Excellent Book!, 19 Oct 2007
I'm now in my second year of an undergraduate course and my lecturers had recommended two main books - this one and another EU Law textbook by Jo.Steiner. I first bought the EU book by Jo.Steiner but realised that it had no caselaw (or insufficient at least) and decided to get this book by Burca. I have to say that you can rely on this book alone for the full course, it is very informative and has some interesting small debates on contentious issues. Quite rightly, it can be described as the 'Bible' of EU Law. Despite it being very thick with lots of information, it is very easy to read and comprehend.

In summary, get this book before any others! You would not need to buy any others, but remember always use other books as well for essays!

Why is it so long winded?, 08 Oct 2007
This book is massively over-detailed. Even my lecturer who suggested this book as recommended reading says on her handout 'It has far more detail than you will need on this course but there are nuggets of crucial information amongst all the detail'. Is there really? Well why can't people who are supposed to be such experts in their field that they write what is described as the leading textbooks get to the point a bit more quickly or better still make it clear which bits of their lengthy boredom-fest are the important bits that students need to know. I bought this, read the first reading from it that I had to read for a seminar and sent it back so that I could get a refund. There are tons of good, clear and to the point EU law textbooks out there that are for sale at a fraction of the price of this rambling mammoth so be sure to shop around for a book that is actualy useful (cuts through the chaff for you) rather than making things even more muddled.

Best EU Law book around, 18 Sep 2007
As a law student I've had to shell out loads of money for books that stay on the shelf and barely get opened... after five years of law school I can say without a shadow of a doubt Craig and De Burca was the book I got the most value for money out of. Absolutely, 100% recommended for any law student who will be taking a number of EU courses, or EU Law related degree. If only all other law books were as easy to read as this one!

Claptrap, 19 Jul 2007
This book is totally woeful - it completely misdescribes the crucial principle of indirect effect and is breathtakingly incompetent when discussing the Von Colson principle.

I urge all self-respecting students of the law to steer well clear of this depressing read, it will seriously challenge your will to live.

EU Law textbook review, 27 Jun 2006
Suddenly EU law becomes clear! If, like me, you have struggled to master the various areas and concepts of EU law then this book is for you. Easy to use, easy to read and easy to cross reference to other text books. Well worth the money!

Excellent Book!, 19 Oct 2007
I'm now in my second year of an undergraduate course and my lecturers had recommended two main books - this one and another EU Law textbook by Jo.Steiner. I first bought the EU book by Jo.Steiner but realised that it had no caselaw (or insufficient at least) and decided to get this book by Burca. I have to say that you can rely on this book alone for the full course, it is very informative and has some interesting small debates on contentious issues. Quite rightly, it can be described as the 'Bible' of EU Law. Despite it being very thick with lots of information, it is very easy to read and comprehend.

In summary, get this book before any others! You would not need to buy any others, but remember always use other books as well for essays!

Why is it so long winded?, 08 Oct 2007
This book is massively over-detailed. Even my lecturer who suggested this book as recommended reading says on her handout 'It has far more detail than you will need on this course but there are nuggets of crucial information amongst all the detail'. Is there really? Well why can't people who are supposed to be such experts in their field that they write what is described as the leading textbooks get to the point a bit more quickly or better still make it clear which bits of their lengthy boredom-fest are the important bits that students need to know. I bought this, read the first reading from it that I had to read for a seminar and sent it back so that I could get a refund. There are tons of good, clear and to the point EU law textbooks out there that are for sale at a fraction of the price of this rambling mammoth so be sure to shop around for a book that is actualy useful (cuts through the chaff for you) rather than making things even more muddled.

Best EU Law book around, 18 Sep 2007
As a law student I've had to shell out loads of money for books that stay on the shelf and barely get opened... after five years of law school I can say without a shadow of a doubt Craig and De Burca was the book I got the most value for money out of. Absolutely, 100% recommended for any law student who will be taking a number of EU courses, or EU Law related degree. If only all other law books were as easy to read as this one!

Claptrap, 19 Jul 2007
This book is totally woeful - it completely misdescribes the crucial principle of indirect effect and is breathtakingly incompetent when discussing the Von Colson principle.

I urge all self-respecting students of the law to steer well clear of this depressing read, it will seriously challenge your will to live.

EU Law textbook review, 27 Jun 2006
Suddenly EU law becomes clear! If, like me, you have struggled to master the various areas and concepts of EU law then this book is for you. Easy to use, easy to read and easy to cross reference to other text books. Well worth the money!

A good starting point, 13 Sep 2008
This text was recommended by my course leader for Contract Law. It was recommended on the advise to use it as a starting-point for further reading, and I'm glad I was given that advice. The book lacks stimulation. It is by no means critical. And to some degree, its content and reasoning on points of law is unreliable.

Half the size & weight of my other law books!, 19 Nov 2007
I have this book and Law of Contract by Richards. This book is great to take when I'm travelling on the train, unlike all my other law books it isn't very big and is light. I do find Richards book easier to read but the cases are very clear in this book.

Not bad, 23 Dec 2006
A concise book that will get you through most of the hard parts. Great for general reading and an overall view of the subject, but perhaps not the best book out there in this area. Very technical at parts, but useful all the same.

First Year Law, 09 Sep 2006
A pretty good text book. A little heavy going, but goes into a lot of the technicalities and cases which are useful for applying to caselaw exams.

very useful, 23 Jan 2004
I really enjoyed reading this book which was my first contact with English private law. In my opinion this book is perfect for foreigners who need an introduction to UK law, especially students with a civil law background. A really clear, concise, structured and interesting first approach to CONTRACT LAW.

Excellent Book!, 19 Oct 2007
I'm now in my second year of an undergraduate course and my lecturers had recommended two main books - this one and another EU Law textbook by Jo.Steiner. I first bought the EU book by Jo.Steiner but realised that it had no caselaw (or insufficient at least) and decided to get this book by Burca. I have to say that you can rely on this book alone for the full course, it is very informative and has some interesting small debates on contentious issues. Quite rightly, it can be described as the 'Bible' of EU Law. Despite it being very thick with lots of information, it is very easy to read and comprehend.

In summary, get this book before any others! You would not need to buy any others, but remember always use other books as well for essays!

Why is it so long winded?, 08 Oct 2007
This book is massively over-detailed. Even my lecturer who suggested this book as recommended reading says on her handout 'It has far more detail than you will need on this course but there are nuggets of crucial information amongst all the detail'. Is there really? Well why can't people who are supposed to be such experts in their field that they write what is described as the leading textbooks get to the point a bit more quickly or better still make it clear which bits of their lengthy boredom-fest are the important bits that students need to know. I bought this, read the first reading from it that I had to read for a seminar and sent it back so that I could get a refund. There are tons of good, clear and to the point EU law textbooks out there that are for sale at a fraction of the price of this rambling mammoth so be sure to shop around for a book that is actualy useful (cuts through the chaff for you) rather than making things even more muddled.

Best EU Law book around, 18 Sep 2007
As a law student I've had to shell out loads of money for books that stay on the shelf and barely get opened... after five years of law school I can say without a shadow of a doubt Craig and De Burca was the book I got the most value for money out of. Absolutely, 100% recommended for any law student who will be taking a number of EU courses, or EU Law related degree. If only all other law books were as easy to read as this one!

Claptrap, 19 Jul 2007
This book is totally woeful - it completely misdescribes the crucial principle of indirect effect and is breathtakingly incompetent when discussing the Von Colson principle.

I urge all self-respecting students of the law to steer well clear of this depressing read, it will seriously challenge your will to live.

EU Law textbook review, 27 Jun 2006
Suddenly EU law becomes clear! If, like me, you have struggled to master the various areas and concepts of EU law then this book is for you. Easy to use, easy to read and easy to cross reference to other text books. Well worth the money!

A good starting point, 13 Sep 2008
This text was recommended by my course leader for Contract Law. It was recommended on the advise to use it as a starting-point for further reading, and I'm glad I was given that advice. The book lacks stimulation. It is by no means critical. And to some degree, its content and reasoning on points of law is unreliable.

Half the size & weight of my other law books!, 19 Nov 2007
I have this book and Law of Contract by Richards. This book is great to take when I'm travelling on the train, unlike all my other law books it isn't very big and is light. I do find Richards book easier to read but the cases are very clear in this book.

Not bad, 23 Dec 2006
A concise book that will get you through most of the hard parts. Great for general reading and an overall view of the subject, but perhaps not the best book out there in this area. Very technical at parts, but useful all the same.

First Year Law, 09 Sep 2006
A pretty good text book. A little heavy going, but goes into a lot of the technicalities and cases which are useful for applying to caselaw exams.

very useful, 23 Jan 2004
I really enjoyed reading this book which was my first contact with English private law. In my opinion this book is perfect for foreigners who need an introduction to UK law, especially students with a civil law background. A really clear, concise, structured and interesting first approach to CONTRACT LAW.

I'm on the CPE course at the mo and..., 25 Sep 2008
... I've been given a take home test that if I don't pass I will be off the course. I bought a series of books in the summer leading up to the start of the course, highly rated ones I'll have you know. All those books are completely useless. But not this one! (Actually that's a bit harsh on the other books, they're good for contextualising my learning.) Anyway, back to the point; if this book was a pint it would be a John Smiths i.e NO NONSENSE.

Anything you want to know it tells you, and it doesn't faff about like the other books. If you want to do well on the CPE you cannot depend on the law express series, nevertheless it's style goes straight for the jugular of law, so you're not sitting there trying to cut the wheat from the chaff for hours. It's like the mate who tells you how it is, and everyone needs a mate like that. If you don't have a mate like that then you need to get one. Failing that, get this book. Even if you don't do law. There... I've said what I have to say.

Oh look, here come the nurses. Back to the straitjacket I go... it was nice while it lasted.

A good Introduction, 22 Mar 2008
This is a good book, but does not cover enough depth. Its a good introduction to each topic area and gives you some good details, however it does sometimes seem to go off-track and does not have a continuous flow. For example you can be reading something and suddenly refers to something else.

However this is a good book and I recommend it to anyone interested in law or wants it a revision book but if you're wanting more depth or for your studies this is not the right book.

Surprisingly useful, 25 Dec 2007
I was surprised by how much I liked this book.. Recommended texts are so often dull and unhelpful, or don't match your syllabus...But this one was great. It was clear, and each part linked nicely with the next. It wasn't concise, but then law books do not tend to be! A good basis for learning in detail about the English Legal System.

Its not just for revision, 08 Oct 2007
Don't tell anyone but... I bought this instead of the set textbook.

Let's be honest. How many of you actually read all the boring bumph in English Legal Systems textbooks? It has to be the driest subject in the world and it is written about and taught by people who cannot be bothered to make it interesting. I tried to read the first chapter of the dire Legal Systems book that we'd been told to read and I just thought life is too short for this. So I took the book back to the bookshop and got my refund and bought this little lifesaver instead and had money left over to buy other stuff.

It is cheap, to the point and reasonably interesting. I managed every tutorial on this book and my exam and I did fine. There was never anything that I needed to know that wasn't in here - in fact, I came up with a couple of points in one tutorial that nobody else had from reading the set text. I used it for my coursework too and got a decent mark. There are clues on how to do coursework and exams in here that you don't get in the other books and pointers to things to read that will help you with the content if you need more detail. There is a website that goes with the book too that has tests on so you know how much you know or don't know.

So buy this English Legal System Express book. It is a fraction of the price and a fraction of the boredom of the other books and it tells you everything you need to know.

Couldn't really get on with it., 08 Oct 2007
Of all my subjects English Legal Systems is the one that is a bit of a struggle. Not because it is difficult but because it just seems to dull. My lecturer seems bored herself which doesn't help and neither did recommending this dire book to us. It definitely falls into the category of one of these set texts that you buy because you are told to, try to read once or twice and then abandon to sit in pristine condition on your bookshelf ready to sell at the second hand book sale as 'no markings or highlighting but a really useful book' in the hope that some poor unsuspecting first year will buy it and at least give you some money back. I don't think that Legal Systems need to be complicated and detailed. It needs to be clear and what it really needs is to be linked with other subjects. Has anyone every mentioned precedent to you in any subject other than Legal Systems? My advice would either to buy a heavyweight book like the book by T. Ingram or to buy one of the short snappy ones that give you all that you need in one bitesize and relatively painfree chunck like the Law Express one. But whatever you do buy, give this one a miss. I think that all students should read the at least one chapter of any book before they buy it so that they can weed out the dross rather than unquestioningly buying stuff off the reading list.

Excellent Book!, 19 Oct 2007
I'm now in my second year of an undergraduate course and my lecturers had recommended two main books - this one and another EU Law textbook by Jo.Steiner. I first bought the EU book by Jo.Steiner but realised that it had no caselaw (or insufficient at least) and decided to get this book by Burca. I have to say that you can rely on this book alone for the full course, it is very informative and has some interesting small debates on contentious issues. Quite rightly, it can be described as the 'Bible' of EU Law. Despite it being very thick with lots of information, it is very easy to read and comprehend.

In summary, get this book before any others! You would not need to buy any others, but remember always use other books as well for essays!

Why is it so long winded?, 08 Oct 2007
This book is massively over-detailed. Even my lecturer who suggested this book as recommended reading says on her handout 'It has far more detail than you will need on this course but there are nuggets of crucial information amongst all the detail'. Is there really? Well why can't people who are supposed to be such experts in their field that they write what is described as the leading textbooks get to the point a bit more quickly or better still make it clear which bits of their lengthy boredom-fest are the important bits that students need to know. I bought this, read the first reading from it that I had to read for a seminar and sent it back so that I could get a refund. There are tons of good, clear and to the point EU law textbooks out there that are for sale at a fraction of the price of this rambling mammoth so be sure to shop around for a book that is actualy useful (cuts through the chaff for you) rather than making things even more muddled.

Best EU Law book around, 18 Sep 2007
As a law student I've had to shell out loads of money for books that stay on the shelf and barely get opened... after five years of law school I can say without a shadow of a doubt Craig and De Burca was the book I got the most value for money out of. Absolutely, 100% recommended for any law student who will be taking a number of EU courses, or EU Law related degree. If only all other law books were as easy to read as this one!

Claptrap, 19 Jul 2007
This book is totally woeful - it completely misdescribes the crucial principle of indirect effect and is breathtakingly incompetent when discussing the Von Colson principle.

I urge all self-respecting students of the law to steer well clear of this depressing read, it will seriously challenge your will to live.

EU Law textbook review, 27 Jun 2006
Suddenly EU law becomes clear! If, like me, you have struggled to master the various areas and concepts of EU law then this book is for you. Easy to use, easy to read and easy to cross reference to other text books. Well worth the money!

A good starting point, 13 Sep 2008
This text was recommended by my course leader for Contract Law. It was recommended on the advise to use it as a starting-point for further reading, and I'm glad I was given that advice. The book lacks stimulation. It is by no means critical. And to some degree, its content and reasoning on points of law is unreliable.

Half the size & weight of my other law books!, 19 Nov 2007
I have this book and Law of Contract by Richards. This book is great to take when I'm travelling on the train, unlike all my other law books it isn't very big and is light. I do find Richards book easier to read but the cases are very clear in this book.

Not bad, 23 Dec 2006
A concise book that will get you through most of the hard parts. Great for general reading and an overall view of the subject, but perhaps not the best book out there in this area. Very technical at parts, but useful all the same.

First Year Law, 09 Sep 2006
A pretty good text book. A little heavy going, but goes into a lot of the technicalities and cases which are useful for applying to caselaw exams.

very useful, 23 Jan 2004
I really enjoyed reading this book which was my first contact with English private law. In my opinion this book is perfect for foreigners who need an introduction to UK law, especially students with a civil law background. A really clear, concise, structured and interesting first approach to CONTRACT LAW.

I'm on the CPE course at the mo and..., 25 Sep 2008
... I've been given a take home test that if I don't pass I will be off the course. I bought a series of books in the summer leading up to the start of the course, highly rated ones I'll have you know. All those books are completely useless. But not this one! (Actually that's a bit harsh on the other books, they're good for contextualising my learning.) Anyway, back to the point; if this book was a pint it would be a John Smiths i.e NO NONSENSE.

Anything you want to know it tells you, and it doesn't faff about like the other books. If you want to do well on the CPE you cannot depend on the law express series, nevertheless it's style goes straight for the jugular of law, so you're not sitting there trying to cut the wheat from the chaff for hours. It's like the mate who tells you how it is, and everyone needs a mate like that. If you don't have a mate like that then you need to get one. Failing that, get this book. Even if you don't do law. There... I've said what I have to say.

Oh look, here come the nurses. Back to the straitjacket I go... it was nice while it lasted.

A good Introduction, 22 Mar 2008
This is a good book, but does not cover enough depth. Its a good introduction to each topic area and gives you some good details, however it does sometimes seem to go off-track and does not have a continuous flow. For example you can be reading something and suddenly refers to something else.

However this is a good book and I recommend it to anyone interested in law or wants it a revision book but if you're wanting more depth or for your studies this is not the right book.

Surprisingly useful, 25 Dec 2007
I was surprised by how much I liked this book.. Recommended texts are so often dull and unhelpful, or don't match your syllabus...But this one was great. It was clear, and each part linked nicely with the next. It wasn't concise, but then law books do not tend to be! A good basis for learning in detail about the English Legal System.

Its not just for revision, 08 Oct 2007
Don't tell anyone but... I bought this instead of the set textbook.

Let's be honest. How many of you actually read all the boring bumph in English Legal Systems textbooks? It has to be the driest subject in the world and it is written about and taught by people who cannot be bothered to make it interesting. I tried to read the first chapter of the dire Legal Systems book that we'd been told to read and I just thought life is too short for this. So I took the book back to the bookshop and got my refund and bought this little lifesaver instead and had money left over to buy other stuff.

It is cheap, to the point and reasonably interesting. I managed every tutorial on this book and my exam and I did fine. There was never anything that I needed to know that wasn't in here - in fact, I came up with a couple of points in one tutorial that nobody else had from reading the set text. I used it for my coursework too and got a decent mark. There are clues on how to do coursework and exams in here that you don't get in the other books and pointers to things to read that will help you with the content if you need more detail. There is a website that goes with the book too that has tests on so you know how much you know or don't know.

So buy this English Legal System Express book. It is a fraction of the price and a fraction of the boredom of the other books and it tells you everything you need to know.

Couldn't really get on with it., 08 Oct 2007
Of all my subjects English Legal Systems is the one that is a bit of a struggle. Not because it is difficult but because it just seems to dull. My lecturer seems bored herself which doesn't help and neither did recommending this dire book to us. It definitely falls into the category of one of these set texts that you buy because you are told to, try to read once or twice and then abandon to sit in pristine condition on your bookshelf ready to sell at the second hand book sale as 'no markings or highlighting but a really useful book' in the hope that some poor unsuspecting first year will buy it and at least give you some money back. I don't think that Legal Systems need to be complicated and detailed. It needs to be clear and what it really needs is to be linked with other subjects. Has anyone every mentioned precedent to you in any subject other than Legal Systems? My advice would either to buy a heavyweight book like the book by T. Ingram or to buy one of the short snappy ones that give you all that you need in one bitesize and relatively painfree chunck like the Law Express one. But whatever you do buy, give this one a miss. I think that all students should read the at least one chapter of any book before they buy it so that they can weed out the dross rather than unquestioningly buying stuff off the reading list.

ITIL Book Review, 26 Oct 2008
Contrary to the other opinions on here, i only used this book to study for my ITIL open centre exam and i scored 72% ( you need 65% to pass)

This book is all I needed.



Very good..passed my exam only using this, 27 Sep 2008
The book is abt 132 pages, covers all aspects of ITIL framework. I used the book to pass my itil exam. there is a sample exam at the end of the book. But you should search the web for more. You need to read the book a couple of times before sittin the exam. It did a good job of explaining the concepts and practices.

CBT is better, 11 Sep 2008
Being an IT trainer and heavily involved in ITIL and ISO 20000 I was well aware of this book and needed to buy it to help with my training tasks.

The book is probably best just used to revise with and not as a soul source to study from.

Try and use a CBT course if possible as this is more like the real exam (i.e. at one of the Test Centres).

Excellent Book!, 19 Oct 2007
I'm now in my second year of an undergraduate course and my lecturers had recommended two main books - this one and another EU Law textbook by Jo.Steiner. I first bought the EU book by Jo.Steiner but realised that it had no caselaw (or insufficient at least) and decided to get this book by Burca. I have to say that you can rely on this book alone for the full course, it is very informative and has some interesting small debates on contentious issues. Quite rightly, it can be described as the 'Bible' of EU Law. Despite it being very thick with lots of information, it is very easy to read and comprehend.

In summary, get this book before any others! You would not need to buy any others, but remember always use other books as well for essays!

Why is it so long winded?, 08 Oct 2007
This book is massively over-detailed. Even my lecturer who suggested this book as recommended reading says on her handout 'It has far more detail than you will need on this course but there are nuggets of crucial information amongst all the detail'. Is there really? Well why can't people who are supposed to be such experts in their field that they write what is described as the leading textbooks get to the point a bit more quickly or better still make it clear which bits of their lengthy boredom-fest are the important bits that students need to know. I bought this, read the first reading from it that I had to read for a seminar and sent it back so that I could get a refund. There are tons of good, clear and to the point EU law textbooks out there that are for sale at a fraction of the price of this rambling mammoth so be sure to shop around for a book that is actualy useful (cuts through the chaff for you) rather than making things even more muddled.

Best EU Law book around, 18 Sep 2007
As a law student I've had to shell out loads of money for books that stay on the shelf and barely get opened... after five years of law school I can say without a shadow of a doubt Craig and De Burca was the book I got the most value for money out of. Absolutely, 100% recommended for any law student who will be taking a number of EU courses, or EU Law related degree. If only all other law books were as easy to read as this one!

Claptrap, 19 Jul 2007
This book is totally woeful - it completely misdescribes the crucial principle of indirect effect and is breathtakingly incompetent when discussing the Von Colson principle.

I urge all self-respecting students of the law to steer well clear of this depressing read, it will seriously challenge your will to live.

EU Law textbook review, 27 Jun 2006
Suddenly EU law becomes clear! If, like me, you have struggled to master the various areas and concepts of EU law then this book is for you. Easy to use, easy to read and easy to cross reference to other text books. Well worth the money!

A good starting point, 13 Sep 2008
This text was recommended by my course leader for Contract Law. It was recommended on the advise to use it as a starting-point for further reading, and I'm glad I was given that advice. The book lacks stimulation. It is by no means critical. And to some degree, its content and reasoning on points of law is unreliable.

Half the size & weight of my other law books!, 19 Nov 2007
I have this book and Law of Contract by Richards. This book is great to take when I'm travelling on the train, unlike all my other law books it isn't very big and is light. I do find Richards book easier to read but the cases are very clear in this book.

Not bad, 23 Dec 2006
A concise book that will get you through most of the hard parts. Great for general reading and an overall view of the subject, but perhaps not the best book out there in this area. Very technical at parts, but useful all the same.

First Year Law, 09 Sep 2006
A pretty good text book. A little heavy going, but goes into a lot of the technicalities and cases which are useful for applying to caselaw exams.

very useful, 23 Jan 2004
I really enjoyed reading this book which was my first contact with English private law. In my opinion this book is perfect for foreigners who need an introduction to UK law, especially students with a civil law background. A really clear, concise, structured and interesting first approach to CONTRACT LAW.

I'm on the CPE course at the mo and..., 25 Sep 2008
... I've been given a take home test that if I don't pass I will be off the course. I bought a series of books in the summer leading up to the start of the course, highly rated ones I'll have you know. All those books are completely useless. But not this one! (Actually that's a bit harsh on the other books, they're good for contextualising my learning.) Anyway, back to the point; if this book was a pint it would be a John Smiths i.e NO NONSENSE.

Anything you want to know it tells you, and it doesn't faff about like the other books. If you want to do well on the CPE you cannot depend on the law express series, nevertheless it's style goes straight for the jugular of law, so you're not sitting there trying to cut the wheat from the chaff for hours. It's like the mate who tells you how it is, and everyone needs a mate like that. If you don't have a mate like that then you need to get one. Failing that, get this book. Even if you don't do law. There... I've said what I have to say.

Oh look, here come the nurses. Back to the straitjacket I go... it was nice while it lasted.

A good Introduction, 22 Mar 2008
This is a good book, but does not cover enough depth. Its a good introduction to each topic area and gives you some good details, however it does sometimes seem to go off-track and does not have a continuous flow. For example you can be reading something and suddenly refers to something else.

However this is a good book and I recommend it to anyone interested in law or wants it a revision book but if you're wanting more depth or for your studies this is not the right book.

Surprisingly useful, 25 Dec 2007
I was surprised by how much I liked this book.. Recommended texts are so often dull and unhelpful, or don't match your syllabus...But this one was great. It was clear, and each part linked nicely with the next. It wasn't concise, but then law books do not tend to be! A good basis for learning in detail about the English Legal System.

Its not just for revision, 08 Oct 2007
Don't tell anyone but... I bought this instead of the set textbook.

Let's be honest. How many of you actually read all the boring bumph in English Legal Systems textbooks? It has to be the driest subject in the world and it is written about and taught by people who cannot be bothered to make it interesting. I tried to read the first chapter of the dire Legal Systems book that we'd been told to read and I just thought life is too short for this. So I took the book back to the bookshop and got my refund and bought this little lifesaver instead and had money left over to buy other stuff.

It is cheap, to the point and reasonably interesting. I managed every tutorial on this book and my exam and I did fine. There was never anything that I needed to know that wasn't in here - in fact, I came up with a couple of points in one tutorial that nobody else had from reading the set text. I used it for my coursework too and got a decent mark. There are clues on how to do coursework and exams in here that you don't get in the other books and pointers to things to read that will help you with the content if you need more detail. There is a website that goes with the book too that has tests on so you know how much you know or don't know.

So buy this English Legal System Express book. It is a fraction of the price and a fraction of the boredom of the other books and it tells you everything you need to know.

Couldn't really get on with it., 08 Oct 2007
Of all my subjects English Legal Systems is the one that is a bit of a struggle. Not because it is difficult but because it just seems to dull. My lecturer seems bored herself which doesn't help and neither did recommending this dire book to us. It definitely falls into the category of one of these set texts that you buy because you are told to, try to read once or twice and then abandon to sit in pristine condition on your bookshelf ready to sell at the second hand book sale as 'no markings or highlighting but a really useful book' in the hope that some poor unsuspecting first year will buy it and at least give you some money back. I don't think that Legal Systems need to be complicated and detailed. It needs to be clear and what it really needs is to be linked with other subjects. Has anyone every mentioned precedent to you in any subject other than Legal Systems? My advice would either to buy a heavyweight book like the book by T. Ingram or to buy one of the short snappy ones that give you all that you need in one bitesize and relatively painfree chunck like the Law Express one. But whatever you do buy, give this one a miss. I think that all students should read the at least one chapter of any book before they buy it so that they can weed out the dross rather than unquestioningly buying stuff off the reading list.

ITIL Book Review, 26 Oct 2008
Contrary to the other opinions on here, i only used this book to study for my ITIL open centre exam and i scored 72% ( you need 65% to pass)

This book is all I needed.



Very good..passed my exam only using this, 27 Sep 2008
The book is abt 132 pages, covers all aspects of ITIL framework. I used the book to pass my itil exam. there is a sample exam at the end of the book. But you should search the web for more. You need to read the book a couple of times before sittin the exam. It did a good job of explaining the concepts and practices.

CBT is better, 11 Sep 2008
Being an IT trainer and heavily involved in ITIL and ISO 20000 I was well aware of this book and needed to buy it to help with my training tasks.

The book is probably best just used to revise with and not as a soul source to study from.

Try and use a CBT course if possible as this is more like the real exam (i.e. at one of the Test Centres).


A good revision guide, 13 May 2004
Nutshells Land Law provides a useful summary of the main principles, although inevitably it has a lot of gaps, especially regarding cases. Therefore, it cannot be relied upon to pass the exam - obviously there would be no need for universites or lecturers if students could all get firsts with Nutshells books! I would still recommend it though, but approach with caution!

Excellent Book!, 19 Oct 2007
I'm now in my second year of an undergraduate course and my lecturers had recommended two main books - this one and another EU Law textbook by Jo.Steiner. I first bought the EU book by Jo.Steiner but realised that it had no caselaw (or insufficient at least) and decided to get this book by Burca. I have to say that you can rely on this book alone for the full course, it is very informative and has some interesting small debates on contentious issues. Quite rightly, it can be described as the 'Bible' of EU Law. Despite it being very thick with lots of information, it is very easy to read and comprehend.

In summary, get this book before any others! You would not need to buy any others, but remember always use other books as well for essays!

Why is it so long winded?, 08 Oct 2007
This book is massively over-detailed. Even my lecturer who suggested this book as recommended reading says on her handout 'It has far more detail than you will need on this course but there are nuggets of crucial information amongst all the detail'. Is there really? Well why can't people who are supposed to be such experts in their field that they write what is described as the leading textbooks get to the point a bit more quickly or better still make it clear which bits of their lengthy boredom-fest are the important bits that students need to know. I bought this, read the first reading from it that I had to read for a seminar and sent it back so that I could get a refund. There are tons of good, clear and to the point EU law textbooks out there that are for sale at a fraction of the price of this rambling mammoth so be sure to shop around for a book that is actualy useful (cuts through the chaff for you) rather than making things even more muddled.

Best EU Law book around, 18 Sep 2007
As a law student I've had to shell out loads of money for books that stay on the shelf and barely get opened... after five years of law school I can say without a shadow of a doubt Craig and De Burca was the book I got the most value for money out of. Absolutely, 100% recommended for any law student who will be taking a number of EU courses, or EU Law related degree. If only all other law books were as easy to read as this one!

Claptrap, 19 Jul 2007
This book is totally woeful - it completely misdescribes the crucial principle of indirect effect and is breathtakingly incompetent when discussing the Von Colson principle.

I urge all self-respecting students of the law to steer well clear of this depressing read, it will seriously challenge your will to live.

EU Law textbook review, 27 Jun 2006
Suddenly EU law becomes clear! If, like me, you have struggled to master the various areas and concepts of EU law then this book is for you. Easy to use, easy to read and easy to cross reference to other text books. Well worth the money!

A good starting point, 13 Sep 2008
This text was recommended by my course leader for Contract Law. It was recommended on the advise to use it as a starting-point for further reading, and I'm glad I was given that advice. The book lacks stimulation. It is by no means critical. And to some degree, its content and reasoning on points of law is unreliable.

Half the size & weight of my other law books!, 19 Nov 2007
I have this book and Law of Contract by Richards. This book is great to take when I'm travelling on the train, unlike all my other law books it isn't very big and is light. I do find Richards book easier to read but the cases are very clear in this book.

Not bad, 23 Dec 2006
A concise book that will get you through most of the hard parts. Great for general reading and an overall view of the subject, but perhaps not the best book out there in this area. Very technical at parts, but useful all the same.

First Year Law, 09 Sep 2006
A pretty good text book. A little heavy going, but goes into a lot of the technicalities and cases which are useful for applying to caselaw exams.

very useful, 23 Jan 2004
I really enjoyed reading this book which was my first contact with English private law. In my opinion this book is perfect for foreigners who need an introduction to UK law, especially students with a civil law background. A really clear, concise, structured and interesting first approach to CONTRACT LAW.

I'm on the CPE course at the mo and..., 25 Sep 2008
... I've been given a take home test that if I don't pass I will be off the course. I bought a series of books in the summer leading up to the start of the course, highly rated ones I'll have you know. All those books are completely useless. But not this one! (Actually that's a bit harsh on the other books, they're good for contextualising my learning.) Anyway, back to the point; if this book was a pint it would be a John Smiths i.e NO NONSENSE.

Anything you want to know it tells you, and it doesn't faff about like the other books. If you want to do well on the CPE you cannot depend on the law express series, nevertheless it's style goes straight for the jugular of law, so you're not sitting there trying to cut the wheat from the chaff for hours. It's like the mate who tells you how it is, and everyone needs a mate like that. If you don't have a mate like that then you need to get one. Failing that, get this book. Even if you don't do law. There... I've said what I have to say.

Oh look, here come the nurses. Back to the straitjacket I go... it was nice while it lasted.

A good Introduction, 22 Mar 2008
This is a good book, but does not cover enough depth. Its a good introduction to each topic area and gives you some good details, however it does sometimes seem to go off-track and does not have a continuous flow. For example you can be reading something and suddenly refers to something else.

However this is a good book and I recommend it to anyone interested in law or wants it a revision book but if you're wanting more depth or for your studies this is not the right book.

Surprisingly useful, 25 Dec 2007
I was surprised by how much I liked this book.. Recommended texts are so often dull and unhelpful, or don't match your syllabus...But this one was great. It was clear, and each part linked nicely with the next. It wasn't concise, but then law books do not tend to be! A good basis for learning in detail about the English Legal System.

Its not just for revision, 08 Oct 2007
Don't tell anyone but... I bought this instead of the set textbook.

Let's be honest. How many of you actually read all the boring bumph in English Legal Systems textbooks? It has to be the driest subject in the world and it is written about and taught by people who cannot be bothered to make it interesting. I tried to read the first chapter of the dire Legal Systems book that we'd been told to read and I just thought life is too short for this. So I took the book back to the bookshop and got my refund and bought this little lifesaver instead and had money left over to buy other stuff.

It is cheap, to the point and reasonably interesting. I managed every tutorial on this book and my exam and I did fine. There was never anything that I needed to know that wasn't in here - in fact, I came up with a couple of points in one tutorial that nobody else had from reading the set text. I used it for my coursework too and got a decent mark. There are clues on how to do coursework and exams in here that you don't get in the other books and pointers to things to read that will help you with the content if you need more detail. There is a website that goes with the book too that has tests on so you know how much you know or don't know.

So buy this English Legal System Express book. It is a fraction of the price and a fraction of the boredom of the other books and it tells you everything you need to know.

Couldn't really get on with it., 08 Oct 2007
Of all my subjects English Legal Systems is the one that is a bit of a struggle. Not because it is difficult but because it just seems to dull. My lecturer seems bored herself which doesn't help and neither did recommending this dire book to us. It definitely falls into the category of one of these set texts that you buy because you are told to, try to read once or twice and then abandon to sit in pristine condition on your bookshelf ready to sell at the second hand book sale as 'no markings or highlighting but a really useful book' in the hope that some poor unsuspecting first year will buy it and at least give you some money back. I don't think that Legal Systems need to be complicated and detailed. It needs to be clear and what it really needs is to be linked with other subjects. Has anyone every mentioned precedent to you in any subject other than Legal Systems? My advice would either to buy a heavyweight book like the book by T. Ingram or to buy one of the short snappy ones that give you all that you need in one bitesize and relatively painfree chunck like the Law Express one. But whatever you do buy, give this one a miss. I think that all students should read the at least one chapter of any book before they buy it so that they can weed out the dross rather than unquestioningly buying stuff off the reading list.

ITIL Book Review, 26 Oct 2008
Contrary to the other opinions on here, i only used this book to study for my ITIL open centre exam and i scored 72% ( you need 65% to pass)

This book is all I needed.



Very good..passed my exam only using this, 27 Sep 2008
The book is abt 132 pages, covers all aspects of ITIL framework. I used the book to pass my itil exam. there is a sample exam at the end of the book. But you should search the web for more. You need to read the book a couple of times before sittin the exam. It did a good job of explaining the concepts and practices.

CBT is better, 11 Sep 2008
Being an IT trainer and heavily involved in ITIL and ISO 20000 I was well aware of this book and needed to buy it to help with my training tasks.

The book is probably best just used to revise with and not as a soul source to study from.

Try and use a CBT course if possible as this is more like the real exam (i.e. at one of the Test Centres).


A good revision guide, 13 May 2004
Nutshells Land Law provides a useful summary of the main principles, although inevitably it has a lot of gaps, especially regarding cases. Therefore, it cannot be relied upon to pass the exam - obviously there would be no need for universites or lecturers if students could all get firsts with Nutshells books! I would still recommend it though, but approach with caution!

my view, 14 Aug 2007
i found this book to be clear and easy to understand. if you have no knowledge of the subject before hand then once you have read this book you will have more idea of the 'law'. it guides you through each section step by step and in simple format.

An excellent introductory text, but not for in-depth study, 04 Nov 2001
This book is a very good text for business students as it focuses particularly on various business issues such as employment, breach of contract and so on. It will lead you to various cases, and may even you encourage you to study contract law in more depth!

A good basic law text, 23 Jan 2001
I used this book for my Business Law module and found it quite useful, however some cases I needed to refer to were not included and a few others did not have sufficient details.

Excellent Book!, 19 Oct 2007
I'm now in my second year of an undergraduate course and my lecturers had recommended two main books - this one and another EU Law textbook by Jo.Steiner. I first bought the EU book by Jo.Steiner but realised that it had no caselaw (or insufficient at least) and decided to get this book by Burca. I have to say that you can rely on this book alone for the full course, it is very informative and has some interesting small debates on contentious issues. Quite rightly, it can be described as the 'Bible' of EU Law. Despite it being very thick with lots of information, it is very easy to read and comprehend.

In summary, get this book before any others! You would not need to buy any others, but remember always use other books as well for essays!

Why is it so long winded?, 08 Oct 2007
This book is massively over-detailed. Even my lecturer who suggested this book as recommended reading says on her handout 'It has far more detail than you will need on this course but there are nuggets of crucial information amongst all the detail'. Is there really? Well why can't people who are supposed to be such experts in their field that they write what is described as the leading textbooks get to the point a bit more quickly or better still make it clear which bits of their lengthy boredom-fest are the important bits that students need to know. I bought this, read the first reading from it that I had to read for a seminar and sent it back so that I could get a refund. There are tons of good, clear and to the point EU law textbooks out there that are for sale at a fraction of the price of this rambling mammoth so be sure to shop around for a book that is actualy useful (cuts through the chaff for you) rather than making things even more muddled.

Best EU Law book around, 18 Sep 2007
As a law student I've had to shell out loads of money for books that stay on the shelf and barely get opened... after five years of law school I can say without a shadow of a doubt Craig and De Burca was the book I got the most value for money out of. Absolutely, 100% recommended for any law student who will be taking a number of EU courses, or EU Law related degree. If only all other law books were as easy to read as this one!

Claptrap, 19 Jul 2007
This book is totally woeful - it completely misdescribes the crucial principle of indirect effect and is breathtakingly incompetent when discussing the Von Colson principle.

I urge all self-respecting students of the law to steer well clear of this depressing read, it will seriously challenge your will to live.

EU Law textbook review, 27 Jun 2006
Suddenly EU law becomes clear! If, like me, you have struggled to master the various areas and concepts of EU law then this book is for you. Easy to use, easy to read and easy to cross reference to other text books. Well worth the money!

A good starting point, 13 Sep 2008
This text was recommended by my course leader for Contract Law. It was recommended on the advise to use it as a starting-point for further reading, and I'm glad I was given that advice. The book lacks stimulation. It is by no means critical. And to some degree, its content and reasoning on points of law is unreliable.

Half the size & weight of my other law books!, 19 Nov 2007
I have this book and Law of Contract by Richards. This book is great to take when I'm travelling on the train, unlike all my other law books it isn't very big and is light. I do find Richards book easier to read but the cases are very clear in this book.

Not bad, 23 Dec 2006
A concise book that will get you through most of the hard parts. Great for general reading and an overall view of the subject, but perhaps not the best book out there in this area. Very technical at parts, but useful all the same.

First Year Law, 09 Sep 2006
A pretty good text book. A little heavy going, but goes into a lot of the technicalities and cases which are useful for applying to caselaw exams.

very useful, 23 Jan 2004
I really enjoyed reading this book which was my first contact with English private law. In my opinion this book is perfect for foreigners who need an introduction to UK law, especially students with a civil law background. A really clear, concise, structured and interesting first approach to CONTRACT LAW.

I'm on the CPE course at the mo and..., 25 Sep 2008
... I've been given a take home test that if I don't pass I will be off the course. I bought a series of books in the summer leading up to the start of the course, highly rated ones I'll have you know. All those books are completely useless. But not this one! (Actually that's a bit harsh on the other books, they're good for contextualising my learning.) Anyway, back to the point; if this book was a pint it would be a John Smiths i.e NO NONSENSE.

Anything you want to know it tells you, and it doesn't faff about like the other books. If you want to do well on the CPE you cannot depend on the law express series, nevertheless it's style goes straight for the jugular of law, so you're not sitting there trying to cut the wheat from the chaff for hours. It's like the mate who tells you how it is, and everyone needs a mate like that. If you don't have a mate like that then you need to get one. Failing that, get this book. Even if you don't do law. There... I've said what I have to say.

Oh look, here come the nurses. Back to the straitjacket I go... it was nice while it lasted.

A good Introduction, 22 Mar 2008
This is a good book, but does not cover enough depth. Its a good introduction to each topic area and gives you some good details, however it does sometimes seem to go off-track and does not have a continuous flow. For example you can be reading something and suddenly refers to something else.

However this is a good book and I recommend it to anyone interested in law or wants it a revision book but if you're wanting more depth or for your studies this is not the right book.

Surprisingly useful, 25 Dec 2007
I was surprised by how much I liked this book.. Recommended texts are so often dull and unhelpful, or don't match your syllabus...But this one was great. It was clear, and each part linked nicely with the next. It wasn't concise, but then law books do not tend to be! A good basis for learning in detail about the English Legal System.

Its not just for revision, 08 Oct 2007
Don't tell anyone but... I bought this instead of the set textbook.

Let's be honest. How many of you actually read all the boring bumph in English Legal Systems textbooks? It has to be the driest subject in the world and it is written about and taught by people who cannot be bothered to make it interesting. I tried to read the first chapter of the dire Legal Systems book that we'd been told to read and I just thought life is too short for this. So I took the book back to the bookshop and got my refund and bought this little lifesaver instead and had money left over to buy other stuff.

It is cheap, to the point and reasonably interesting. I managed every tutorial on this book and my exam and I did fine. There was never anything that I needed to know that wasn't in here - in fact, I came up with a couple of points in one tutorial that nobody else had from reading the set text. I used it for my coursework too and got a decent mark. There are clues on how to do coursework and exams in here that you don't get in the other books and pointers to things to read that will help you with the content if you need more detail. There is a website that goes with the book too that has tests on so you know how much you know or don't know.

So buy this English Legal System Express book. It is a fraction of the price and a fraction of the boredom of the other books and it tells you everything you need to know.

Couldn't really get on with it., 08 Oct 2007
Of all my subjects English Legal Systems is the one that is a bit of a struggle. Not because it is difficult but because it just seems to dull. My lecturer seems bored herself which doesn't help and neither did recommending this dire book to us. It definitely falls into the category of one of these set texts that you buy because you are told to, try to read once or twice and then abandon to sit in pristine condition on your bookshelf ready to sell at the second hand book sale as 'no markings or highlighting but a really useful book' in the hope that some poor unsuspecting first year will buy it and at least give you some money back. I don't think that Legal Systems need to be complicated and detailed. It needs to be clear and what it really needs is to be linked with other subjects. Has anyone every mentioned precedent to you in any subject other than Legal Systems? My advice would either to buy a heavyweight book like the book by T. Ingram or to buy one of the short snappy ones that give you all that you need in one bitesize and relatively painfree chunck like the Law Express one. But whatever you do buy, give this one a miss. I think that all students should read the at least one chapter of any book before they buy it so that they can weed out the dross rather than unquestioningly buying stuff off the reading list.

ITIL Book Review, 26 Oct 2008
Contrary to the other opinions on here, i only used this book to study for my ITIL open centre exam and i scored 72% ( you need 65% to pass)

This book is all I needed.



Very good..passed my exam only using this, 27 Sep 2008
The book is abt 132 pages, covers all aspects of ITIL framework. I used the book to pass my itil exam. there is a sample exam at the end of the book. But you should search the web for more. You need to read the book a couple of times before sittin the exam. It did a good job of explaining the concepts and practices.

CBT is better, 11 Sep 2008
Being an IT trainer and heavily involved in ITIL and ISO 20000 I was well aware of this book and needed to buy it to help with my training tasks.

The book is probably best just used to revise with and not as a soul source to study from.

Try and use a CBT course if possible as this is more like the real exam (i.e. at one of the Test Centres).


A good revision guide, 13 May 2004
Nutshells Land Law provides a useful summary of the main principles, although inevitably it has a lot of gaps, especially regarding cases. Therefore, it cannot be relied upon to pass the exam - obviously there would be no need for universites or lecturers if students could all get firsts with Nutshells books! I would still recommend it though, but approach with caution!

my view, 14 Aug 2007
i found this book to be clear and easy to understand. if you have no knowledge of the subject before hand then once you have read this book you will have more idea of the 'law'. it guides you through each section step by step and in simple format.

An excellent introductory text, but not for in-depth study, 04 Nov 2001
This book is a very good text for business students as it focuses particularly on various business issues such as employment, breach of contract and so on. It will lead you to various cases, and may even you encourage you to study contract law in more depth!

A good basic law text, 23 Jan 2001
I used this book for my Business Law module and found it quite useful, however some cases I needed to refer to were not included and a few others did not have sufficient details.

entering law studies, 03 Aug 2008
personally i found this book to be very helpful, the method of analysing law problem questions and discuss questions are exceptional. however the book does repeat itself and sometimes goes in to to much detail about irrelevant information. Would higly recommend this book to law students who are beginnng their law studies.

A MUST FOR EVERY LAW STUDENT!, 23 Oct 2007
This is a great study guide for anyone who wants to improve their marks on their law course. I was struggling with time constraints on all my practice essays, but this system really helped. Not only am I able to write more quickly and more clearly, I find I'm able to get more information into each of my essays simply because I have an organized method of structuring my argument. In addition to the CLEO system, the book had a chapter on grammar and style that explained things that never made sense to me before. My tutor was shocked at how quickly my essays improved after reading this book. Buy this -- you won't regret it.

An OK decent guide to writing law essays, 28 Mar 2005
For undergraduate or postgraduate law students in particular, this book mainly focuses on tackling problem questions (i.e. involving advising parties or discussing the rights and liabilities of parties in a scenario) using the author's four-step formula of "CLEO" - Claim, Law, Evaluation and Outcome. Each component of the compound is explained and guides the reader on how to write out each of the four steps using a worked example of a negligence tort law problem question written by the author. Essay questions or "discuss questions" (i.e. discussion or critique questions of the law regarding development or reform) are also dealt with briefly with the same formula, but in a slightly modified version.

The use of this method is moderately useful for students, but this is usually taught by lecturers or tutors at university anyway, in my experience and from fellow students. It allows a somewhat focused approach to writing law essays through the use of "CLEO".

The author makes good use of brief summaries at the start of each chapter, as well as boxed mini-headings for many paragraphs, in addition to ample annotation for essays.

However, my main problem with the book is the exposition of the various parts of the "CLEO" method by the author, where in numerous occasions, the author seems to be off-track - particularly in the chapter on applying the formula to "discuss questions". Also, a lot of the comments on worked essays were grammar and punctuation based, without emphasis on analysis or application of "CLEO". In some instances, the explanations on the usage of the formula are unnecessarily verbose. Furthermore, the author frequently uses a number of vague terms interchangeably, such as "sub-issue", without initial clarification which is a major obstacle to understanding how the formula is used. Lastly, I thought the chapter on very basic grammar and punctuation (such as commas and apostrophes) titled as "good tips for legal writing", which covered around 50 pages, was rather unhelpful.

Despite these problems, the book serves as a fair guide to writing law essays or for some inspiration pertaining to style in such essays.

A useful guide to what matters, 12 Nov 2003
This book is published with answering both law discussion questions and problem questions, in which the law student is presented with a facts scenario and has to evaluate the merits of each claim, in mind. Naturally, it would be easy to lose focus in discussion and problem questions; I've answered many in my time and will answer many more and I speak from experience. In providing a four-part framework which is universally applicable across the wide array of questions that one may have to attempt in a law paper, this book is invaluable.

The student who adopts the method in this book is far less likely to lose focus as it helps to compartmentalise the key elements of answering a question. Moreover, such an approach is invaluable in exam conditions, for the 'Cleo' method ensures that all analysis is to the point and very little time is wasted on irrelevant material.

I've applied this method in many of my essays and exam questions. It's difficult to get used to, but it's certainly worth the effort.

The one criticism to which the book is vulnerable is that the author perhaps spends too much time criticising the grammatical errors in the worked examples. Such an attitude is understandable - after all, part of the point of this method is to make the answers more concise - but perhaps it could do with focusing a little more on the legal defects in the worked examples, as particularly in timed conditions the focus on the grammar will lessen.

Apart from this minor point, however, I recommend the book in the highest possible terms.

Excellent Book!, 19 Oct 2007
I'm now in my second year of an undergraduate course and my lecturers had recommended two main books - this one and another EU Law textbook by Jo.Steiner. I first bought the EU book by Jo.Steiner but realised that it had no caselaw (or insufficient at least) and decided to get this book by Burca. I have to say that you can rely on this book alone for the full course, it is very informative and has some interesting small debates on contentious issues. Quite rightly, it can be described as the 'Bible' of EU Law. Despite it being very thick with lots of information, it is very easy to read and comprehend.

In summary, get this book before any others! You would not need to buy any others, but remember always use other books as well for essays!

Why is it so long winded?, 08 Oct 2007
This book is massively over-detailed. Even my lecturer who suggested this book as recommended reading says on her handout 'It has far more detail than you will need on this course but there are nuggets of crucial information amongst all the detail'. Is there really? Well why can't people who are supposed to be such experts in their field that they write what is described as the leading textbooks get to the point a bit more quickly or better still make it clear which bits of their lengthy boredom-fest are the important bits that students need to know. I bought this, read the first reading from it that I had to read for a seminar and sent it back so that I could get a refund. There are tons of good, clear and to the point EU law textbooks out there that are for sale at a fraction of the price of this rambling mammoth so be sure to shop around for a book that is actualy useful (cuts through the chaff for you) rather than making things even more muddled.

Best EU Law book around, 18 Sep 2007
As a law student I've had to shell out loads of money for books that stay on the shelf and barely get opened... after five years of law school I can say without a shadow of a doubt Craig and De Burca was the book I got the most value for money out of. Absolutely, 100% recommended for any law student who will be taking a number of EU courses, or EU Law related degree. If only all other law books were as easy to read as this one!

Claptrap, 19 Jul 2007
This book is totally woeful - it completely misdescribes the crucial principle of indirect effect and is breathtakingly incompetent when discussing the Von Colson principle.

I urge all self-respecting students of the law to steer well clear of this depressing read, it will seriously challenge your will to live.

EU Law textbook review, 27 Jun 2006
Suddenly EU law becomes clear! If, like me, you have struggled to master the various areas and concepts of EU law then this book is for you. Easy to use, easy to read and easy to cross reference to other text books. Well worth the money!

A good starting point, 13 Sep 2008
This text was recommended by my course leader for Contract Law. It was recommended on the advise to use it as a starting-point for further reading, and I'm glad I was given that advice. The book lacks stimulation. It is by no means critical. And to some degree, its content and reasoning on points of law is unreliable.

Half the size & weight of my other law books!, 19 Nov 2007
I have this book and Law of Contract by Richards. This book is great to take when I'm travelling on the train, unlike all my other law books it isn't very big and is light. I do find Richards book easier to read but the cases are very clear in this book.

Not bad, 23 Dec 2006
A concise book that will get you through most of the hard parts. Great for general reading and an overall view of the subject, but perhaps not the best book out there in this area. Very technical at parts, but useful all the same.

First Year Law, 09 Sep 2006
A pretty good text book. A little heavy going, but goes into a lot of the technicalities and cases which are useful for applying to caselaw exams.

very useful, 23 Jan 2004
I really enjoyed reading this book which was my first contact with English private law. In my opinion this book is perfect for foreigners who need an introduction to UK law, especially students with a civil law background. A really clear, concise, structured and interesting first approach to CONTRACT LAW.

I'm on the CPE course at the mo and..., 25 Sep 2008
... I've been given a take home test that if I don't pass I will be off the course. I bought a series of books in the summer leading up to the start of the course, highly rated ones I'll have you know. All those books are completely useless. But not this one! (Actually that's a bit harsh on the other books, they're good for contextualising my learning.) Anyway, back to the point; if this book was a pint it would be a John Smiths i.e NO NONSENSE.

Anything you want to know it tells you, and it doesn't faff about like the other books. If you want to do well on the CPE you cannot depend on the law express series, nevertheless it's style goes straight for the jugular of law, so you're not sitting there trying to cut the wheat from the chaff for hours. It's like the mate who tells you how it is, and everyone needs a mate like that. If you don't have a mate like that then you need to get one. Failing that, get this book. Even if you don't do law. There... I've said what I have to say.

Oh look, here come the nurses. Back to the straitjacket I go... it was nice while it lasted.

A good Introduction, 22 Mar 2008
This is a good book, but does not cover enough depth. Its a good introduction to each topic area and gives you some good details, however it does sometimes seem to go off-track and does not have a continuous flow. For example you can be reading something and suddenly refers to something else.

However this is a good book and I recommend it to anyone interested in law or wants it a revision book but if you're wanting more depth or for your studies this is not the right book.

Surprisingly useful, 25 Dec 2007
I was surprised by how much I liked this book.. Recommended texts are so often dull and unhelpful, or don't match your syllabus...But this one was great. It was clear, and each part linked nicely with the next. It wasn't concise, but then law books do not tend to be! A good basis for learning in detail about the English Legal System.

Its not just for revision, 08 Oct 2007
Don't tell anyone but... I bought this instead of the set textbook.

Let's be honest. How many of you actually read all the boring bumph in English Legal Systems textbooks? It has to be the driest subject in the world and it is written about and taught by people who cannot be bothered to make it interesting. I tried to read the first chapter of the dire Legal Systems book that we'd been told to read and I just thought life is too short for this. So I took the book back to the bookshop and got my refund and bought this little lifesaver instead and had money left over to buy other stuff.

It is cheap, to the point and reasonably interesting. I managed every tutorial on this book and my exam and I did fine. There was never anything that I needed to know that wasn't in here - in fact, I came up with a couple of points in one tutorial that nobody else had from reading the set text. I used it for my coursework too and got a decent mark. There are clues on how to do coursework and exams in here that you don't get in the other books and pointers to things to read that will help you with the content if you need more detail. There is a website that goes with the book too that has tests on so you know how much you know or don't know.

So buy this English Legal System Express book. It is a fraction of the price and a fraction of the boredom of the other books and it tells you everything you need to know.

Couldn't really get on with it., 08 Oct 2007
Of all my subjects English Legal Systems is the one that is a bit of a struggle. Not because it is difficult but because it just seems to dull. My lecturer seems bored herself which doesn't help and neither did recommending this dire book to us. It definitely falls into the category of one of these set texts that you buy because you are told to, try to read once or twice and then abandon to sit in pristine condition on your bookshelf ready to sell at the second hand book sale as 'no markings or highlighting but a really useful book' in the hope that some poor unsuspecting first year will buy it and at least give you some money back. I don't think that Legal Systems need to be complicated and detailed. It needs to be clear and what it really needs is to be linked with other subjects. Has anyone every mentioned precedent to you in any subject other than Legal Systems? My advice would either to buy a heavyweight book like the book by T. Ingram or to buy one of the short snappy ones that give you all that you need in one bitesize and relatively painfree chunck like the Law Express one. But whatever you do buy, give this one a miss. I think that all students should read the at least one chapter of any book before they buy it so that they can weed out the dross rather than unquestioningly buying stuff off the reading list.

ITIL Book Review, 26 Oct 2008
Contrary to the other opinions on here, i only used this book to study for my ITIL open centre exam and i scored 72% ( you need 65% to pass)

This book is all I needed.



Very good..passed my exam only using this, 27 Sep 2008
The book is abt 132 pages, covers all aspects of ITIL framework. I used the book to pass my itil exam. there is a sample exam at the end of the book. But you should search the web for more. You need to read the book a couple of times before sittin the exam. It did a good job of explaining the concepts and practices.

CBT is better, 11 Sep 2008
Being an IT trainer and heavily involved in ITIL and ISO 20000 I was well aware of this book and needed to buy it to help with my training tasks.

The book is probably best just used to revise with and not as a soul source to study from.

Try and use a CBT course if possible as this is more like the real exam (i.e. at one of the Test Centres).


A good revision guide, 13 May 2004
Nutshells Land Law provides a useful summary of the main principles, although inevitably it has a lot of gaps, especially regarding cases. Therefore, it cannot be relied upon to pass the exam - obviously there would be no need for universites or lecturers if students could all get firsts with Nutshells books! I would still recommend it though, but approach with caution!

my view, 14 Aug 2007
i found this book to be clear and easy to understand. if you have no knowledge of the subject before hand then once you have read this book you will have more idea of the 'law'. it guides you through each section step by step and in simple format.

An excellent introductory text, but not for in-depth study, 04 Nov 2001
This book is a very good text for business students as it focuses particularly on various business issues such as employment, breach of contract and so on. It will lead you to various cases, and may even you encourage you to study contract law in more depth!

A good basic law text, 23 Jan 2001
I used this book for my Business Law module and found it quite useful, however some cases I needed to refer to were not included and a few others did not have sufficient details.

entering law studies, 03 Aug 2008
personally i found this book to be very helpful, the method of analysing law problem questions and discuss questions are exceptional. however the book does repeat itself and sometimes goes in to to much detail about irrelevant information. Would higly recommend this book to law students who are beginnng their law studies.

A MUST FOR EVERY LAW STUDENT!, 23 Oct 2007
This is a great study guide for anyone who wants to improve their marks on their law course. I was struggling with time constraints on all my practice essays, but this system really helped. Not only am I able to write more quickly and more clearly, I find I'm able to get more information into each of my essays simply because I have an organized method of structuring my argument. In addition to the CLEO system, the book had a chapter on grammar and style that explained things that never made sense to me before. My tutor was shocked at how quickly my essays improved after reading this book. Buy this -- you won't regret it.

An OK decent guide to writing law essays, 28 Mar 2005
For undergraduate or postgraduate law students in particular, this book mainly focuses on tackling problem questions (i.e. involving advising parties or discussing the rights and liabilities of parties in a scenario) using the author's four-step formula of "CLEO" - Claim, Law, Evaluation and Outcome. Each component of the compound is explained and guides the reader on how to write out each of the four steps using a worked example of a negligence tort law problem question written by the author. Essay questions or "discuss questions" (i.e. discussion or critique questions of the law regarding development or reform) are also dealt with briefly with the same formula, but in a slightly modified version.

The use of this method is moderately useful for students, but this is usually taught by lecturers or tutors at university anyway, in my experience and from fellow students. It allows a somewhat focused approach to writing law essays through the use of "CLEO".

The author makes good use of brief summaries at the start of each chapter, as well as boxed mini-headings for many paragraphs, in addition to ample annotation for essays.

However, my main problem with the book is the exposition of the various parts of the "CLEO" method by the author, where in numerous occasions, the author seems to be off-track - particularly in the chapter on applying the formula to "discuss questions". Also, a lot of the comments on worked essays were grammar and punctuation based, without emphas