For centuries, the year 1215 has been synonymous with the signing of the Magna Carta; groundbreaking as that event proved, much else was afoot in medieval England at the time. Offering a vivid account of a nation about to descend into civil war, Dan Jones also considers the lives of ordinary people: where they worked, what they wore, what they ate, and what role the church played in their lives. Illustrated with color photos, the book includes the text of the Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest.