Blackstone and his Commentaries: Biography, Law, History

Description

Among the most celebrated works in the Anglo-American legal tradition, William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765-9) is currently attracting renewed scholarly interest. Whilst the Commentaries no longer dominate legal education, they continue to be regularly cited in superior courts throughout the common law world, besides providing a remarkably comprehensive account of public and private law in England on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution. The life and character of Blackstone himself, the nature and sources of his jurisprudence and the impact of his great book are the main themes of the collection. Individual essays treat Blackstone's early architectural treatises and their relationship to the Commentaries; his idiosyncratic bibliophilia; his views of the role of judges, interpretation of statutes, the law of marriage, natural law, property law and the legalities of colonisation. Together with the dissemination and the reception of the Commentaries, Blackstone's bibliography and iconography also receive attention. Combining the work of both eminent and emerging scholars, this interdisciplinary venture sheds welcome new light on a legal classic and its continued influence.

Wilfrid Prest, Professor Emeritus in History and Law at the University of Adelaide, is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Australian Academy of the Humanities, and the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.

[A] splendid collection ... it is remarkable how well the various chapters complement each other. The book repays reading as a whole -- Ian Williams * Cambridge Law Journal * [An] excellent book ... the foundation for any future scholarship on Blackstone and his Commentaries -- RB Bernstein * The Law and Politics Book Review * The worth of Blackstone and his Commentaries ... is not to be measured by the distinction of the authors of its various chapters although, in this case, it is difficult to imagine a more impressive collection of scholars covering such a broad range of expertise ... Happily, the quality of the writing ... matches the outstanding reputations of the respective authors -- Stephen Keim * Hearsay * This is very interesting and useful collection of essays, which show very clearly how, nearly 250 years after the publication of his greatest work, there still remains much to be said about the Commentator. -- Michael Lobban * Journal of Legal History * While much has been written about the importance of Blackstone's work in the development of the law in the US, these two chapters provide an interesting insight into the influence of his work in continental Europe. This edited collection demonstrates that there is still much to be said, and a great deal that is still unknown, about William Blackstone and his work. -- Adam Webster * Alternative Law Journal *