Family Law, Gender and the State

Download Family Law, Gender and the State PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1847318932
Total Pages : 688 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (473 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Family Law, Gender and the State by : Alison Diduck

Download or read book Family Law, Gender and the State written by Alison Diduck and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-02-07 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The third edition of this work on family law, comprising text, cases and materials, provides not only an explication of legal principle but also explores, primarily from a feminist perspective, some of the assumptions about, and constructions of, gender, sexual orientation, class and culture that underlie the law. It examines the ideology of the family and, in particular, the role of the law in contributing to and reproducing that ideology. Structured around the themes of equality, welfare, and family privacy, the book aims to offer the benefits of a textbook while also giving students a wide-ranging set of materials for classroom discussion. As well as providing a firm grounding in family law, the text sets the law in its social and historical context and encourages a critical approach by students to the subject. It provides an ideal introduction to family law for undergraduates, but will be equally helpful for postgraduate students of family law for whom it provides a challenging selection of materials set within a theoretical framework rich in ideas and arguments. Review of the second edition: 'Diduck and Kaganas examine legal developments to shed light on society, principally by investigating the ways in which family law constructs and regulates family life and responsibilities. Theirs is an important and ambitious book that aims ultimately at a feminist restatement of family law. .... [T]he [book] is written and referenced in such depth that it is a useful resource for legal as well as social science researchers at all levels, whether looking for theoretical inspiration or drawing up a literature review. The range of diverse sources that Diduck and Kaganas draw on is impressive: they seem to have included every bit of material that helps feminists make sense of family law. There is a well-pitched selection of further reading of such material at the end of each chapter. What's more, they undersell themselves by describing their book as "Text, Cases and Materials", because they have woven by far the largest proportion of the cases and materials into the text.' Helen Reece, Times Higher Education, May 2007. Reviews of first edition: 'A stimulating work which attempts to situate family law in its social, historical and political context. Its appeal should not be confined to family law students, as its commitment to a critical and analytical approach offers insights and ideas with broader significance.' Mary Childs, Child and Family Law Quarterly, September 2002 'The arguments are provocative, the analysis is stimulating and the materials amassed strongly support the authors' aim to question the "axiomatic status of what is traditionally designated as the family".' Fiona E Raitt, Infant and Child Development, September 2002 'It is not often that one can say of a textbook in Law that it "makes interesting reading" with quite the enthusiasm that can be expressed for this text. This new publication offers something that few textbooks seem to offer - a book you CAN open up virtually anywhere and find an interesting piece on almost any aspect of the broad family law spectrum.' Penny Booth, The Law Teacher, September 2002 'All the major themes in feminist and constructionist perspectives in family law are presented together with a wealth of readings and extensive references. As a teaching manual, it is excellent - a coherent feminist perspective across the entire range of family law' Marty Slaughter, Feminist Legal Studies, July 2003

Gender, Religion, and Family Law

Download Gender, Religion, and Family Law PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : UPNE
ISBN 13 : 1611683270
Total Pages : 346 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (116 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Gender, Religion, and Family Law by : Lisa Fishbayn Joffe

Download or read book Gender, Religion, and Family Law written by Lisa Fishbayn Joffe and published by UPNE. This book was released on 2013 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Groundbreaking theoretical and legal approaches to resolving conflicts between gender equality and cultural practices

Family Law, Gender & the State

Download Family Law, Gender & the State PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Hart Publishing
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 624 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Family Law, Gender & the State by : Alison Diduck

Download or read book Family Law, Gender & the State written by Alison Diduck and published by Hart Publishing. This book was released on 1999-08-24 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new text,cases and materials text on family law provides not only an explication of legal principle but also explores, primarily from a feminist perspective, some of the assumptions relating to gender, sexual orientation, class and culture underlying the law. It examines the ideology of the family and, in particular, the role of the law in contributing to and reproducing that ideology. Structured around the themes of welfare, equality and family privacy, the book aims to offer the benefits of a textbook while also giving students a wide-ranging set of materials for classroom discussion, using the case method to demonstrate how various issues might be resolved. As well as providing a firm grounding in family law, the text sets the law in its social and historical context and encourages a critical approach by students to the subject. It provides an ideal introduction to family law for undergraduates, but will be equally helpful for postgraduate students of family law for whom it provides a challenging set of materials accompanied by a theoretically rich set of ideas and arguments.

