John M. Collins, Lecturer in History at Eastern Washington University, has recently published a book on the origins of martial law in England, a subject that interests many H-Law subscribers. You may contact him at jcollins2@ewu.edu. He provides a description of his book below.

 

Martial law by the nineteenth century was a global phenomenon. In the Caribbean, West Africa Sri Lanka, the rebellious thirteen colonies, and in Canada, British governors had used martial law to maintain order in times of tumult. Its prevalence caused surprise, and in some instances, outrage, both at the time and among