Law, Politics and Society in Early Modern England [Hardcover]

Christopher W. Brooks (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521323916 | ISBN-13: 978-0521323918 | Publication Date: February 2, 2009 | Edition: 1

Law, like religion, provided one of the principal discourses through which early-modern English people conceptualised the world in which they lived. Transcending traditional boundaries between social, legal and political history, this innovative and authoritative study examines the development of legal thought and practice from the later middle ages through to the outbreak of the English civil war, and explores the ways in which law mediated and constituted social and economic relationships within the household, the community, and the state at all levels. By arguing that English common law was essentially the creation of the wider community, it challenges many current assumptions and opens new perspectives about how early-modern society should be understood. Its magisterial scope and lucid exposition will make it essential reading for those interested in subjects ranging from high politics and constitutional theory to the history of the family, as well as the history of law.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Brooks' ability to penetrate the fog of the law's technical language and to explain complicated legal instruments, procedures, and fictions in elegant and accessible prose therefore make this an invaluable work of reference as well as a book that deserves, and demands, to be read from cover to cover." -Tim Stretton, H-Albion

"Based on a remarkable range of research, consistently thoughtful, and often fascinating, the book should obtain a wide readership among early modernists." -K. J. Kesselring, Journal of British Studies

"Highly recommended." -Choice

Book Description

This innovative and authoritative study transcends traditional distinctions between social, legal and political history. Brooks examines the development of legal thought and practice from the later middle ages through to the mid-seventeenth century, and explains how law mediated and constituted a variety of social and economic relationships.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 468 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (February 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521323916
• ISBN-13: 978-0521323918
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,537,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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