Transgender Family Law

Download Transgender Family Law PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Author House
ISBN 13 : 1468554530
Total Pages : 326 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (685 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Transgender Family Law by : Edited by Jennifer L. Levi & Elizabeth E. Monnin-Browder

Download or read book Transgender Family Law written by Edited by Jennifer L. Levi & Elizabeth E. Monnin-Browder and published by Author House. This book was released on 2012-04-19 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Transgender people have unique needs and vulnerabilities in the family law context. Any family law attorney engaged in representing transgender clients must know the ins and outs of this rapidly developing area of law. Transgender Family Law: A Guide to Effective Advocacy is the first book to comprehensively address legal issues facing transgender people in the family law context and provide practitioners the tools to effectively represent transgender clients. The chapters address a broad range of topics, including: Culturally Competent Representation, Recognition of Name and Sex, Relationship Recognition and Protections, Protecting Parental Rights, Relationship Dissolution, Parental Rights after Relationship Dissolution, Custody Disputes Involving Transgender Children, Protections for Transgender Youth, Intimate Partner Violence, Estate Planning and Elder Law. Written by attorneys with expertise in both family law and advocacy for transgender clients, including: Kylar W. Broadus, Patience Crozier, Benjamin L. Jerner, Michelle B. LaPointe, Jennifer L. Levi, Morgan Lynn, Shannon Price Minter, Elizabeth E. Monnin-Browder, Zack M. Paakkonen, Terra Slavin, Wayne A. Thomas Jr., Deborah H. Wald, and Janson Wu, Transgender Family Law is a must-have, practical guide for attorneys interested in becoming effective advocates for their clients. It is also a valuable resource to consult for any transgender person who is forming, expanding, or dissolving a family relationship.

Family Law, Gender and the State

Download Family Law, Gender and the State PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 753 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (14 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Family Law, Gender and the State by : Alison Diduck

Download or read book Family Law, Gender and the State written by Alison Diduck and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 753 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Rights, Gender and Family Law

Download Rights, Gender and Family Law PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135262020
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (352 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Rights, Gender and Family Law by : Julie Wallbank

Download or read book Rights, Gender and Family Law written by Julie Wallbank and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2009-12-04 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There has been a widespread resurgence of rights talk in social and legal discourses pertaining to the regulation of family life, as well as an increase in the use of rights in family law cases, in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. Rights, Gender and Family Law addresses the implications of these developments – and, in particular, the impact of rights-based approaches upon the idea of welfare and its practical application. There are now many areas of family law in which rights and welfare based approaches have been forced together. But whilst, to many, they are premised upon different ethics – respectively, of justice and of care – for others, they can nevertheless be reconciled. In this respect, a central concern is the 'gender-blind' character of rights-based approaches, and the ontological and practical consequences of their employment in the gendered context of the family. Rights, Gender and Family Law explores the tensions between rights-based and welfare-based approaches: explaining their differences and connections; considering whether, if at all, they are reconcilable; and addressing the extent to which they can advantage or disadvantage the interests of women, children and men. It may be that rights-based discourses will dominate family law, at least in the way that social policy and legislation respond to calls of equality of rights between mothers and fathers. This collection, however, argues that rights cannot be given centre-stage without thinking through the ramifications for gendered power-relations, and the welfare of children. It will be of interest to researchers and scholars working in the fields of family law, gender studies and social welfare.

Legalizing Plural Marriage

Download Legalizing Plural Marriage PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Brandeis University Press
ISBN 13 : 1611688361
Total Pages : 274 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (116 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Legalizing Plural Marriage by : Mark Goldfeder

Download or read book Legalizing Plural Marriage written by Mark Goldfeder and published by Brandeis University Press. This book was released on 2017-05-09 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Polygamous marriages are currently recognized in nearly fifty countries worldwide. Although polygamy is technically illegal in the United States, it is practiced by members of some religious communities and a growing number of other "poly" groups. In the radically changing and increasingly multicultural world in which we live, the time has come to define polygamous marriage and address its legal feasibilities. Although Mark Goldfeder does not argue the right or wrong of plural marriage, he maintains that polygamy is the next step - after same-sex marriage - in the development of U.S. family law. Providing a road map to show how such legalization could be handled, he explores the legislative and administrative arguments which demonstrate that plural marriage is not as farfetched - or as far off - as we might think. Goldfeder argues not only that polygamy is in keeping with the legislative values and freedoms of the United States, but also that it would not be difficult to manage or administrate within our current legal system. His legal analysis is enriched throughout with examples of plural marriage in diverse cultural and historical contexts. Tackling the issue of polygamy in the United States from a legal perspective, this book will engage anyone interested in constitutional law, family law, or criminal law, along with sociologists and those who study gender and culture in modern times.

