King John
About this book
King John is one of those historical characters who needs little in the way of introduction. If readers are not already familiar with him as the tyrant whose misgovernment gave rise to Magna Carta, we remember him as the villain in the stories of Robin Hood. Formidable and cunning, but also cruel, lecherous, treacherous and untrusting. Twelve years into his reign, John was regarded as a powerful king within the British Isles. But despite this immense early success, when he finally crosses to France to recover his lost empire, he meets with disaster. John returns home penniless to face a tide of criticism about his unjust rule. The result is Magna Carta β a ground-breaking document in posterity, but a worthless piece of parchment in 1215, since John had no intention of honoring it. Like all great tragedies, the world can only be put to rights by the tyrant's death. John finally obliges at Newark Castle in October 1216, dying of dysentery as a great gale howls up the valley of the Trent.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Contents
- A Note on Money
- List of Illustrations
- Maps and Family Tree
- Introduction
- 1. Under Attack, 1203
- 2. The Family Empire, 1120β1189
- 3. Refusing to Rally, 1204β1205
- 4. A Pact from Hell, 1189β1194
- 5. Stemming the Tide, 1205β1206
- 6. Our Happy Success, 1194β1202
- 7. King versus Pope, 1207β1208
- 8. A Deed of Shame, 1202β1203
- 9. The Enemy Within?, 1208β1210
- 10. Tyrannical Will, 1210β1212
- 11. The Hermitβs Prophecy, 1212β1213
- 12. Ready for Battle, 1213β1214
- 13. Runnymede, 1214β1215
- 14. Fire and Sword, 1215β1216
- Conclusion
- Illustrations
- Magna Carta, 1215: A Translation
- Abbreviations
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Acknowledgements
- Also by Marc Morris
- Copyright
