In the Reign of King John: A Year in the Life of Plantagenet England

Dan Jones strikes gold yet again with this gripping tale of one of England's most notorious monarchs. Instead of thrashing the entire reign of King John as other historians often do, Dan Jones beautifully weaves together the political, religious, societal, and familial turmoil which gives the reader a more complete understanding of King John the person.

I reckon that a modern lawyer would pick the magna carter apart and yet it is written in the legalese of the times bearing in mind it was drafted not by what we would call legal minds but barons and bishops and suchlike. It’s a good book this destroying some of the myths and reaffirming others as fact. you can’t say, if you read this, that John was not the cause of some of his own troubles and yet, these were turbulent times for any ruler. A really goodd book spoilt for me by just one thing and it’s something nobody can do anything about and that is the constant interruptions of the narrative with footnote numbers. it can’t be helped but voiceover reads them out spoiling the flow of the book.

A great history of the year of the magna carta and everything that was happening with King John and the barons.

Thoroughly good read for anyone interested in this period.

Well presented e-reader book. No problems.

Bought as a last minute present for Christmas for my husband. What I didn't realise is that he already had "Realm Divided" published in 2015 which basically is the same book albeit without the illustrations and slightly different wording. Disappointed as think this is a bit of a con. Expect some would already know this but just in case you don't!

This is as beautiful a book to look through as it is an interesting one to read. The narrative covers the events leading up to the creation of Magna Carta, and those that followed when King John renegaded on the agreement. It also looks at life for ordinary people at the time - 1215 - how they lived, what they ate, thier housing and the medical treatment available. The author explains the very considerable power and influence of the church at the time too, and explains the various tests used in criminal justice; ordeal by fire or water, for example. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout, often with contemporary illustrations from the 13th century, and sometimes with photographs of the locations as they are today. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this excellent work by Dan Jones, who seems to consistently write about history in an engaging as well as informative manner.

I’m obsessed with this book. I read it within a day. Great content, good language, even more amazing illustrations. As a historian I’m used to the academic language when I read history books so this one was obviously a nice change with easier language, etc. A bit tiring for me to check the footnotes and sources at the end of the book, but it’s not a major disadvantage. Love it!

Very interesting dealing with the year 1215. It also brings to life the lives of the people who lived in this era.

UPDATE: new book arrive in perfect condition and looks amazing very happy. And great service with returning and replacing Returning as it has come damaged, take the damage away it looks brilliant so will re-order

Dan Jones strikes gold yet again with this gripping tale of one of England's most notorious monarchs. Instead of thrashing the entire reign of King John as other historians often do, Dan Jones beautifully weaves together the political, religious, societal, and familial turmoil which gives the reader a more complete understanding of King John the person.

I reckon that a modern lawyer would pick the magna carter apart and yet it is written in the legalese of the times bearing in mind it was drafted not by what we would call legal minds but barons and bishops and suchlike. It’s a good book this destroying some of the myths and reaffirming others as fact. you can’t say, if you read this, that John was not the cause of some of his own troubles and yet, these were turbulent times for any ruler. A really goodd book spoilt for me by just one thing and it’s something nobody can do anything about and that is the constant interruptions of the narrative with footnote numbers. it can’t be helped but voiceover reads them out spoiling the flow of the book.

A great history of the year of the magna carta and everything that was happening with King John and the barons.

Thoroughly good read for anyone interested in this period.

Well presented e-reader book. No problems.

Bought as a last minute present for Christmas for my husband. What I didn't realise is that he already had "Realm Divided" published in 2015 which basically is the same book albeit without the illustrations and slightly different wording. Disappointed as think this is a bit of a con. Expect some would already know this but just in case you don't!

This is as beautiful a book to look through as it is an interesting one to read. The narrative covers the events leading up to the creation of Magna Carta, and those that followed when King John renegaded on the agreement. It also looks at life for ordinary people at the time - 1215 - how they lived, what they ate, thier housing and the medical treatment available. The author explains the very considerable power and influence of the church at the time too, and explains the various tests used in criminal justice; ordeal by fire or water, for example. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout, often with contemporary illustrations from the 13th century, and sometimes with photographs of the locations as they are today. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this excellent work by Dan Jones, who seems to consistently write about history in an engaging as well as informative manner.

I’m obsessed with this book. I read it within a day. Great content, good language, even more amazing illustrations. As a historian I’m used to the academic language when I read history books so this one was obviously a nice change with easier language, etc. A bit tiring for me to check the footnotes and sources at the end of the book, but it’s not a major disadvantage. Love it!

Very interesting dealing with the year 1215. It also brings to life the lives of the people who lived in this era.