Overview

"In the first modern biography of Lord Mansfield (1705-1793), Norman Poser details the turbulent political life of eighteenth-century Britain's most powerful judge, serving as chief justice for an unprecedented thirty-two years. His legal decisions launched England on the path to abolishing slavery and the slave trade, modernized commercial law in ways that helped establish Britain as the world's leading industrial and trading nation, and his vigorous opposition to the American colonists stoked Revolutionary fires. Although his father and brother were Jacobite rebels loyal to the deposed King James II, Mansfield was able to rise through English society to become a member of its ruling aristocracy and a confidential advisor to two kings. Poser sets Mansfield's rulings in historical context while delving into Mansfield's circle, which included poets (Alexander Pope described him as ""his country's pride""), artists, actors, clergymen, noblemen and women, and politicians. Still celebrated for his application of common sense and moral values to the formal and complicated English common law system, Mansfield brought a practical and humanistic approach to the law. His decisions continue to influence the legal systems of Canada, Britain, and the United States to an extent unmatched by any judge of the past. An illuminating account of one of the greatest legal minds, Lord Mansfield presents a vibrant look at Britain's Age of Reason through one of its central figures."

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9780773541832

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Reviews

A remarkable portrait of both a man and a legal age. I enjoyed the book tremendously, learned so much, and am deeply grateful. A master work. Kent Syverud, Ethan A. H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor, Washington University School of Law

I read this book with much pleasure and instruction. It admirably fills a major gap in the body of legal historical literature - the absence of a comprehensive biography of arguably the most famous and influential Anglo-American judge of the modern era. Simon Devereaux, Department of History, University of Victoria

A remarkable portrait of both a man and a legal age. I enjoyed the book tremendously, learned so much, and am deeply grateful. A master work. Kent Syverud, Ethan A. H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor, Washington University School of Law [An] engaging biography...Mr. Poser offers us a fascinating portrait. Wall Street Journal [Mansfield's] rulings from the bench shaped British and American law for generations...In the story of his subject's rise from courtroom lawyer to royal adviser, Poser offers a close-up look at English politics of the period, and the details of Mansfield's personal life illuminate the standards of upper-class English society at the time. Library Journal With meticulous research in sources including the Mansfield archives in Scotland, Poser has produced a brilliantly readable history. Essential. CHOICE Poser, a New York academic, argues that the eminent politician and judge does not merit his reputation as a radical hero of the anti-slavery movement [...] Poser's book tells the story of a generous and clever man, who read the mood of his times rather than setting out to abolish slavery. - Guardian In this thorough but highly readable biography, Norman Poser, professor emeritus at Brooklyn Law School, tackles both the life and legacy of this eighteenth century giant. - Gazette (Weekly Journal of the Law Society) A new, fresh take on this brilliant but complex man is long overdue and Norman Poser is to be congratulated for his outstanding biography. [...] It's become fashionable in biography, in an effort to avoid hagiography, to debunk such heroic figures, glorying in their faults and foibles. One of the most appealing aspects of this clear-eyed biography is Poser's admiration for his subject. He does not shy away from Mansfield's complexities, his pull between the personal and the political, his ruthlessness, his self-serving rise to the top, but he judges him with wisdom, kindness and fairness, much like Mansfield himself. - The Times

Author Information

Norman S. Poser is professor emeritus at Brooklyn Law School.

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