The Latin text of Magna Carta (the 1217 issue of Henry III) is reproduced, together with a modern translation and an introduction which traces the background to the making of the charter and its subsequent revisions through the centuries. It also explains how this text has become an enduring symbol of freedom in Britain and throughout the world.

In a small format gift edition, this provides the original Latin text from the Bodleian's 1217 issue, with modern translation and introduction.