Runnymede and Lincoln Fair: A Story of the Great Charter

"Runnymede and Lincoln Fair: A Story of the Great Charter" by John G. Edgar is a historical fiction framed around the discord between King John and the frustrated English Barons after the Battle of Bouvines in 1214. The story follows Oliver Icingla, a young squire of Saxon ancestry, who becomes a pawn in the power games when he's taken hostage by King John thanks to his Norman relative Hugh de Moreville. Oliver, filled with a blend of his family's pride as well as a longing for adventure, grapples with divided loyalties, struggling to reconcile his Saxon heritage with the intricate politics of the Norman-controlled kingdom. As the narrative unfolds, Oliver's interactions, especially those with his childhood friend Constantine Fitzarnulph, showcase the deep-seated tension between Saxon and Norman peoples. The story illustrates the complex interplay of lineage, loyalty, and identity amidst England's political upheaval on the eve of civil war.