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The Law Book: From Hammurabi to the International Criminal Court, 250 Milestones in the History of Law
These are just a few of the thought-provoking questions addressed in this beautifully illustrated book. Join author Michael H. Roffer as he explores 250 of the most fundamental, far-reaching, and often-controversial cases, laws, and trials that have profoundly changed our world—for good or bad. Offering authoritative context to ancient documents as well as today’s hot-button issues, The Law Book presents a comprehensive look at the rules by which we live our lives. It covers such diverse topics as the Code of Hammurabi, the Ten Commandments, the Trial of Socrates, the Bill of Rights, women’s suffrage, the insanity defense, and more. Roffer takes us around the globe to ancient Rome and medieval England before transporting us forward to contemporary accounts that tackle everything from civil rights, surrogacy, and assisted suicide to the 2000 U.S. presidential election, Google Books, and the fight for marriage equality.
Organized chronologically, the entries each consist of a short essay and a stunning full-color image, while the “Notes and Further Reading” section provides resources for more in-depth study. Justice may be blind, but this collection brings the rich history of the law to light.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 27, 2017
As a future law student, I read this book to help give me a very basic overview of the history of law. This book succeeds in doing just that. It gives a brief 1 page summary of 250 milestones in law. The book doesn’t give a ton of information for each milestone, but it does give enough to show the basic gist of it.
Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get acquainted with law.
Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get acquainted with law.
April 18, 2017
As a denizen of the United States, I feel an urgent need to compensate for past laziness and cynicism (excuses for laziness) by learning more about government, politics, economics, history, and the law. I want to be able to form my own opinions rather than accepting those of a publication, pundit, or party. In so doing, I should be able to better discuss and debate issues of importance with family and friends, and to support or oppose those that matter.
The Law Book: From Hammurabi to the International Criminal Court, 250 Milestones in the History of Law, part of the outstanding Sterling Milestones series, contributed substantially to my education. The milestones are well chosen to represent the evolution of law from ancient times through British common law to the modern American system. Each milestone occupies a two-page spread, with a generally interesting and useful picture on one page and a succinct, well-written account on the facing page. The pictures isolate the words and help the reader to process them.
On the one hand, I am relieved that the book never attempts to patronize us with a grandiloquent account of the mighty edifice of justice, all wigs, robes, and columns. On the other hand, I was saddened to come away with a visceral disgust for a system that remains highly political, greedy, and ineffective. It works, more or less. Considering the disarray of American politics and the contempt in which politicians are held it is unsurprising that most politicians are lawyers. Their lack of scientific and technological understanding is patently obvious in the lack of scientific process in our archaic legal system and, ironically, in the absence of evidence to show what actually happens and what really works. Many decisions seem entirely arbitrary, or merely responsive to public opinion or political pressure. The mighty edifice of the law is as much about providing a well-protected living for its occupants as an effective, fair, and decent society.
The Law Book: From Hammurabi to the International Criminal Court, 250 Milestones in the History of Law, part of the outstanding Sterling Milestones series, contributed substantially to my education. The milestones are well chosen to represent the evolution of law from ancient times through British common law to the modern American system. Each milestone occupies a two-page spread, with a generally interesting and useful picture on one page and a succinct, well-written account on the facing page. The pictures isolate the words and help the reader to process them.
On the one hand, I am relieved that the book never attempts to patronize us with a grandiloquent account of the mighty edifice of justice, all wigs, robes, and columns. On the other hand, I was saddened to come away with a visceral disgust for a system that remains highly political, greedy, and ineffective. It works, more or less. Considering the disarray of American politics and the contempt in which politicians are held it is unsurprising that most politicians are lawyers. Their lack of scientific and technological understanding is patently obvious in the lack of scientific process in our archaic legal system and, ironically, in the absence of evidence to show what actually happens and what really works. Many decisions seem entirely arbitrary, or merely responsive to public opinion or political pressure. The mighty edifice of the law is as much about providing a well-protected living for its occupants as an effective, fair, and decent society.
