The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History: Six-volume set »

The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History is a comprehensive, international, interdisciplinary reference work that includes approximately 1,000 articles on all aspects of legal history throughout the world from ancient to modern times. Articles deal with private law, public law, and constitutional/higher law throughout the world; each article is signed by one of the set's many noteworthy contributors, which include major scholars and experts.

For years, scholars have been investigating the remote origins of their respective national and religious laws. Only recently has there been a developing interest in and study of the history of law in modern times. The Encyclopedia will bring together the study of ancient law with the study of modern law - examining statutes and administrative rulings as well as judicial decisions, legislatures, agencies, and courts.

The Encyclopedia covers ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern law in eight legal traditions and geographical/cultural areas: Ancient Greek Law, Ancient Roman Law, Chinese Law, English Common Law, Islamic Law, Medieval Roman Law, United States Law, and law in other regions (Africa, Latin America, and South Asia among them). It also addresses major categories of law within these traditions, including private law (contract, tort, civil procedure), varieties of public law (criminal law, administrative law, statutory law), and higher law/ constitutional law. It is the first encyclopedia of law to provide historical and contemporary comparisons of world legal systems.

Library Journal

This set takes a very broad approach to legal history, covering private, public, and constitutional law throughout the world and history from ancient to modern times. Under the editorship of Princeton professor Katz (Colonial America: Essays in Politics and Social Development) and with contributions from noted scholars in the field, the work focuses on nine areas in which scholarly information exists—ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Chinese, English common, Islamic, medieval and postmedieval Roman, South Asian, African, and Latin American law—and most of the 1000 A-to-Z main entries are subdivided by these areas. For example, "Adoption" contains five subentries: Ancient Greek, Chinese, English common, Islamic, and Hindu law. Bibliographies follow each subentry, and helpful cross-references direct the reader to more information; for example, the reader of the "Adoption" entry is directed to a variety of others to find the history of Roman law on the topic. Entries are a comprehensive length, ranging from one and a half page up to ten or more, and some 350 illustrations are sprinkled throughout the first five volumes. The sixth volume contains a topical outline, a directory of contributors, and case and subject indexes. The subject index will help those interested in a specific legal tradition (e.g., South Asian). BOTTOM LINE Likely the first of its kind, this is an exceptional, contextual, and thorough treatment of international legal history. It's essential for law programs and highly recommended for most academic libraries, as well as any public library supporting this specialized need.—Katherine Mossman, Everett P.L., WA