Medieval Law and the Foundations of the State [Hardcover]

The State is the most powerful of political ideas but where does it come from? This broad-ranging new study traces the history of the word and the concept back to the systems of law and justice created by medieval kings and shows how legal institutions acquired political force.

1. Introduction: State - Word and Concept
2. Frankish and Anglo-Saxon Justice
3. The Courts of Lords and Townsmen
4. The Spread of Organized Peace
5. The Judicial Systems of France and England
6. New High Courts and Reform of the Regime
7. The Legal Ordering of 'the State of the Realm'
8. The Monarchical State of the Later Middle Ages
9. From Law to Politics
10. Conclusion: Law and the State in History
Bibliography

[Harding] is particularly adept at uncovering the wheels of medieval administration. The book is the best comparison of medieval French and English legal and governmental institutions in any language. --The Journal of Interdisciplinary History

The achievement of this book through its broad reach and rich evidentiary detail merits unstinting praise. --American Historical Review

A learned and lucid book is this, rich in historical detail. --CHOICE

[Harding's] latest book will be welcomed by professors and graduate students working in Contintental as well as English History. --Speculum