January 4, 2021
This was one of the better versions of this series! I liked the selection of essays, and found it very accessible. It would be more accurate to call it the (Mostly American) Law Book, but understandably it would have gotten unwieldy to take the whole world into account.
I just dock off 1 star because, through no fault of the author, sometimes law can get incredibly boring...not always, a lot in fact can easily be dubbed “sensational”, but my eyes would glaze over at all the copyright entries.
I’d like to know what a real lawyer thinks!
I just dock off 1 star because, through no fault of the author, sometimes law can get incredibly boring...not always, a lot in fact can easily be dubbed “sensational”, but my eyes would glaze over at all the copyright entries.
I’d like to know what a real lawyer thinks!
December 7, 2015
A great table book which briefly discusses the major law codes and legal rulings from the oldest legal will 2550 BC to the Supreme Court of the United States rulings on The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and The legal fight for gay marriage. Each ruling, legal code, or issue is given a one page review with a footnote.There are notes and further references placed at the end of the book.The indexing is detailed and through. While the book is not a reference work for scholars and lawyers it will show the casual reader how the law affects everything from the US Constitution 1787, to first laws covering civil rights 1866, to the way we use our DVR's Time shifting and fair use 1984, and the way digital books 1999 and Google 2010 have changed the copyright laws.
March 13, 2016
Roffer provides a very handsome book for use for your living room. At the same time, he gives us the introduction to the major events in the creation and refinement of the law from ancient times to today.
Roffen selects important events in the evolution of the law from Biblical times to today. Each event is summarized in a very readable one page statement. Each “case” is matched up with a work of art or a photograph that captures in non-verbal form the essence of the case.
Lawyers and non-lawyers alike will find providing a very general knowledge of the law. For readers of my age, it will be a reminder of how so many Supreme Court cases changed our culture and history.
Roffen selects important events in the evolution of the law from Biblical times to today. Each event is summarized in a very readable one page statement. Each “case” is matched up with a work of art or a photograph that captures in non-verbal form the essence of the case.
Lawyers and non-lawyers alike will find providing a very general knowledge of the law. For readers of my age, it will be a reminder of how so many Supreme Court cases changed our culture and history.
September 6, 2016
Easy to read, 250 examples of movement in laws from BC to present. Beautiful pictures to illustrate each of the authors selections.
August 3, 2017
A great resource, however, I wish it also included the Laws of the Indies/ Leyes de Indias.
December 25, 2018
With The Law Book, we are led through the milestones in the history of Law. I didn’t actually think I would be reading this, but I guess I got into the History of Law when I went to the Library recently. This book is surprising from the very first entry in that it starts with something other than Hammurabi’s Law. I thought it would start with that since I read about that as a child and still remember it. However, as I mentioned it started with the First Recorded Will. The interesting thing about that was that it upturned the thought that all property went to the Eldest Son in a Patriarchal fashion.
From that, it goes to the Cradle of Civilization and Ur-Nammu. This is another surprise since I have never heard of Ur-Nammu. He imposed monetary punishments for infractions rather than ‘eye for an eye.’ Then we go to the Code of Hammurabi. The book is similar to the other books in the series in that it covers the idea in rough Chronological order. The major difference is that we can actually have a set date for records and writings. Alongside the text is a picture or image that illustrates what they are talking about.
Since every entry is a highlight, it is difficult to highlight the highlights. The Ten Commandments, the Draconian Code, the Laws of Solon, it is difficult to list them all. Another surprising thing is that China doesn’t have a representative entry until 624 CE with the Tang Code. From that, it goes to the Quran and there are no important developments in Law until 1140 CE. I suppose it isn’t too weird since it was the so-called Dark Ages, but you would think that something would be happening in the world of Law.
In any case, from Mesopotamia, Rome, Greece, and other places, we finally get to the more modern areas of law with Great Britain. Leviathan, the Assize of Clarendon, requisite schooling, all good stuff.
