Constitutional History of the UK

'Constitutional History of the United Kingdom tells the story of the evolution of the constitution to the present day. It is a fascinating story, extremely well told by an historian who now teaches law. The book, supported by a companion website, is of relevance to students of law, history and government, a source of reference for undergraduate law students and essential reading for postgraduate study. The author makes the point that students of law often lack a historical perspective, essential to a thorough knowledge of the UK constitution, and this work is to my knowledge, the only recent one to explain the history of the UK with a view to illuminating constitutional changes.Its sheer breadth is impressive. It begins with a description of the development of government pre-1066, followed by a sweep of 14 centuries, culminating in UK membership of the EU and the adoption of European Convention on Human Rights. Themes provide continuity to the sequence of events; so, for instance, coherence is traceable through the events that inexorably led to the balance of power shifting from king to Parliament, and to our modern democracy. It explains well the background to events that were initially often violent and, in more recent history, political, and the conundrum of the UK constitution becomes over clearer as the reader progresses.The Constitutional History of the United Kingdom should be read by all students of constitutional law but is also a work of reference and could be enjoyed by anyone seeking to further their knowledge of UK History.