There is an entire section that explains the myths regarding the writing and signing of Magna Carta. This includes the problems faced by the women and children of Medieval England who had hardly any rights, and how knights were duty-bound to protect them. The book ends with the reasons for the writing of Magna Carta. Thus, Magna Carta was written by the Barons of England to give the country a guideline. He had several mistresses, was unfaithful to his wife, and raised the taxes in England which made it impossible for the peasants to live. This led to his tyrannous rule as King of England after the death of his brother, Richard I. Danziger and Gilingham go at length to explain the reasons that caused him to be spoiled as a child, that is, being neglected as a child. The story of King John is told from his birth to his death, in between being his struggle in accepting to sign Magna Carta. After Danziger and Gillingham go at length explaining life in the Middle Ages, they begin to speak of how Magna Carta came to be, starting with King John. This section goes on to explain women's education, which ended for them at age fifteen. While Oxford and Cambridge were the ideal universities to study, smaller schools became established in Salerno and Montpellier. For example, the chapter entitled 'Family Strife' begins with the quotation from clause 62 of Magna Carta: 'We have completely remitted and pardoned to all any ill will, grudge and rancor that have arisen between us and our subjects.' ġ215: The Year of Magna Carta continues to describe the life of a common scholar, where studies in the medical field were greatly encouraged to students who had failed at studying philosophy. Throughout the book, several references to Magna Carta are intertwined with everyday events. It explains school, the countryside, hunting, tournaments, battles and the church. The book begins by explaining the everyday life of someone of royalty, then of the average peasant. However, the book goes into detail about life in the Middle Ages, specifically in the year 1215. Based on the title, one may expect to read a book entirely about Magna Carta, the document that changed the course of England's history. This book is a sequel to Danziger's previous work, The Year 1000, which he co-authored with author Robert Lacey.ġ215: The Year of Magna Carta is a rare documentation because it is a work of creative non-fiction, a method of writing which is rarely used in writing a historical text. In 2004, it was published in the United States by Touchstone.

It was originally published in 2003 by Hodder & Stoughton, a division of Hodder Headline. 1215: The Year of Magna Carta is a historical documentation of life in Medieval England written by author and journalist Danny Danziger and emeritus professor of history at the London School of Economics John Gillingham.

1215 by Danny Danziger