The Road to Runnymede Magna Carta was born of the loss of King John’s French territories and his increasingly desperate – and expensive – attempts to regain them. Sean McGlynn | Published in History Today Volume 65 Issue 7 July 2015 To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive. Buy Online Access Buy Print & Archive Subscription If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in. Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.