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[[File:Print_Culture,_Crime_and_Justice_in_18th_Century_London.jpg|thumbnail|275 px|<i>Print Culture, Crime, and Justice in 18th-Century London</i> by Richard Ward]]
It's not surprising that many people find the study of legal history boring. As with any historical work, a poor storyteller who relies solely on dates, statistics and timelines won't engage the reader. On the other hand, a deft 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.
9. Palk, Dierdre. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/086193282X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=086193282X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=fc002f8cc49efcdab5b101ba052a23a1 Gender, Crime and Judicial Discretion, 1780-1830]</i> (Royal Historical Society/Boydell Press, 2006) Palk has completed some of the more recent work on gender and the law. Her study highlights three main types of theft (shopliftin, pickpocketing, and uttering, or forgery). Palk does a good job of comparing the treatment and experience between male and female offenders. She largely focuses on defendants before the court, rather than their victims.
10. Ward, Richard. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1474276431/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1474276431&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=b581eaaf0689c9d332aa66f0728a2148 Print Culture, Crime and Justice in 18th-Century London]</i> (Bloomsbury Academic, 2016) It's understood court records and accounts became more detailed as time went on. In fact, the early-18th century saw a fascination with printed accounts of criminals and their trials. While many histories rely on the trial accounts themselves, Ward delves into newspapers, periodicals, and graphic prints as well as the trial proceedings and accounts of those ministering to the accused. For anyone interested in how criminals and crime were presented to a larger public, Ward's book is essential.
[[Category:Booklists]] [[Category:British History]] [[Category:History Booklists]] [[Category:Legal History]]