Contemporary Family Law

Download Contemporary Family Law PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : West Academic Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9781642428605
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (286 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Contemporary Family Law by : Douglas Abrams

Download or read book Contemporary Family Law written by Douglas Abrams and published by West Academic Publishing. This book was released on 2023-07-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This popular family law casebook engages students by presenting core family law doctrine while exploring significant transformations in American families and cutting-edge policy debates. It highlights the important role of constitutional law--and other areas of state and federal law--in shaping family law. The book invites students to consider questions of family definition and governmental regulation of families in light of family law's purposes. It charts family law's evolving approach to adult-adult and parent-child (and other caretaker-dependent) relationships, emphasizing that contemporary families take a variety of forms. The Sixth Edition updates all chapters to reflect the latest family law developments, such as the legal treatment of nonmarital families (including plural relationships) and nonbiological parenting as well as recent Supreme Court decisions. It integrates material previously covered in separate chapters on ethical issues in family law practice and jurisdiction into the contexts in which they arise, such as divorce, child custody, and division of marital property. The Sixth Edition has new material highlighting the intersection of family law with race, gender, class, immigration, sexual orientation, and gender identity. As with previous editions, the casebook contains ample problems for students to apply doctrine to realistic factual contexts and highlights practical dynamics of family law practice. The 6th edition: Thoroughly examines the impact of recent Supreme Court cases on family law, including Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (and provides teachers with shorter and longer versions of that case), and Golan v. Saada Includes attention to the role of race and racism in laws that shape and regulate the family, with case law addressing marriage, divorce, and inheritance rights of formerly enslaved persons and a post-Loving v. Virginia case challenging the continued requirement that couples disclose race on a marriage license Provides a restructured chapter on the legal consequences of marriage, spousal roles within marriage, and the gender revolution within family law and related fields Includes new developments on marriage requirements, including state minimum age laws and common-law marriage rules, and addresses First Amendment challenges, post-Masterpiece Cakeshop, to civil marriage equality and state antidiscrimination laws Includes new coverage of the intersection of immigration and family law Addresses changes in legal approaches to nonmarital families, including multi-adult domestic partnerships and the Uniform Cohabitants' Economic Remedies Act Provides updated treatment of custody and parenting time issues, including parenting gender-expansive children Provides a restructured chapter on intimate partner violence (IPV), including updates on various factors impacting IPV and shifting gun control statutes and caselaw affecting civil protection orders Provides new consideration of child support issues, including joint custody and subsequent families Provides revised problems in anticipation of the NextGen Bar Exam

Family Law in America

Download Family Law in America PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : OUP Us
ISBN 13 : 0199759227
Total Pages : 346 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (997 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Family Law in America by : Sanford N. Katz

Download or read book Family Law in America written by Sanford N. Katz and published by OUP Us. This book was released on 2015 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume examines the state of family law in America. Among its themes is the tension between individual autonomy and governmental regulation in all aspects of family law. It examines both conventional and new definitions of formal and informal domestic relationships.

Family, Gender, and Law in Early Modern France

Download Family, Gender, and Law in Early Modern France PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Penn State Press
ISBN 13 : 0271047720
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (71 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Family, Gender, and Law in Early Modern France by : Suzanne Desan

Download or read book Family, Gender, and Law in Early Modern France written by Suzanne Desan and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2010-11-01 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Family, Gender, and Law in a Globalizing Middle East and South Asia

Download Family, Gender, and Law in a Globalizing Middle East and South Asia PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Syracuse University Press
ISBN 13 : 0815651481
Total Pages : 329 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (156 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Family, Gender, and Law in a Globalizing Middle East and South Asia by : Kenneth M. Cuno

Download or read book Family, Gender, and Law in a Globalizing Middle East and South Asia written by Kenneth M. Cuno and published by Syracuse University Press. This book was released on 2009-12-28 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essays in this collection examine issues of gender, family, and law in the Middle East and South Asia. In particular, the authors address the impact of colonialism on law, family, and gender relations; the role of religious politics in writing family law and the implications for gender relations; and the tension between international standards emerging from UN conferences and conventions and various nationalist projects. Employing the frame of globalization, the authors highlight how local and global forces interact and influence the experience and actions of people who engage with the law. By virtue of a "south-south" comparison of two quite similar and culturally linked regions, contributors avoid positing "the West" as a modern telos. Drawing upon the fields of anthropology, history, sociology, and law, this volume offers a wide-ranging exploration of the complicated history of jurisprudence with regard to family and gender.

