The Book Club of Caid

1215: The Year of Magna Carta
By Danny Danziger and Robert Lacey

About the book:
Magna Carta is considered a foundation of modern freedoms, yet it is deeply rooted in the unique facts and political situation of 13th-century England. This excellent study is not only about the document itself but also about the context in which it can be fully understood. Danziger (The Year 1000) and Gillingham, professor emeritus of history at the London School of Economics, head each chapter with a passage from the Great Charter and elucidate the daily experience and issues that underlie it. While the first chapters elaborate on how both average folk and elites lived, worked, hunted, married, studied, played and went to church, later chapters get deeper into the meaning of the document itself. Marvelous details about daily life abound, while myths and misperceptions are firmly swept away.

The infamous King John, who signed the Great Charter, moves slowly to center stage against the background stories of his parents, the legendary Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine; his brother Richard Lionheart; and other great figures of the day, both historical and mythical, including Robin Hood and Thomas à Becket. When the reader reaches the climactic chapter, in which the barons force the Charter on John, the document has jumped off the pedestal on which tradition has placed it and become a living thing. The event itself and the details of the document show how age-old practices and last-minute concessions shaped the text (which is included in its entirety). Danziger and Gillingham make it clear that the Magna Carta was not an abstract thesis, but a brilliant response to a particular time and circumstance. (Book includes a map of the areas described in the text.)

You can purchase a copy of this book by clicking on the book cover above, or by visiting Amazon.com.

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Reading for the Book Club
By Duke Guillaume de la Belgique
(with a great deal of input from
Mistress Maria-Theresa Ipeñarrieta and
Baroness Giovanna/Siobhan ni Bhreoghain)

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that “reading for the book club discussion” sounds a little intimidating. I do a lot of reading for fun, but it’s been a few years since I read anything in preparation for class discussion. Let’s take a minute to discuss how to “read for a book club” and (hopefully) make the task of approaching this Collegium’s selection a little less daunting:

Reading Historically
Don’t forget, the Book Club’s selections are non-fiction, so these books should provide some reliable details about a historical event or period.
When you are reading, consider the book’s descriptions of the events in focus. Make note of any facts or details you come across that provide insight into life in the historical period being covered. As you’re reading, notice whether the author gives you a clear or detailed picture of a certain place, time or event in history. Or does the author raise more questions than answers?
And, probably the most important question of all: Did reading this book make you want to do further research into the time period or culture described in its pages? If so, can you cite a passage or bit of information that piqued your historical curiosity?

Reading for the SCA
The purpose of the SCA is to make history come to life, and so, for SCA members, a good history book should enhance the desire and ability to participate in the Society.
Make note of any parallels you found between the historical events you read about in the book and the interactions you encounter in the SCA — or in the mundane world, too. Were your experiences in the SCA (fighting, costuming, cooking, dancing … or whatever) in harmony with the author’s descriptions of history, or did the things you’ve seen and done in the SCA cause you to question the author’s portrayal of battle, clothing, armor, art or some other aspect of the period?

Reading as Literature
Finally, a good history book should also be a good book — it should be compelling, engaging and well-written.
Were there any themes that you detected running through the pages of the book? If so, did those themes echo any experiences you’ve had in the SCA or mundane life — for example, honorable actions of soldiers during battle, or friendship enduring through political turmoil.
Jot down any passages or phrases you read that particularly struck you as colorful, clear or descriptive.
Also, were there any characters described in this book that you found especially likable or realistic? What was it about the author’s description(s) that brought these characters to life? Was there compelling evidence (i.e., letters, period chronicles) to indicate that this characterization was true, or was it more likely the author’s interpretation of impersonal records?

And don’t forget to make note of the most important thing of all: Did you like the book? Did you find the pages flying past, or did you have to force yourself to trudge through it one chapter at a time?

Easy enough, don’t you think? No ten-page report will be due in class, just come along to Collegium with a few notes or comments and enjoy a lively discussion in the upcoming Collegium Caidus History Book Club.

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Past Selections of the Book Club

 

 

 

 

 

 

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