Historical Fiction

Comprehensive. Went into the background of English history, Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine and their offspring and how the court machinations led to the grievances of the people against King John and his moving court.

This is a fine snapshot of the social, political and personal history of Britain in and around the year 1215, the year the Magna Carta was signed.

While the lords and the King were wrestling for control of Britain, for the people on the streets and country lanes, life was a constant struggle. Obviously “1215” skews towards the royalty and the aristocracy due to the information available from chroniclers of these times but if “1215” does nothing else, it reminds of us of the importance of that document signed at Runnymede over 800 years ago. ( )

The Magna Carta is a wonder of modern governing, all the more fascinating because it initially was a failure.

"1215: The Year of Magna Carta" digs into the world that produced the document, and explores the myth and reality of the historic document.

Danziger's book goes section by section to look at property, religion, and even sex and romance, all of which was impacted by the Magna Carta.

Worth reading.

More reviews at my WordPress site, Ralphsbooks. ( )

Generally, a great introduction to the social context and the 'world' of the Magna Carta, everything from Political Culture, to Law and Order, rural and social life.
An era that saw the birth of the English Legal system, and the establishment of Europe's Great Universities and centres of learning- of which one was said to have been home to the legendary female physician, Trotula.

Only the chapter on the 'Wider World'-which inevitably includes the Crusades did I have some argument with. Saladin was not always the honourable man he is often hailed as in the West- and as the book often presents him to be. No mention seemed to be made of his duplicity, especially in the matter of the siege of Acre.
Also, there is evidence of trade with far flung regions such as the Middle East and even India long before the eleventh century- Byzantine Coins have been found in England dating from the Seventh century, as well as Lapis Lazuli stones which hail from Afghanistan.

Overall though, a useful and interesting book, which seems to make good use of contemporary sources, and co-authored by a renowned historian, ( )

This is a very readable, engaging book about what life in England was like, and how that led to the negotiation of the Magna Carta. Well researched and well presented, this is a popular history that provides insights on how the Magna Carta came to be, and its lasting impact on western democracies. ( )

This is perfectly readable, yet full of interesting snippets and some analysis. It intends to describe what England was like in 1215, when Magna Carta was signed. It does this in a series of themed chapters, but it also, within these chapters, takes clauses of the charter and explains why they were in there, why they were important and what they were trying to achieve. So the chapter looking at the forest and laws associated with forest gets into poaching deer, outlaws, what makes a forest and how the laws of the forest were different from outside it. That puts into context the clauses relating to forested areas, and why they were important at the time. It also makes quite clear that the interpretation we may have of Magna Carta now is not what was in the minds of its authors. The clauses concerning right to justice has a certain interpretation now, but it's tucked away in the final quarter of the charter and didn't mean then what it has since been taken to mean. Context is everything. It was a product of its time, but it was sufficiently flexible that it was able to be reissued (with alterations) many times in the next few centuries as the circumstances changed. As written, it contains the seeds of its own downfall, but enough of it was valuable that it was successively re-issued again. The text of the charter is included at the back, and it certainly makes interesting reading in light of the previous book, it changes the way you look at it.
This is an interesting, readable account of this period of the middle ages. ( )

Review #8 - 1215: The Year of Magna Carta by Danny Danziger & John Gillingham (2003)

To understand Magna Carta, the authors have decided to explain the cultural, political, and economical landscape of England during the years surrounding its creation in 1215. Each chapter starts with a specifically chosen clause and then proceeds to explain the context.

While the authors are applauded for presenting a clear, readable and without doubt well-researched account, the serious historian will be disappointed by the mere 'popular history' approach and the lack of footnotes, though there are some surprises, for example, the Norman kings of England typically spent most of their time traveling from place to place and not ruling from one location, and that King John in particular didn't speak English.

Nevertheless, I can see this as an excellent introduction for students of history that don't want to be too overwhelmed.

First edition published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2003. The text of Magna Carta is included in the end. - IRONJAW'S BOOK REVIEW, Review #8. March 23rd 2015. ( )

Pretty cool. Gives a really clear sense of what life was like for the 13th-century English, from peasants to kings. ( )

This book gives context to the clauses in the Magna Carta. To do this the authors explain relevant European history that formed the conditions that led to the reining in of royal power and privilege. I was quite surprised by a number of things that the authors mention. For example, the Norman kings of England typically spent most of their time traveling from place to place and not ruling from one location, King John in particular, and King Richard didn't speak English---he only knew dialects of French. So much for those Robin Hood stories I grew up on. ( )

Not as much of an ground's eye view as 1000, it's predecessor, and without such a coherant narrative flow, it's still a wonderful, well-researched, pop-history of the medieval era, focused predominantly on England around the time of John. It ranges over the norms of the legal system, marriage, the relationship of the Church to both the state and the ordinary person, relationships, and a generally more rounded view of historical figures than one might ordinarily gain.

Its section on marriage and the effect of the Papal interdict ought to be compulsory reading for those who are labouring under the illusion that marriage has always been a religious ritual in the English common law tradition, by the way; the authors spell out the "lovers' law" status of marriage, requiring little more than attestation for the validity of civil marriage, with the Church ceremony a desirable but option extra, a state of affairs that would not change until the 18th century, when Parliament invented the requirement for clerical marriage, leading to the marirage industry of Gretna Green-where the Scots retained traditional marriage rites. ( )

This book is a beautiful background to the magna carta and medieval life in general. I found it very enlightening, and actually couldn't put it down, which is surprising since it was a non-fiction book. I would even consider re-reading it. 'Year of the Magna Carta' was easy to understand and clear. The author was confusing chronologically at times, but if a reader was more attentive to her reading (I'm the girl who frequently forgets main character's names), she would be fine. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of medieval life and culture or is studying it. ( )

At first I thought I was just going to read about what it was like to live in England in the year 1215. The early chapters were devoted to this, but it was necessary in order to understand the culmination of events that led up to the making of the Magna Carta. I have read biographies and historical novels about King John, but I like 1215 because if really gave the background information to the time and place. I also liked the clarification to the common views of our time to Medieval understandings of science and geography. ( )

Seems well-researched, good bibliography, but the writing is about on par with a snooty Wikipedia article. ( )

http://allbookedup-elena.blogspot.com/2008/07/1215-year-of-magna-carta-danny-dan... ( )

Fascinating insight into the Year of the Magna Carta. Good detail but not too overwhelming. ( )

Dreadfully boring despite appealing size, font, pictures, and cover. ( )

Not a quick read, but a great deal of irrelevant but detailed information that will be of great interest ot anyone interested in the day to day live of medieval England. ( )

again the ancestors' lives become more real. great reading for small stories that you don't read in the history books at school.

Great for a brief survey of life in the year 1215, with interesting comparisons between that year and previous and later periods. It was very easy to read and informative. It doesn't suggest anything controversial, but rather lays out the facts as they are currently accepted by historians. It also makes clear the significance of Magna Carta, and just how it came to be such an important document in our opinion. Highly recommended. ( )

While not quite as good as 'Year 1000,' Danny Danziger does a brilliant job of investigating early 13th century England against the backdrop of Runnymeade. ( )

2/8/23