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Despite notions to the contrary, legal history can extraordinarily fascinating. Legal history explores the conflicts that arise from civilization. A deft legal historian can look at the most bare bones court record or account and seemingly bring the trial to life. These books have been chosen because of their fantastic narration, informative overviews, and consideration of new historical themes within the field. For example, Shani D’Cruz and Louise Jackson add to our understanding of women's experiences before the law. And Richard Ward brings our awareness to how media can shape popular attitudes concerning crime.

===Top Ten===

1. Andrew, Donna and Randall McGowen. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008IU1RII/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008IU1RII&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=f2f0f535d3ce0eb74145dae9bb6062aa The Perreaus and Mrs. Rudd: Forgery and Betrayal in Eighteenth-Century London]</i> (University of California Press, 2001) While many of the books on our list deal with broad time periods and criminal themes, this engaging work reads like a contemporary criminal mystery. The Perreaus, twin brothers, and the wife of one of them, Mrs. Rudd, were accused of forgery in 1775. Along with the narrative retelling of the exciting case, Andrew and McGowen ask larger historical questions. For example, why was forgery a capital crime? How did fashion and style impact the court's perception of the defendants? A boring history of crime this is not.

2. Cox, David and Barry Godfrey. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BCIQQV6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BCIQQV6&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=6970a0196834e5a396159ca6f84eba77 Policing the Factory: Theft, Private Policing and Law in Modern England]</i> (Bloomsbury, 2014). Much of British criminal history focuses on victims and offenders before various courts of law. Cox and Godfrey bring to light a variety of workplace thefts and discuss how the law operated within the private work force. They build upon rich sources that include newspaper comments, case studies, memoirs, and archival statistics. Cox and Godfrey also analyze what these localized legal encounters meant for citizens in a modern England.

4. Emsley, Clive. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140585863X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=140585863X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=acf52d70e02c520f03ba439774e10ca3" Crime and Society in England, 1750-1900]</i> (Pearson Longman, 2013) Most students of criminal history will be familiar with some of Emsley's work. This book was originally published in 1986 and was a detailed analysis of how society responded to crime, criminal behaviors, and developed a police force. A revised fourth-edition ''Crime and Society'' has recently been published. This newest edition builds on Emsley's discussion of a criminal class in English history by including women. Specifically, it examines how contemporary expectations of gender influenced criminal proceedings.

5. Gray, Drew D. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1441117652/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1441117652&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=0a5ea08cf255b37fe758900a1d59e239 Crime, Policing and Punishment in England, 1660-1914]</i> (Bloomsbury Acadmic, 2016) Regardless of if you're new to the field of criminal and legal history or you're familiar with the subject, you'll find something useful and engaging in Gray's book. The book is divided into two parts. The first deals with specific themes (like juvenile crime and gender and crime) while the second part deals with the development of the justice system. Helpfully, Gray offers considerations for future research in the field.

[[Category:Booklists]] [[Category:British History]] [[Category:History Booklists]] [[Category:Legal History]]

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==Related DailyHistory.org Articles==

*[[American Legal History Top Ten Booklist]]

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