’s to write the catalogue. During his research he discovered two previously unidentified originals of Magna Carta. For the Magna Carta Project he has been searching archives across Britain, Ireland and France for the charters of King John.

Also published under Nick Vincent.

Reviews

[Ed Terrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the history surrounding this well known document. Sometimes overly detailed, a touch pedantic and written with the seriousness of a grey, bleak English sky with the promise of rain. Of course, trying to cram a few hundred years of English history into 125 pages is an overly daunting task that is guaranteed to turn anyone's tea cold. From Richard the lion-hearted, to the evil King John, we march towards Runnymede and to civil war. This book really helped fill in the blanks in my mind especially how linked England and France were at this time (and why they were mostly always fighting).

[Igor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful information.

[Jacob Lines · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much has been written about Magna Carta. So many lawyers and politicians have interpreted it and expanded it and lied about what it meant. This book tells how the document came about and how it came to mean something important. The document itself is full of now-irrelevant specifics along with some noble generalities that we still care about. It was a peace treaty between nobles and a king. The king abjured it almost immediately and the pope declared it void. Yet it somehow lingered and took on a life of its own. Now it stands as one of the pillars in the history of the rule of law and constitutionalism. This book does an amazing job telling the story of how Magna Carta was formulated, what it said, why it endured, and what it means now. I recommend it for people that like history or want to know more about this piece of how the British and American constitutional orders evolved.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Medievalist Scholar Nicholas Vincent published Magna Carta: A Very Short Introduction in 2012. Vincent provides a context for the Magna Carta. As a reader of several books by Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters, I was introduced to the era of “Anarchy” during the time of King Stephen (Vincent 19). I read the book on my Kindle. Part of the setup for the Magna Carta context was King Stephen's reign (Vincent 10-21). Vincent writes that historians “generally agreed that this is to exaggerate the degree of disorder. In the regions of England closest to the capital city of London, Stephen commanded considerable authority” (Vincent 19). Vincent’s book provided me with context to understand Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. The last chapter of the book has an introduction to the legacy of the Magna Carta. The book also contains a reference to Robin Hood. Philip Mark, who the Magna Carta asked to be removed from the office, was the sheriff of Nottingham and was the basis of “the archetype for the later villain of the Robin Hood legends” (Vincent 76). The book has an appendix of the Magna Carta, written in 1215 and translated into modern English. The book has an index. The book has illustrations. The book has a section entitled “Further Reading” (Vincent 125-126). Vincent’s book, Introduction to the Magna Carta, is well done.

[Nick Patten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful introduction into a supposedly foundational document that is routinely skirted by the United States and other western governments in the name of 'national security.'

It should be seriously concerning to all of us that such rights and guarantees considered moderate even in the time of kings and divine right continue to be put in serious jeopardy.

Something more I want to learn about is the Charter of the Forest, mentioned only in passing but a sort of an astounding proclamation of the right to a common good for its time.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found the commentary very informative and also witty at times

What I gleaned from this, is that Magna Carta 1215 was first and foremost a peace treaty that failed but was then used by Henry III (Magna Carta 1225) to gain trust with barons. It's now a celebrated documents across the world although as Vincent points out near the end of this short introduction:

"Magna Carta... a document caught in permanent tension between 'theoretical sanctity and practical insecurity'."

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the Very Short Introductions that live up to the name, and this one does. Good background, good description of the events of 1215, covers some of the major scholarly debates about authorship and so forth, and treats the afterlife of the document in the thirteenth century and then up to the twentieth. And it has a translation of the MC in the back. Recommended.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vincent does a yeoman's job at giving the background of Magna Carta, the events of its production, and its textual history and an understanding of its meaning to the various generations since. A worthwhile read.

[Rachel Deckard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Has intrigue, humor, and history.

[Muhammad Jahangeer Thaheem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came to know about Magna Carta the Law Of Modern England democracy. Well written book.

[Jarvo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in preparation for a weekend at the Runnymeade Hotel as we approach the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta (yes my life really is that exciting). As usual with the 'Very Short Introductions' it does what it 'says on the tin', and introduces a complex subject in a straightforward way without dumbing down completely. The magna carta comes across as a local solution to an immediate historical circumstance, rather than something kickstarting western democracy as we know it. So you can take it that the book is strong on context, and weak on what it is that made this document such a powerful myth.

[Vincent T. Ciaramella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very well written and a great resource for those that want to read about the history of the Great Charter. I am glad I read it but I don't think it will be something that I revisit beyond source material. The author has done a great job making the difficult history of Magna Carta condensed into less than 150 pages.

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet again this series performs as promised.
I really liked the way the author sets out both the historical context of the socio-politics that lead to Magna Carta and the relavance attached later on. I found the clear timeline for the conflict leading to magna carta and subsequent re-issues really helpful and the background law really enlightening.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant exposition on something revered without full understanding. The account lucidly explains the background of the 'Great Charter' and its significance down the ages.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introductory book. This introductory series is very useful for quick understanding on topics they cover.

[Jason Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good survey. There are sections that drag in bit in the details. However, for such a complex topic it does a fair job as an introduction.

[Elizabeth Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does what it says on the tin.