P.S. Atiyah: An Academic Autobiography

An autobiography written by one of the world’s foremost legal scholars of the twentieth century.

• Written in a highly readable, accessible and engaging style
• Describes Atiyah’s life and work
• Offers insights regarding the production of Atiyah’s books, several of which are among the most important works of the twentieth century regarding contract law and tort law
• Compares and contrasts the legal tradition in Britain with that in the United States
• Addresses the state of the legal academy and the nature of legal scholarship in the twentieth century

PS Atiyah (1931–2018) was one of the world’s great legal scholars of the twentieth century and formerly Professor of English Law at the University of Oxford. He made immense contributions to, in particular, the law of contract and the law of torts.

Atiyah’s principal works include The Rise and Fall of Freedom of Contract, The Sale of Goods, An Introduction to the Law of Contract, Pragmatism and Theory in English Law, The Damages Lottery, Form and Substance in Anglo-American Law and Accidents, Compensation and the Law.

His work is of enduring relevance. His autobiography sheds light on his research and on the state of the academy in the second half of the previous century.