King John, Marc Morris
King John, Marc Morris
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King John
Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: the Road to Magna Carta

Author: Marc Morris

Narrator: Ralph Lister

Unabridged: 11 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/15/2015

Synopsis

King John is familiar to everyone as the villain from the tales of Robin Hood—greedy, cowardly, despicable, and cruel. But who was the man behind the legend? Was he a monster or a capable ruler cursed by bad luck? In this new book, bestselling historian Marc Morris draws on contemporary chronicles and the king's own letters to bring the real King John vividly to life.

John was dynamic, inventive, and relentless but also a figure with terrible flaws. In two interwoven stories, we see how he went from being a youngest son with limited prospects to the ruler of the greatest dominion in Europe, an empire that stretched from the Scottish border to the Pyrenees. His rise to power involved treachery, rebellion, and murder. His reign saw oppression on an almost unprecedented scale: former friends hounded into exile and oblivion; Wales, Scotland, and Ireland invaded; and the greatest level of financial exploitation since the Norman Conquest. John's tyrannical rule climaxed in conspiracy and revolt, and his leading subjects famously forced him to issue Magna Carta, a document binding him and his successors to behave better in future.

About Marc Morris

Marc Morris is a historian and broadcaster specializing in the Middle Ages. He is the author of several books, including The Norman Conquest, Kings and Castles, and Castle: A History of the Buildings That Shaped Medieval Britain. In 2003, he presented the highly acclaimed TV series Castle. He has also contributed to other history programs on radio and television. An expert on medieval monarchy and aristocracy, and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he has written numerous articles for History Today, BBC History Magazine, and Heritage Today.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Anthony on January 18, 2025

A Victim of his Own Design. This book looks at one of England’s most notorious monarchs. Known for his reputation as a villain in English history, King John (1199-1216) is often remembered for his failures and the eventual signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, which laid the groundwork for constitutio......more

Goodreads review by Richard on October 18, 2015

This is an absorbing life of King John who is generally and rightly regarded as one of England's worse kings. Marc Morris reviews his reign and his earlier life in detail which reveals John's weaknesses and dishonesty. He is fair in describing the King's good points but sets these against the full p......more

Goodreads review by Mercedes on November 28, 2016

King John is one of those villains who seems too wicked to be true. It was bad enough that he squeezed his countrymen again and again to fund his fruitless wars. But no man or woman was safe if caught by his displeasure, and even his contemporaries were horrified at his cruelty; starving his victims......more

Goodreads review by Nigeyb on November 21, 2017

"He was a very bad man, more cruel than all others" - the Anonymous of Bethune Like most British people, I knew King John had signed Magna Carta and was generally known as “Bad King John”, but that was about it. I bought King John: Treachery, Tyranny and the Road to Magna Carta by Marc Morris primari......more

Goodreads review by Caroline on May 13, 2015

Whilst Richard III has found his supporters in ever-growing numbers in recent years, there has been no such reevaluation or redemption for England's other black legend, King John. And, as Marc Morris ably demonstrates, there is good reason for this. Richard III didn't reign for long enough for any r......more

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