The Cambridge History of International Law – serie

Volume II of The Cambridge History of International Law breaks the mould of Eurocentric histories in the field by exploring international law in Asia from antiquity to decolonisation. Its twenty-six chapters span a vast geography, covering both the landmass and the oceans; offering accounts of statecraft and diplomacy, war and trade; marriage and gift-giving; treaty-making and dispute settlement; ideas of the human and 'the other'; and entanglements of political authority with mercantile, corporate and religious orders. The chapters introduce readers to a diverse cast of characters, from scholars, scientists, geographers, mapmakers; to traders, merchants, shipowners and entrepreneurs; and to women, revolutionaries, pirates, labourers, and monks. The volume explains leading historiographical trends, ponders the challenges of writing Asian histories of international law, highlights available materials and methods, and showcases the conceptual purchase of Asian histories for thinking about international law.

Volume IV of The Cambridge History of International Law explores the existence and scope of international law in Antiquity, spanning approximately 1800 BCE to 650 CE. During this period, the territories surrounding the Mediterranean engaged in various forms of cross-border interaction, from trade wars to diplomacy; this traffic was regulated through a patchwork of laws, regulations and treaties. However, the existence of international law as a coherent concept in Antiquity remains contested. We can speak only about 'territories', which include empires, tribal lands and cities, not about 'countries' or 'nations' in the modern sense. Rather than offering an overview of legal relations between territories surrounding the Mediterranean in Antiquity, this volume presents a set of case studies centred around various topics commonly associated with the modern idea of international law. Together, these studies result in a novel but accessible perspective on the (in)existence of international law in Antiquity.

Volume VI of The Cambridge History of International Law offers a survey of the law of nations in early modern Europe through a balanced treatment of legal theory and diplomatic practice. Bringing together a wide range of scholars, this volume builds on recent historiographical insights from different disciplines, including legal history, diplomatic history, and the history of political thought. It considers all major themes ranging from the allocation of jurisdiction over land and sea, war- and peace- making, trade and navigation to diplomacy and dispute settlement. A unique overall synthesis of early modern law across nations in Europe.

Volume I of The Cambridge History of International Law introduces the historiography of international law as a field of scholarship. After a general introduction to the purposes and design of the series, Part 1 of this volume highlights the diversity of the field in terms of methodologies, disciplinary approaches, and perspectives that have informed both older and newer historiographies in the recent three decades of its rapid expansion. Part 2 surveys the history of international legal history writing from different regions of the world, spanning roughly the past two centuries. The book therefore offers the most complete treatment of the historical development and current state of international law history writing, using both a global and an interdisciplinary perspective.