Oxford History of the Laws of England Volume II

This volume in the landmark Oxford History of the Laws of England series, spans three centuries that encompassed the tumultuous years of the Norman conquest, and during which the common law as we know it today began to emerge. The first full-length treatment of all aspects of the early development of the English common law in a century, featuring extensive research into the original sources that bring the era to life, and providing an interpretative account,a detailed subject analysis, and fascinating glimpses into medieval disputes. Starting with King Alfred (871-899), this book examines the particular contributions of the Anglo-Saxon period to the development of English law, including the development of a powerful machinery of royal government, significant aspects of a long-lasting court structure, and important elements of law relating to theft and violence. Until the reign of King Stephen (1135-54), these Anglo-Saxon contributions were maintained by the Norman rulers, whilst the Conquest of 1066 led to the developmentof key aspects of landholding that were to have a continuing effect on the emerging common law. The Angevin period saw the establishment of more routine royal administration of justice, closer links between central government and individuals in the localities, and growing bureaucratization. Finally,the later twelfth and earlier thirteenth century saw influential changes in legal expertise. The book concludes with the rebellion against King John in 1215 and the production of the Magna Carta. Laying out in exhaustive detail the origins of the English common law through the ninth to the early thirteenth centuries, this book will be essential reading for all legal historians and a vital work of reference for academics, students, and practitioners.

Professor Hudson's volume is a worthy contribution to this ambitious projected series and fully performs the objectives its publishers proclaim. It will at once become essential reading for all those undertaking serious study of the development of the common law in this period and will rightly win its place alongside the classics of the genre., Rather than focussing exclusively on abstract developments in case law, Hudson's work is illuminated by an interest in social history. His concern for the non-specialist reader is again seen in the volume's plentiful inclusion of interesting, entertaining, and sometimes shocking examples of medieval law in action. Students of literature, as well as historians, will therefore find it an indispensible companion to early and high medieval views of justice. This is a landmark contribution to the study of law in the period, and will doubtless remain the standard text on the subject for years to come., An extraordinary achievement ... This is an immensely valuable book, authoritative and accessible. It is set to hold the field for a long time to come., Hudson's volume is an outstanding and very readable introduction to the period.

John Hudson is Professor of Legal History and Head of the School of History at the University of St Andrews, and also William W. Cook Global Law Professor at Michigan Law School, He was an undergraduate, postgraduate, and Junior Research Fellow at Worcester College, Oxford, and a Research Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research.