A beautifully produced account of the signing, impact and legacy of Magna Carta, a document that became one the most influential statements in the history of democracy.
By the summer of 1215 King John of England had lost control of his kingdom. In June, his rebellious barons forced him to attach his regal seal - under oath - to a remarkable document. Its signing would echo around the world in centuries to come.
The so-called 'Great Charter', established an Englishman's right to habeas corpus and set limits to the exercise of royal power. For the first time a group of subjects had forced an English king to agree to a document that limited his powers by law and protected their rights. As a milestone in the development of constitutional politics and the rule of law, Magna Carta has inspired democrats on every continent. Three of its clauses remain on the statute book of England and Wales to this day.
In this exquisitely designed and beautifully illustrated book, Dan Jones sets Magna Carta in the political context of its era, narrates the circumstances of its signing, and outlines and analyses its long-lasting political legacy. Included are puzzles by Mary Higgins Clark, Isaac Asimov, and Ngaio Marsh; uncanny tales in the tradition of A Christmas Carol by Peter Lovesey and Max Allan Collins; O. Henry-like stories by Stanley Ellin and Joseph Shearing, stories by pulp icons John D. MacDonald and Damon Runyon; comic gems from Donald E. Westlake and John Mortimer; and many, many more. Almost any kind of mystery you're in the mood for-suspense, pure detection, humor, cozy, private eye, or police procedural-can be found in these pages.
