Plucknett, Theodore F.T. Statutes and Their Interpretation in the First Half of the Fourteenth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1922. xliv, 200 pp. Reprinted 2005 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN-13: 978-1-58477-485-3. ISBN-10: 1-58477-485-1. Cloth. $90.* An important book by a preeminent scholar of English legal history. Using evidence drawn from the Year Books from 20 Edw. I to 20 Edw. III Plucknett [1897-1965] analyzes the nature of early statutes as seen in the rules for their construction and their use in court. He shows that the early statutes were more legislative than declaratory, and were treated as such by the courts. "This is an essay of absorbing interest and of great value to historians of the law. Every page shows not only immense industry, but sound learning.": Law Quarterly Review 39:138-139 cited in Marke, A Catalogue of the Law Collection at New York University (1953) 143. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.