Commentaries on the Laws of England BOOK THE FIRST. BY William Blackstone The Commentaries on the Laws of England are an influential 18th-century treatise on the common law of England by Sir William Blackstone, originally published by the Clarendon Press at Oxford, 1765-1769. The work is divided into four volumes, on the rights of persons, the rights of things, of private wrongs and of public wrongs. The Commentaries were long regarded as the leading work on the development of English law and played a role in the ...
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Commentaries on the Laws of England BOOK THE FIRST. BY William Blackstone The Commentaries on the Laws of England are an influential 18th-century treatise on the common law of England by Sir William Blackstone, originally published by the Clarendon Press at Oxford, 1765-1769. The work is divided into four volumes, on the rights of persons, the rights of things, of private wrongs and of public wrongs. The Commentaries were long regarded as the leading work on the development of English law and played a role in the development of the American legal system. They were in fact the first methodical treatise on the common law suitable for a lay readership since at least the Middle Ages. The common law of England has relied on precedent more than statute and codifications and has been far less amenable than the civil law, developed from the Roman law, to the needs of a treatise. The Commentaries were influential largely because they were in fact readable, and because they met a need. The work is as much an apologia for the legal system of the time as it is an explanation; even when the law was obscure, Blackstone sought to make it seem rational, just, and inevitable that things should be how they were. The Commentaries are often quoted as the definitive pre-Revolutionary source of common law by United States courts. Opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States quote from Blackstone's work whenever they wish to engage in historical discussion that goes back that far, or farther (for example, when discussing the intent of the Framers of the Constitution). The book was famously used as the key in Benedict Arnold's book cipher, which he used to communicate secretly with his conspirator John Andr??? during their plot to betray the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
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Add this copy of Commentaries on the Laws of England to cart. $30.42, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by CreateSpace Independent Publis.
Add this copy of Commentaries on the Laws of England to cart. $46.77, poor condition, Sold by Anybook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Lincoln, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1825 by T. Cadell.
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Seller's Description:
Volume One of a four volume set. The sixteenth edition. Front cover detached. Half of backing strip worn away, rest is very loose. Cover is very worn and scuffed. Back cover is starting to come loose. Pages are quite dampstained and wrinkled. This book has hardback covers. Ex-library. With usual stamps and markings. in poor condition, suitable as a reading copy. No dust jacket. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item, 850grams, ISBN:
Add this copy of Commentaries on the Laws of England to cart. $59.73, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by CreateSpace Independent Publis.
Add this copy of Commentaries on the Laws of England (Volumes 2, 3, 4) to cart. $107.63, fair condition, Sold by Anybook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Lincoln, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1829 by S. Sweet.
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Volumes 2, 3, 4. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside. This book has hardback covers. In fair condition, suitable as a study copy. Dust Jacket in fair condition. Re-bound by library. Full cloth covers. Traces of foxing. Ink stains on pages for volume 3. Internally clean. Please note the Image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item, 3400grams, ISBN:
Add this copy of Commentaries on Laws of England to cart. $114.51, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by Univ of Chicago Pr.
Add this copy of Commentaries on the Laws of England [Volumes III and IV to cart. $225.00, good condition, Sold by Second Story Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Rockville, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1794 by A. Strahan and W. Woodfall.
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Book. Octavo, Two Volumes. In Good condition. Spines are brown with black spine labels and gilt lettering. Boards show rubbing to front and back boards, with minor tearing to back board of Vol III and front and back boards of Vol IV. Boards show rubbing and bumping to fore edge corners. Boards show minor bumping to fore edge of Vol III front board and tail edges of Vol III, minor bumping to tail edge of front board of Vol IV. Boards show rubbing to front and back hinges, with minor tearing to back hinge near headcap and front hinge of Vol III, and minor tearing to back hinge near headcap of Vol IV and significant tearing to front hinge causing detached front board of Vol IV. Boards show rubbing and creasing to spine, fading to black dye on spine label and gilt lettering, rubbing and bumping to headcap and tail, slightly exposing binding at tails and headcap of Vol III. Ex-Libris copy, with ownership emendations to inside of front board on paste down, front free end paper, and for edge of title page of Vol III. Textblocks show age toning, minor foxing spots, minor staining spots to fore and tail edges, minor smudging to tail edge of Vol III, minor scratching to tail edges. CONTENTS: Vol III., (455 pages, xxxv)--Vol IV., (433 pages). RWO Consignment. 1371458. Special Collections.
Add this copy of Commentaries on the Laws of England, a Facsimile of the to cart. $300.00, like new condition, Sold by Craig Olson Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Islesboro, ME, UNITED STATES, published 1979 by University of Chicago Press.
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Seller's Description:
Fine. First University of Chicago Press Edition. xiii, 473, xv, 520, xix (Appendix), xii, 455, xxvii (Appendix), xvi, 436, vii (appendix), viii (Supplement). 8vo. First Printing. Uniformly bound volumes that are clean and crisp. Housed in Fine slipcase. No dust jackets, as issued.
Add this copy of Commentaries on the Laws of England – a Facsimile of to cart. $504.87, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2002 by Univ of Chicago Pr.
Add this copy of Commentaries on the Laws of England to cart. $576.96, good condition, Sold by Rooke Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from BATH, SOMERSET, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1807 by Thomas B Wait.
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None. Good. An early American edition of William Blackstone's influential work on the common law of eighteenth century Britain. With a frontispiece to volume I. Two folding plates to volume II. Â This is the fifth American edition of this work. Â 'Commentaries on the Laws of England' is an incredibly influential work on the common low of the eighteenth century, an important treatise. Volume I focuses on the rights of persons, Volume II on the rights of things, Volume III on private wrongs, and Volume IV on public wrongs. This work played a role in the development of the American legal system. Written by William Blackstone, an English jurist and judge, who is best known for this work, his magnum opus. In uniform full calf bindings. Externally, sound, with rubbing to the spines and boards. Small loss to the head and tail of spine to volumes I, II and IV. Loss to the spine label of volume I. Volume III rebound in a sympathetic style with the original spine label preserved and is externally in an excellent condition. Front endpaper to volume II is disbound but present. Prior owner's inscription to the recto of front endpaper to volume II. Internally, all volumes are firmly bound. Pages are generally bright. Damp staining to the first and last few pages of volume IV. Bottom of first folding plate to volume II has been trimmed off, and is loosely inserted. Occasional light spots to pages. Good.
Add this copy of Commentaries on the Laws of England (Vols. 1, 2 & 4 to cart. $650.00, good condition, Sold by Shelley and Son Books (IOBA) rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hendersonville, NC, UNITED STATES, published 1771 by John Exshaw, et al.
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Seller's Description:
Good Condition. No Dust Jacket. Size: Small Octavo; (Vols. 1, 2 & 4 only of 4). Full leather, scuffed, spine labels worn. Bookplate of Alexander Thomson of Banchory in each volume. Some interior soiling. Name in ink on fly leaf of each volume. Probably a pirated edition. Size: Small Octavo. 1450 + 38 pages. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: 6 pounds or less. Category: Law & Criminal Studies; 18th century; Reference. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request.
Should be mandatory reading for all uni students, & a reference manual for law.
DaveH
Feb 25, 2009
A great read
After hearing so much about this work in law school, I bought a copy a few years ago - from Alibris. I started to read this work and found that much of it is still relavant today. I have even used this work in drafting judicial opinions for my employer- a Judge in New York City.
I would recommend this to any attorney or person who wishess to become a real scholar of the law.
I really like the two volume edition I bought here.