This is the engaging and accessible intellectual memoir of a leading jurist. It tells the story of the development of his thoughts and writings over sixty years in the context of three continents and addresses the complexities of decolonisation, the troubles in Belfast, the contextual turn in legal studies, rethinking evidence and the implications of globalisation which have been central to his life and research. In propounding his original views as an enthusiastic self-styled 'legal nationalist', Twining maps his ideas of law as a unique discipline, which pervades all spheres of social and political life while combining theory and practice, concepts and values, facts and rules in uniquely fascinating ways. Addressed to academic lawyers generally and to other non-specialists, this story brings out the importance and fascinations of a discipline that has changed, expanded and diversified in the post-War years, with an eye to its future development and potential.
- Provides a historical perspective and intimate account of the development of law as a discipline in common law countries over sixty years
- Offers a distinctive view of jurisprudence that challenges some mainstream ideas and practices while providing an integrated approach to legal theorising
- Explores fundamental ideas about rules, values, concepts, evidence, standpoints, problems, reasoning and social facts, as well as the implications of globalisation for law and jurisprudence
Read more
Reviews & endorsements
'William Twining has for more than half a century made important contributions to the study of evidence and proof, legal realism, legal reasoning, legal history, and legal sociology, but this book is far more than a memoir. It is an imaginative use of all of these fields, and more, to offer an integrative guide to thinking about what law is and what law does in the extraordinarily diverse array of contexts in which law exists.' Frederick Schauer, University of Virginia
'This fascinating book is an engaging tour of the professional life and interests of William Twining, a leading jurist with substantial contributions to evidence theory, legal education, and various topics in jurisprudence. Readers are introduced to major intellectual figures and ideas he personally encountered across more than six decades as an academic and the ways in which they influenced his thinking. This thoroughly enjoyable and illuminating memoir, exhibiting Twining's characteristic open-mindedness and sharp analysis, offers a panoply of insights about law and how it should be taught and understood.' Brian Tamanaha, Washington University School of Law
'Among late twentieth century evidence scholars, the name 'William', was sufficient to refer to William Twining; a key figure, if not the key figure, in refocusing the field's cutting edge on proof rather than on rules. But Twining's intellectual autobiography ranges well beyond evidence law; it offers much to anyone interested in legal philosophy, legal education or the contextualized life of the law.' Richard Lempert, University of Michigan
'William Twining puts jurisprudence in context. This intellectual biography of one of its major figures gives flesh and blood to legal theory. A must read for all students and jurists who know already or are yet to be convinced that law and life are intrinsically intertwined.' Benoit Frydman, Université Libre de Bruxelles
'A triumph of intellectual autobiography in a discipline not given often to such a turn by such an accomplished scholar.' Christopher Stanley, The Law Society Gazette
'The book advances a conception of Jurisprudence that contributes to the academic discipline of Law in several ways, and it provides a vivid and often amusing context for all of William's writings.' David Sugarman, Journal of Law and Society
See more reviews
Customer reviews

Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review

Log in to review

Review was not posted due to profanity
×

, create a review

(If you're not , sign out)

Please enter the right captcha value

Please enter a star rating.

Your review must be a minimum of 12 words.

How do you rate this item?

Reviews must contain at least 12 words about the product.

×

Product details
- Date Published: February 2019
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781108703673
- length: 412 pages
- dimensions: 248 x 174 x 22 mm
- weight: 0.75kg
- contains: 11 b/w illus. 8 colour illus.
- availability: In stock
Table of Contents
1. Jurisprudence: a personal view
2. Childhood and schooling (1934–52)
3. Oxford and after (1952–57)
4. University of Chicago I (1957–58)
5. Khartoum (1958–61)
6. Dar-es-Salaam (1961–65)
7. Llewellyn again: American interludes (Chicago 1963–64
Yale 1965
Philadelphia 1971)
8. The Queen's University Belfast (1966–72)
9. Normative jurisprudence
10. Standpoint, questioning, and 'thinking like a lawyer'
11. Social and legal rules
12. Warwick (1972–82)
13. Jurisprudence, law in context, realism, doctrine
14. Rethinking evidence
15. Bentham's College (1983–99)
16. Four contrasting relationships (Bentham, Dworkin, MacCormick, Anderson)
17. Legal education
18. Globalisation and law
19. General jurisprudence
20. Retirement
Notes on the images
Endnotes.
Look Inside
Author
William Twining, University College London
William Twining is Emeritus Quain Professor of Jurisprudence of University College London and an established and eminent figure in the field of legal theory. He is widely published with Cambridge University Press and has been a co-editor of the Law in Context series since its inception in 1965. Other recent publications include Rethinking Evidence (Cambridge, 2006), Human Rights, Southern Voices (Cambridge, 2009), General Jurisprudence (Cambridge, 2009) How to Do Things with Rules (with David Miers, Cambridge, 2010) and Karl Llewellyn and the Realist Movement (2nd edition, Cambridge, 2012).