History VIPs: King John

Was King John really the cruel and terrible king that history paints him as? This biography explores the life of King John, from his ascension to the throne, through wars with France and his own English barons, to the signing of the Magna Carta. This Great Charter was a turning point is English political history and heralded the beginning of parliament.

Through the story of King John, readers will learn about the changing nature of the monarchy in Medieval Britain, and the changing roles of the church and state in Medieval society. Readers will learn to draw conclusions from the evidence provided - a great basis for class discussions.


History VIP biographies each look at the life of a famous Briton telling the stories of these Very Important People with clear, lively text. Amazing facts are added with feature panels and lively illustrations give visual information of the time and society the VIP lived in. With these key biographies students learn how individual people's actions have shaped the course of history.

Key terms are defined in an easy-to-use glossary encouraging readers to use historical terms in their own work.

History VIPs biographies focus on key subjects in the history curriculum for Key Stages 2 and 3, exploring the impact of exceptional figures in history and the society and culture in Britain at the time that they lived.

Features include:
In other news - these panels give context and help readers to understand the society and events of the wider world in which the subject lived
True or False - questions lead students to question information and to interact with the facts they are presented with.
What they said - quote features bring the subjects to life using their own words!
WOW! - Boxes add humorous or amazing information to astound the reader and bring out the hilarious side of history