The Ages of American Law

By Grant Gilmore

Book Overview

Following its publication in 1974, Grant Gilmore's compact portrait of the development of American law from the eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century became a classic. In this new edition, the portrait is brought up to date with a new chapter by Philip Bobbitt that surveys the trajectory of American law since the original publication. Bobbitt also provides a Foreword on Gilmore and the celebrated lectures that inspired The Ages of American Law.

"Sharp, opinionated, and as pungent as cheddar."--New Republic

"This book has the engaging qualities of good table talk among a group of sophisticated and educated friends--given body by broad learning and a keen imagination and spiced with wit."--Willard Hurst

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300189915
• ISBN13: 9780300189919
• Release Date: January 2015
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

engaging intellectual history

A very interesting history of American law, useful for those about to enter the legal profession or enroll in law school, or anyone wishing to learn more about the history of ideas in law.

A concise classic.

When Lawrence M. Friedman wrote his landmark "A History of American Law," he remarked that American legal history has been a neglected field. Some progress (although not enough) has been made in the field since Friedman published his History in 1973. Part of that progress has been the publication of Grant Gilmore's little book, "The Ages of American Law," which is justly considered to be a classic. The book is based on the lectures Gilmore gave during the 150th Anniversary of Yale Law School for the Storrs Lecture Series in 1974. Although "The Ages of American Law" is an "expanded" version of the Storrs Lectures, the book is still remarkable for its concision as well as for its clarity. Gilmore does not purport to offer an authoritative history of American law in the same vein as Friedman's History. Rather, he captures the grand sweep of history and condenses it into a gem of 154 pages. It remains in print nearly twenty-five years after first publication for good reason-it is well worth reading.