Sir John Fortescue CJKB (c.1395–c.1477) was undoubtedly the foremost English political scientist of the fifteenth century. This convenient volume brings together for the first time new editions of his two major works - In Praise of the Laws of England and The Governance of England - with references and suggestions for further reading for the student. In her introduction, Shelley Lockwood presents a clear reassessment of the work of John Fortescue and places these key texts in their historical and intellectual contexts. These works, arguably the earliest in English political thought, were written from the perspective of a self-consciously analytical and highly experienced lawyer and government official during a time of war and political upheaval. They form a coherent argument for justice against tyranny and afford unique insights into the law and governance of fifteenth-century England.
Fortescue's dialogue in praise of the laws of England, written for the instruction of Henry VI's son, is one of the essential sources for English legal history, and has always been renowned among lawyers for its lucidity of style and for the unique account it gives of the workings of contemporary English law. In addition, Fortescue's practical experience, and the leisure that he has in exile to read and reflect upon political questions, made him both an original politician thinker and a statesman who could suggest practical reforms. This 1949 edition provides a Latin text derived directly from the earliest MSS, a translation avoiding assumptions from later history, and critical annotation often based on original research.
Sir John Fortescue CJKB (c.1395–c.1477) was undoubtedly the foremost English political scientist of the fifteenth century. This convenient volume brings together for the first time new editions of his two major works - In Praise of the Laws of England and The Governance of England - with references and suggestions for further reading for the student. In her introduction, Shelley Lockwood presents a clear reassessment of the work of John Fortescue and places these key texts in their historical and intellectual contexts. These works, arguably the earliest in English political thought, were written from the perspective of a self-consciously analytical and highly experienced lawyer and government official during a time of war and political upheaval. They form a coherent argument for justice against tyranny and afford unique insights into the law and governance of fifteenth-century England.
The Campaign of Waterloo is the complete account of the climatic campaign and battle of the Napoleonic Wars abstracted from Sir John Fortescue’s monumental A History of the British Army.Issued as an i
