| Description |
xxii, 300 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm |
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text txt rdacontent |
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unmediated n rdamedia |
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volume nc rdacarrier |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 245-258) and index. |
| Contents |
Lackland -- Ireland, 1185 -- Brother in arms -- Troublesome brother -- Winner takes all -- Retreat to the citadel -- Inside the citadel -- The citadel under siege -- Lord of the British isles -- The enemy at the gate -- The garrison turns on its leader -- The walls breached. |
| Summary |
King John (1166-1216) has long been seen as the epitome of a bad king. The son of the most charismatic couple of the Middle Ages, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and younger brother of the heroic crusader king, Richard the Lionheart, John lived much of his life in the shadow of his family. When in 1199 he became ruler of his family's lands in England and France, John proved unequal to the task of keeping them together. Early in his reign he lost much of his continental possessions, and over the next decade would come perilously close to losing his English kingdom, too. Here, medieval historian Stephen Church argues that John's reign, for all its failings, would prove to be a crucial turning point in English history. Though he was a masterful political manipulator, John's traditional ideas of unchecked sovereign power were becoming increasingly unpopular among his subjects, resulting in frequent confrontations. Nor was he willing to tolerate any challenges to his authority. John taxed his people heavily to fund his futile attempt to reconquer the lands lost to the king of France. In 1215, his subjects rose in rebellion against their king and forced upon him a new constitution by which he was to rule. The principles underlying this constitution--enshrined in the terms of Magna Carta--would go on to shape democratic constitutions across the globe.--From publisher description. |
| Subject |
John, King of England, 1167-1216.
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Great Britain -- Kings and rulers -- Biography.
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Great Britain -- History -- John, 1199-1216.
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Magna Carta.
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John, King of England, 1167-1216. (OCoLC)fst00061545
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Magna Carta. (OCoLC)fst01356211
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Kings and rulers. (OCoLC)fst00987694
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Great Britain. (OCoLC)fst01204623
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| Chronological Term |
1199 - 1216
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| Genre/Form |
History (OCoLC)fst01411628
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Biography. (OCoLC)fst01423686
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| ISBN |
9780465092994 (hardcover) |
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0465092993 (hardcover) |
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9780465040704 (e-book) |
| Standard No. |
40024799242 |
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AU@ 000054427203 |
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