This volume investigates the later life and intellectual contributions of John Selden, a pivotal 17th-century English jurist and polymath. G. J. Toomer, a distinguished historian of science and classical studies, utilizes extensive archival research and primary source analysis to reconstruct Selden's scholarly output. The work argues that Selden's influence on legal theory and oriental studies was foundational to the development of modern historical criticism.

Experts recognize this work as a definitive and exhaustive scholarly resource for understanding the life of John Selden. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a rigorous reference for historians of the period.