The Rule of Laws: A 4,000-Year Quest to Order the World

ISBN

Publisher

Imprint

Year Published

Print Length

Format

SKU

9781541617940
Basic Books
NA
2021
550 Pages
Paperback
22194

600.00

In stock

or

From ancient Mesopotamia to today, the epic story of how humans have used laws to forge civilizations  

Description

The Rule of Laws: A 4,000-Year Quest to Order the World” by Fernanda Pirie is an insightful and thought-provoking book that explores the history and evolution of laws and legal systems across the world. The book takes readers on a fascinating journey through time, tracing the development of legal codes and practices from ancient civilizations to the present day.

One of the strengths of this book is the author’s ability to make complex legal concepts accessible to a general audience. Pirie provides clear explanations of legal principles and terminology, making the book accessible to readers with little or no background in law.

Another standout feature of “The Rule of Laws” is Pirie’s interdisciplinary approach to the subject matter. The author draws on a wide range of sources, including anthropology, history, and political science, to provide a comprehensive understanding of how laws have shaped human societies throughout history.

Overall, “The Rule of Laws” is a highly engaging and informative book that will appeal to anyone with an interest in legal history or the evolution of human societies. Whether you’re a legal scholar or simply curious about the origins of our modern legal systems, this book is a must-read. Pirie’s clear writing style, interdisciplinary approach, and wealth of knowledge make this a truly exceptional work.

Praise and Reviews

“In the course of her survey, Ms. Pirie, a professor of legal anthropology at Oxford, takes us on many an intriguing legal byway… [An] exceptionally rich narrative…”―Wall Street Journal "In this panoramic history, Pirie tells the story of the rise and fall of systems of law across the civilizations, empires, and societies of the ancient and modern world."―Foreign Affairs “[Pirie’s] collection of stories offers a comprehensive insight into how civilizations were founded and ruled… Furthermore, it bolsters our appreciation for the laws at our civilization’s foundational structure.”―Roanoke Times “A valuable study for students of the law and its evolution over the millennia."―Kirkus Reviews “An intriguing synthesis of the history of global legal codes and their origins.”―Library Journal "The Rule of Laws is a fascinating, comprehensive study that forces us to think again about what law is, and why it matters. Far from being a dry set of rules, Fernanda Pirie argues, law is nothing less than a way of creating order and civilization. For those who want to understand why human society has emerged as it has, this is essential reading.”―Rana Mitter, University of Oxford "The Rule of Laws offers a pathbreaking and stimulating account of how societies across different regions and epochs drew upon secular, sacred, and scholarly traditions to create laws that organized the lives of their citizens. Pirie leads readers across five millennia to show the diverse and sophisticated legal systems developed in states across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas before explaining how the European-derived legal structures of our time achieved a rather unlikely and historically anomalous global dominance. This expansive narrative challenges what we think we know about legal history and the assumptions we make about law’s future.”―Edward J. Watts, author of Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny

About the Author

Fernanda Pirie is professor of the anthropology of law at the University of Oxford. She is the author of The Anthropology of Law and has conducted fieldwork in the mountains of Ladakh and the grasslands of eastern Tibet. She previously spent almost a decade practicing as a barrister at the London bar. She lives in Oxford, UK. 

The Rule of Laws: A 4,000-Year Quest to Order the World

From ancient Mesopotamia to today, the epic story of how humans have used laws to forge civilizations  

Description

The Rule of Laws: A 4,000-Year Quest to Order the World" by Fernanda Pirie is an insightful and thought-provoking book that explores the history and evolution of laws and legal systems across the world. The book takes readers on a fascinating journey through time, tracing the development of legal codes and practices from ancient civilizations to the present day. One of the strengths of this book is the author's ability to make complex legal concepts accessible to a general audience. Pirie provides clear explanations of legal principles and terminology, making the book accessible to readers with little or no background in law. Another standout feature of "The Rule of Laws" is Pirie's interdisciplinary approach to the subject matter. The author draws on a wide range of sources, including anthropology, history, and political science, to provide a comprehensive understanding of how laws have shaped human societies throughout history. Overall, "The Rule of Laws" is a highly engaging and informative book that will appeal to anyone with an interest in legal history or the evolution of human societies. Whether you're a legal scholar or simply curious about the origins of our modern legal systems, this book is a must-read. Pirie's clear writing style, interdisciplinary approach, and wealth of knowledge make this a truly exceptional work.

Praise and Reviews

“In the course of her survey, Ms. Pirie, a professor of legal anthropology at Oxford, takes us on many an intriguing legal byway… [An] exceptionally rich narrative…”―Wall Street Journal "In this panoramic history, Pirie tells the story of the rise and fall of systems of law across the civilizations, empires, and societies of the ancient and modern world."―Foreign Affairs “[Pirie’s] collection of stories offers a comprehensive insight into how civilizations were founded and ruled… Furthermore, it bolsters our appreciation for the laws at our civilization’s foundational structure.”―Roanoke Times “A valuable study for students of the law and its evolution over the millennia."―Kirkus Reviews “An intriguing synthesis of the history of global legal codes and their origins.”―Library Journal "The Rule of Laws is a fascinating, comprehensive study that forces us to think again about what law is, and why it matters. Far from being a dry set of rules, Fernanda Pirie argues, law is nothing less than a way of creating order and civilization. For those who want to understand why human society has emerged as it has, this is essential reading.”―Rana Mitter, University of Oxford "The Rule of Laws offers a pathbreaking and stimulating account of how societies across different regions and epochs drew upon secular, sacred, and scholarly traditions to create laws that organized the lives of their citizens. Pirie leads readers across five millennia to show the diverse and sophisticated legal systems developed in states across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas before explaining how the European-derived legal structures of our time achieved a rather unlikely and historically anomalous global dominance. This expansive narrative challenges what we think we know about legal history and the assumptions we make about law’s future.”―Edward J. Watts, author of Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny

About the Author

Fernanda Pirie is professor of the anthropology of law at the University of Oxford. She is the author of The Anthropology of Law and has conducted fieldwork in the mountains of Ladakh and the grasslands of eastern Tibet. She previously spent almost a decade practicing as a barrister at the London bar. She lives in Oxford, UK. 
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