Family Law in Perspective

Download Family Law in Perspective PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Foundation Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 270 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Family Law in Perspective by : Walter Wadlington

Download or read book Family Law in Perspective written by Walter Wadlington and published by Foundation Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Previous edition, 1st, published in 2001.

States and Women's Rights

Download States and Women's Rights PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 9780520935471
Total Pages : 366 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (354 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis States and Women's Rights by : Mounira Charrad

Download or read book States and Women's Rights written by Mounira Charrad and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At a time when the situation of women in the Islamic world is of global interest, here is a study that unlocks the mystery of why women's fates vary so greatly from one country to another. Mounira M. Charrad analyzes the distinctive nature of Islamic legal codes by placing them in the larger context of state power in various societies. Charrad argues that many analysts miss what is going on in Islamic societies because they fail to recognize the logic of the kin-based model of social and political life, which she contrasts with the Western class-centered model. In a skillful synthesis, she shows how the logic of Islamic legal codes and kin-based political power affect the position of women. These provide the key to Charrad's empirical puzzle: why, after colonial rule, women in Tunisia gained broad legal rights (even in the absence of a feminist protest movement) while, despite similarities in culture and religion, women remained subordinated in post-independence Morocco and Algeria. Charrad's elegant theory, crisp writing, and solid scholarship make a unique contribution in developing a state-building paradigm to discuss women's rights. This book will interest readers in the fields of sociology, politics, law, women's studies, postcolonial studies, Middle Eastern studies, Middle Eastern history, French history, and Maghrib studies.

Ageing, Gender and Family Law

Download Ageing, Gender and Family Law PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351717499
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (517 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Ageing, Gender and Family Law by : Beverley Clough

Download or read book Ageing, Gender and Family Law written by Beverley Clough and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-03-19 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the intersecting issues relating the phenomenon of ageing to gender and family law. The latter has tended to focus mainly on family life in young and middle age; and, indeed, the issues of childhood and parenting are key in many family law texts. Family life for older members has, then, been largely neglected; addressing this neglect, the current volume explores how the issues which might be important for younger people are not necessarily the same as those for older people. The significance of family, the nature of family life, and the understanding of self in terms of one’s relationships, tend to change over the life course. For example, the state may play an increasing role in the lives of older people – as access to services, involvement in work and the community, the ability to live independently, and to form or maintain caring relationships, are all impacted by law and policy. This collection therefore challenges the standard models of family life and family law that have been developed within a child/parent-centred paradigm, and which may require rethinking in the turn to family life in old age. Interdisciplinary in its scope and orientation, this book will appeal not just to academic family lawyers and students interested in issues around family law, ageing, gender, and care; but also to sociologists and ethicists working in these areas.

Modern Family Law

Download Modern Family Law PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Aspen Publishing
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 905 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (89 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Modern Family Law by : D. Kelly Weisberg

Download or read book Modern Family Law written by D. Kelly Weisberg and published by Aspen Publishing. This book was released on 2024-02-12 with total page 905 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring the conflict between respect for privacy and deference to state authority in the context of family law today, each chapter in the Eighth Edition of this popular Family Law casebook provides a lens to explore the appropriate role of the state in family decision making, and helps equip students to handle current and emerging family law issues. The book features riveting well-edited cases, notes, interdisciplinary materials, and problems that highlight issues of gender, sexuality, race, and class. Integrating legal developments with perspectives from history, psychology, sociology, medicine, and philosophy, this casebook uniquely reflects the full diversity of the modern family, including key updates on marriage equality and parentage issues for LGBTQ-headed families, nonmarital families, abortion, adoption, and assisted reproduction. New to the Eighth Edition: Recent landmark developments in the law of abortion, including Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and updates on state law efforts to curtail abortion access Conflict between nondiscrimination principles and the First Amendment, including 303 Creative v. Elenis Updates on recent or pending Supreme Court cases, including Brackeen v. Haaland, Golan v. Saada, and Rahimi v. U.S. Recent Uniform Acts, including the Uniform Cohabitants' Economic Remedies Act and the Uniform Unregulated Child Custody Transfer Act New federal law, including the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (2022) and the Respect for Marriage Act State law reform on marriages involving minors Impact of COVID on family law Benefits for instructors and students: A mix of “classics” and cutting-edge materials illuminate family law’s past and its continuing development in an era of exciting change Materials—such as narratives, epilogues, personal communications, social science perspectives, and comparative information—bring family law to life Thoughtfully organized materials clearly present basic principles and doctrines, while inviting policy-based reflections and questions about law reform Provocative questions and Problems based on cases and current events will spark lively class discussions

