53 books, published between 1801 and 1950, illustrate the evolution of legal science in the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries. The industrial revolution improved manufacturing methods and distribution dramatically. Some legal works became veritable bestsellers, running to various editions, and very often several translations, inspiring revolutionaries and legislators. Evolving National States and codifications had a major impact on legal doctrine. Different 'schools", like the German Historical School or the American Realist School, took very different views on the role of law and legal construction.