jats:titleAbstract</jats:title>jats:pAs part of the Cambridge Law Journal's centenary celebrations, this article reads two essays from the journal's 50jats:supth</jats:sup> anniversary issue. The essays, by Cambridge professors Robert Jennings and Derek Bowett offer resources for the history of international law and its historiography. They shine a light on key debates on the law of the sea at a crucial moment of its development. A close reading of these essays also reveals starting points for new scrutiny of an “English” tradition of international law, including the place of the academy within the tradition, its blueprints for the future of international law and international legal order, and its relation to empire and capitalism.</jats:p>