The Magna Charta

By: James Daugherty

Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard

Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

In the rich turbulence of English history, one day stands magnificently apart: June 15, 1215, the day of the signing of the Magna Charta. On this day, the first blow for English freedom was struck and forever affected the Western world.

Here is the story of three true men, Stephen Langton, Williams Marshall, and Hubert de Burgh, whose heroic deeds are set against those of the ever deceitful and crafty King John.

James Daugherty's narrative is divided into four parts, the first three describing the intriguing development of the Magna Charta itself. The fourth part is titled "Children of the Magna Charta" and subtitled "Milestones that have marked the long road from Magna Charta". In it he describes the rise of other movements that harkened back to the Magna Charta in their claims for freedom and self rule, including the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, the covenant of the League of Nations, the Atlantic Charter, the Charter of the Organization of the American States, and the United Nations Charter.

Newbery Award-winning author James Daugherty gives us the dramatic and sweeping account of this pageantry of history through his inimitable style. This audio edition is sure to thrill and enlighten a new generation of readers.

©1956 James Daugherty (P)2002 Blackstone Audiobooks

it’s a “page turner”!

Though written in 1956, this book is as relevant, important, and as fascinating today as ever. I so wish the author could’ve been my history teacher when I was in high school or college. His classes would’ve been full and there would’ve been many more history majors, I think. It’s a surprisingly funny book as well. I chuckled many times. I read this book because our world is so complicated and seemingly confusing these days. I felt that I needed to go back and learn how things all started in order to hope to understand how we got where we are today.

History and Legacy at Wiki Speed

The narrator's a bit formal and stilted, but otherwise this is the hard and fast history -- and legacy -- of the Magna Carta (or Charta as they spell it) that needed to be. I listened to this one in honor of the upcoming 800th anniversary of its signing. This one's narrative is written almost like it's an adventure story, which I suppose in a way it is. It's all perspective. For something that packs so much history into a small package, this is a remarkably thorough telling of the story and its players. As with anything, I'd always recommend reading up more on the characters and their larger stories, but considering the focus here, this little audiobook did a remarkable job.

Was expecting the book to be about the Magna Charta

Author only spent a very small amount of time talking about the Magna Charta! If the book was not free I would have asked for a refund.

Purple Prose

This work was written in the 1950s, and it shows. Much of the prose is overblown, and a few of the assumptions have been disproven. However, it's still enjoyable and mostly correct.

Good Book On The Subject

Vividly highlights the necessity of charters and treaties during such periods where the tyranny of rulership was most prominent and required resolution to ensure both the safety and wellness of all who lived within the constraints of these economies.

History is loved

Loved it. Great book to follow and get time line. Has an amazing time line conical order.

Historically entertaining.

What made the experience of listening to The Magna Charta the most enjoyable?

Well written. It gave me a whole new perspective of how far reaching the Magna Charta actually was as a forunner of the UN charter. Geoffrey Howard's narration made listening quite enjoyable.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Magna Charta?

King John's intigues in wanting to hold onto power.

What about Geoffrey Howard’s performance did you like?

Geoffrey Howard's performance made the story come alive. I've always enjoyed hearing him read.

If you could rename The Magna Charta, what would you call it?

Would you rename the Mona Lisa? Thjis book may not be on the same level but why change a title that works? I certainly won't.

Any additional comments?

Audible certainly makes listening to books more enjoyable, especially on long drives.

Good until Part 4

The early part of the book was interesting and generally accurate with little bias. We were really enjoying it. I love William Marshall and was excited that he was talked about in the book. Then we got to Part 4 and the American history. It had so much bias and was such a bunch of crap it was painful to listen to.

Two books in one - first great, second poor..

The story of the Magna Charta itself is engrossing and well done. That is the first part of the book and it is great. The latter part, in which the author attempts to show additional steps of the same type as a continuation of the trend begun by the Magna Charta, is a confused and ill-informed failure: a serious disappointment to any student of political history. The narration was excellent throughout.

Narration is overly dramatic on dull material.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Some of the story about King John's shenanigans before being forced to sign the Magna Carta was interesting.
Most of the rest of the book has either gone overkill on the adjectives or one gets confused about the character's involved and their importance.

What three words best describe Geoffrey Howard’s performance?

Dull. Overly dramatic.

Do you think The Magna Charta needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No.

Any additional comments?

Language is way too flowery and the narration overly dramatic. And the last chapter linking the Magna Carta to every conceivably important document since is overkill.
I guess that the story itself is informative, and its nice to see an attempt to make it interesting with histrionics... but it just doesn't work. I found myself bored and not caring.
Not sure if its truly the narrator's fault since he is only reading what was given to him, but the narration didn't feel exciting either. I'm looking for a good book about the Middle Ages that keeps my attention... still looking.