Modern Family Law

Download Modern Family Law PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Aspen Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1543822347
Total Pages : 1056 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (438 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Modern Family Law by : D. Kelly Weisberg

Download or read book Modern Family Law written by D. Kelly Weisberg and published by Aspen Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-02 with total page 1056 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring the conflict between respect for privacy and deference to state authority in the context of family law today, each chapter in the Seventh Edition of Modern Family Law: Cases and Materials provides a lens to explore the appropriate role of the state in family decision making and helps equip students to handle current and emerging family law issues. The book features riveting well-edited cases, notes, interdisciplinary materials, and problems that highlight issues of gender, sexualities, race, and class. Integrating legal developments with perspectives from history, psychology, sociology, medicine, and philosophy, this casebook uniquely reflects the full diversity of the modern family, including key updates on marriage equality and parentage issues for LGBT-headed families, the nonmarital family, abortion, adoption, and assisted reproductive technology. New to the Seventh Edition: The latest Supreme Court family law cases (Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt; Masterpiece Cakeshop; Pavan v. Smith; Sessions v. Morales-Santana), and previews of upcoming cases (June Medical Services v. Gee and Bostock v. Clayton County) In-depth coverage of important recent uniform and model legislation (Uniform Parentage Act (2017); Uniform Nonparent Custody and Visitation Act (2018); pending VAWA Reauthorization Act (2020), ALI Restatement of Children and the Law (2019-2020), and ABA Model Act Governing Assisted Reproduction (2019) Landmark recent state and federal decisions (including LGBT rights, breastfeeding discrimination/accommodations, contraceptive fraud, divorce discrimination, marital paternity presumption, marital communications privilege, abortion restrictions, minors’ abortion rights, name disputes, challenges to state polygamy laws, parentage rights in multi-parent families, spousal spying for infidelity, and much more) Professors and students will benefit from: A mix of “classic” and cutting-edge materials illuminate family law’s past and its continuing development in an era of exciting change Materials—such as narratives, epilogues, personal communications, social science perspectives, and comparative information—bring family law to life and Thoughtfully organized materials clearly present basic principles and doctrines, while inviting policy-based reflections and questions about law reform Provocative questions and Problems based on cases and current events will spark lively class discussions

Gender and Equality in Muslim Family Law

Download Gender and Equality in Muslim Family Law PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0857733524
Total Pages : 347 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (577 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Gender and Equality in Muslim Family Law by : Lena Larsen

Download or read book Gender and Equality in Muslim Family Law written by Lena Larsen and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-04-30 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dante is one of the towering figures of medieval European literature. Yet many riddles and questions about him persist. By re-reading Dante with an open mind, Barbara Reynolds made remarkable discoveries and unlocked previously hidden secrets about this greatest of Florentine poets. A fundamental enigma has tantalised readers of the 'Commedia' for seven centuries. Who was the leader prophesied by Virgil and Beatrice to bring peace to the world? Many attempts have been made to identify him, but none has seemed conclusive - until now. As well as proposing a solution to the famous prophecies, this lively, engaging and elegantly-written biography contains a provocative new idea in virtually every chapter. Dr Reynolds' research indicates that Dante smoked cannabis to reach new heights of creativity. That Beatrice, Dante's great love, was not who most scholars think she was. That Dante was a talented public speaker, who created a quite new form of poetic art, holding audiences spellbound. Above all, Reynolds views Dante as one of the greatest spin-doctors of Western civilization. His aim was not to preach an interesting parable about punishments for sin and rewards for virtue. It was to use poetry to change the politics of the age, and unite Europe around the secular authority of an Emperor. To promote this idea, which dominated his writings from his exile onwards, Dante combined it with a dramatic presentation of the Christian belief in Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. Vividly told in the first person, with a colour and immediacy derived from the pop art of street narrators - now made to seem respectable by its use of classical predecessors like Virgil - this extraordinary journey through the three realms was always profoundly political in intent. Dante here comes alive as never before: irate, opinionated, settling scores - a man of mutifaceted gifts and extraordinary genius, whose role as an interpreter of world history makes him more than ever relevant to the new millennium.