American Magna Carta

There are only four copies of the Magna Carta in  existence.

But what if a fifth, previously unknown, copy of the Magna Carta is found to exist?

American Magna Carta describes what happens when this copy is discovered.

An unholy alliance of crooked academics, investment bankers and elements within the American state intelligence apparatus conspire to take possession of this important document.

In their fiendish plan they ride roughshod over the laws of the land, leaving a trail of destruction as they battle to possess this 800-year-old document.

Standing in their way is a heroic team made up of Ricky Taleb, a Harvard law student, Alison Sinclair, an art history intern from London and Harry James a veteran of the Occupy Movement.

Although it is a compelling and punchy story, I have doubts about the basis of it. After all, the Magna Carta can be viewed by everyone with an Internet connection and the idea of a massive conspiracy between all sorts of disparate "establishment" figures opposed by a bunch of plucky kids and assorted "anti-establishment" types smacks of a sort of conspiracy theorists meet Scooby Doo episode. ("We'd have got that fifth Magna Carta if it hadn't been for those meddling kids!" kind of thing.)

However, that caveat aside, Robert Hamblett tells an exciting and compelling story and at £9.99 it's worth a punt.

It is published by Matador and is available through the That's Books and Entertainment bookshop.