The only variorum edition of William Blackstone's seminal treatise on the common law of England and Wales, offering the definitive account of the Commentaries' development through nine editions.
For the first time it is possible to trace the evolution of English law and Blackstone's thought through the eight editions of Blackstone's lifetime, and the authorial corrections of the posthumous ninth edition. Introductions by the general editor, Wilfred Prest, and the individual volume editors set the Commentaries in their historical and political context, examining Blackstone's distinctive view of the common law.
Typeset in a modern format, retaining the pagination of the first edition and with editorial notes throughout, the four volumes assist the modern reader in understanding this key text in the Anglo-American common law tradition.
- Includes an introduction to the Commentaries by the General Editor Wilfrid Prest
- An editorial introduction by Ruth Paley details the historical and political context of Blackstone's views on the criminal law
- The definitive version of this classic text of Anglo-American law
- Detailed varia trace the evolution of Blackstone's thought through the first nine editions
- Descriptive notes assist the modern reader in understanding the text, and the pagination of the first edition has been retained for easy cross-referencing
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