Finally, we jump across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States and its massive history of law. I mean, it has the Nuremberg Trials and other international law ideas, but it ends with the legalization of Gay Marriage and so on.
The book is enjoyable and really enlightening.
From that, it goes to the Cradle of Civilization and Ur-Nammu. This is another surprise since I have never heard of Ur-Nammu. He imposed monetary punishments for infractions rather than ‘eye for an eye.’ Then we go to the Code of Hammurabi. The book is similar to the other books in the series in that it covers the idea in rough Chronological order. The major difference is that we can actually have a set date for records and writings. Alongside the text is a picture or image that illustrates what they are talking about.
Since every entry is a highlight, it is difficult to highlight the highlights. The Ten Commandments, the Draconian Code, the Laws of Solon, it is difficult to list them all. Another surprising thing is that China doesn’t have a representative entry until 624 CE with the Tang Code. From that, it goes to the Quran and there are no important developments in Law until 1140 CE. I suppose it isn’t too weird since it was the so-called Dark Ages, but you would think that something would be happening in the world of Law.
In any case, from Mesopotamia, Rome, Greece, and other places, we finally get to the more modern areas of law with Great Britain. Leviathan, the Assize of Clarendon, requisite schooling, all good stuff.
Finally, we jump across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States and its massive history of law. I mean, it has the Nuremberg Trials and other international law ideas, but it ends with the legalization of Gay Marriage and so on.
The book is enjoyable and really enlightening.
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November 11, 2019The subtitle of the book, « from Hamourabi to the ICC », suggests an international approach. Except a dozen of entries(which most comes before 1800), the book is almost entirely dedicated to American law. As such, it is very informative about American law, its evolution, its main rules. Add to that the pleasant format of the book, the beauty of the images, and the very brief entries. Yet, i was disappointed with the lack of consideration of other legal systems, notably the French law, source of inspiration of many legal systems in the world.
August 16, 2018
A lot of interesting events listed but the book was 500 pages because each event had a full page summary and full page picture that didn't really add any insight.
March 8, 2022
Frustratingly and confusingly brief page summaries.
December 10, 2025
This book contains a very long list of short summaries for legal milestones. However, it is mistitled. It should not be called "The Law Book". Instead it should be called "The American Law Book" because the milestones that it describes are --- with few exceptions --- milestones in law that are specifically relevant to American law. Yes there are a couple of summaries dealing with ancient law, and a couple of summaries dealing with the laws of other countries and cultures, but even then the author makes it clear that they are included because they refer back to important principles in American Law. And yes, American law has become kind of important to the rest of the world as of late because of America's economic, military, and cultural dominance in the globe, so it could be argued that recent American law milestones also impacts other societies. Still, it would have been nice to read milestones of law from other cultures in their specific cultural context.
And the summaries are truly very short. Therefore, this book cannot be really used for in-depth research, but merely as a very shallow reference list for material with substantive information.
Another fault of this book: at the foot of every milestone summary, there is a list of cross-references to other law milestones within the book. But the law summaries are so bare-bones that sometimes it is not even clear why a particular cross-reference is included: the cross-reference is not mentioned in the summary, and sometimes even seems to be on a different topic altogether. Perhaps if the summaries were less shallow it would become apparent why all the cross-references really elucidate them. As it is, some of these cross-references come across as enigmatic --- or erroneous.
And the summaries are truly very short. Therefore, this book cannot be really used for in-depth research, but merely as a very shallow reference list for material with substantive information.
Another fault of this book: at the foot of every milestone summary, there is a list of cross-references to other law milestones within the book. But the law summaries are so bare-bones that sometimes it is not even clear why a particular cross-reference is included: the cross-reference is not mentioned in the summary, and sometimes even seems to be on a different topic altogether. Perhaps if the summaries were less shallow it would become apparent why all the cross-references really elucidate them. As it is, some of these cross-references come across as enigmatic --- or erroneous.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews