Looking for a good read? Here is a recommendation. I have an unusual approach to reviewing books. I review books I feel merit a review. Each review is an opportunity to recommend a book. If I do not think a book is worth reading, I find another book to review. You do not have to agree with everything every author has written (I do not), but the fiction I review is entertaining (and often thought-provoking) and the non-fiction contain ideas worth reading.
Book Review
Reading Law at Winchester
Reviewed by Mark Lardas
April 5, 2026
“An American Yankee in King Alfred’s Court,” by Dennis J. Turner, Dennis Turner, February 2026, 324 pages, $16.99 (Paperback), $5.99 (E-book)
In the 1990s law professor Dennis Turner was offered an opportunity to learn about the British legal system. He sent his resume to Northgate Chambers in Winchester, England to be considered as a pupil by a practicing barrister. Giles Adam-Smyth accepted him. Taking a year’s sabbatical from Dayton College, where he taught, Turner and his family moved to Winchester, in the court originally established by King Alfred, for a year. There Turner read law under Adam-Smyth.
“An American Yankee in King Alfred’s Court,” by Dennis J. Turner, relates his experiences during that year, professionally and personally.
In England, criminal law is handled exclusively by barristers. Civil law is conducted by solicitors, who engage barristers when clients need legal assistance in a criminal case. To become a barrister, an individual with law training apprentices under a barrister as a pupil. The book shows how Turner fared under that system and adjusted to the differences between the legal conventions in the United States and Great Britain.
Turner initially feared he would be Adam-Smyth’s flunky, fetching and carrying. He was appalled by Adam-Smyth’s dowdy chambers, at odds with the barrister’s sophisticated appearance. Turner soon learned barristers never meet clients in chambers. While Adam-Smyth initially assigned Turner some legal scutwork, it was to familiarize Turner with the British legal system. The two became friends and partners, Dennis and Giles.
Dennis describes becoming acclimated to the British legal system. He describes how he becomes an accredited barrister and how he takes increasingly more responsible roles as Gile’s health deteriorates. Dennis also tells of his and his family’s adventures in Europe, many of which take place with Giles. The book is a travelogue as much as a legal memoir.
It is also a book about people. Dennis illustrates the differences between the US and British social systems. Class plays an important role in Britain (one education often plays in the US). Birth and connections are important. Giles uses his old school ties (from public school rather than universities) to obtain experts on several of his cases. Giles’s access is guaranteed because they attended the same public school (the equivalent of the US middle and high schools) as the expert witnesses he needs.
“An American Yankee in King Alfred’s Court” is a story about friendship, loyalty, and family, and the importance of all three. It examines the role of tradition and ritual in the law and in everyday life.
Mark Lardas, an engineer, freelance writer, historian, and model-maker, lives in League City. His website is marklardas.com.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Yankee-King-Alfreds-Court/dp/B0GHS6L3BR/