Merv Montacute

Magna Carta-up Close and Personal: a Guide for the Historically Challenged Merv Montacute

Publisher Marketing: Magna Carta, that ancient illegible writing on the skin of a dead sheep, is 800 years old in 2015. Almost everything we are told about Magna Carta makes no sense. Quite how in 1215 a grumble of greedy barons and the worst king in English history could, by arguing in French, create a Latin document that is the foundation of our rights in the English-speaking world has never before been satisfactorily explained. This book aims to answer all your questions with a readable mix of history, politics, and humor. It tells what really happened in 1215 and in the ensuing 800 years. It will appeal to readers who know little history but want to have an entertaining but often serious read and learn a lot more. Why was Magna Carta only in force for 10 weeks? Why have the Brits and Americans treated Magna Carta very differently? Why is Magna Carta relevant if you are a nudist or sell bananas? What has a surfeit of peaches got to do with any of this? This is also the only book on Magna Carta that has a joke and funny poem section. The author, a retired lawyer, is also anxious to clear the name of his great (x 29) grandfather William de Montacute, a traitorous baron in 1215. Follow the author on montacutem.wix.com/magnacarta