Description
Book SynopsisDrawing on the rich judicial records of Marseille from the years 1264 to 1423, especially records of civil litigation, this book approaches the courts of law from the perspective of the users of the courts.
Trade ReviewBased on a thorough and perceptive reading of the extensive legal records of fourteenth-century Marseille, the author has constructed a detailed and informative analysis of the operation of the courts and their social context.
-- Daniel M. Klerman * Law and History Review *
Smail is acutely aware of the value of narratives and uses them with consummate skill. He has a remarkable capacity to piece together the membra disiecta of medieval court protocols into a coherent and captivating story with analytic meaning. The recreation of several such stories, cheek by jowl, brings to life the litigious and rowdy late medieval city in a manner closely resembling micro-historical studies.... It is important for anybody studying the social and cultural uses of courts, for all students of emotions, and for all those interested in reading a well-researched, well-written, and fascinating piece of historical writing.
-- Esther Cohen * H-France Review *
Smail meticulously examines people's reasons for going to court in late medieval Marseilles in this study of litigants, the 'consumers' implied by the book's title. This is legal history of a highly original kind, calling into question several conventional assumptions about the relationship between public authority and private interests.... This lively, learned, and well-written book brings the law and litigants to life, as do few others.... Highly recommended.
* Choice *
Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Using the Courts2. Structures of Hatred3. The Pursuit of Debt4. Body and Bona5. The Public ArchiveConclusionAppendix: The Nature and Format of the RecordBibliography
Index
