Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty by Dan JonesMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I preordered Magna Carta by Dan Jones. Having brushed up on English Medieval History last summer, I thought I had a lot left to learn.
You know my feelings about history books. I would so much rather go to the sources myself than to read a research paper. Not so much here to aggravate me. Jones tells the story of the Magna Carta without seeming to quote and re-quote the same old sources. It's an illusion, of course. Good writing skills.
Although Magna Carta held few surprises for me, I enjoyed having the history of the document laid out at my fingertips, intact.
If you are a student of history, read this book as an auxiliary to and not as one of your original research documents. Don't imply in your papers that Jones is your source unless you use the material in such a way as to highlight his own creative thoughts and ideas and his original opinions. Otherwise, quote third hand, through him.
I know. Honesty and Integrity in research is such a bitch. Use this book as a tool illustrating knowledge well documented.
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