How to cite a book
Bluebook (22d ed.) citation format · B15 / R15 · Books, periodicals & other secondary
Example
Antonin Scalia & Bryan A. Garner, Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts (2012).
More examples
Each of these is checked against the rules on every change to the tool.
- Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish 30–31 (Alan Sheridan trans., Vintage Books 2d ed. 1995) (1975).
- Ethics of Consumption: The Good Life, Justice, and Global Stewardship 118–19 (David A. Crocker & Toby Linden eds., 1998).
- J.A.S. Grenville, The Major International Treaties, 1914-1973, at 114–15 (1974).
- 1 James Fitzjames Stephen, A History of the Criminal Law of England 156–57 (London, MacMillan & Co. 1883).
- Paul W. Gates, History of Public Land Law Development 1 (photo. reprt. 1979) (1968).
What the citation needs
Required
- Author — The author’s full name as it appears on the publication (R15.1; R16.2).
- Title — The title as it appears on the source. R8(a): capitalize every word except articles, conjunctions and prepositions of four or fewer letters, unless they begin the title or follow a colon.
- Year — The year that goes in the date parenthetical at the end of the citation.
When they apply
- Volume — The volume number, which comes before the reporter, code or periodical name.
- Pincite — The exact page (or section, or paragraph) your point is on — not the first page. R1.2(f): pincites are required except after “see generally”.
- Editor — The editor’s name, given in the parenthetical with the edition and year (R15.2).
- Translator — The translator’s name (R15.2).
- Edition — The edition, where it is not the first (R15.4).
- Publisher — The publisher (R15.4).
- Place of publication — Where the work was published or the event took place.
- Original publication year — The year the work was first published, where you cite a later edition or reprint.
- Serial number — A serial number that is part of the work’s title: “Pub. No. 8732” (R15.7).
- Supplement — The supplement, where the material is in one.
- Hereinafter short form — A shorter name for later citations, given in brackets at the end: “[hereinafter Geneva Protocol]” (R4.2(b)).
- Database citation — A commercial-database citation, where the source is cited to one — “2010 WL 12345”.
- URL — The web address, where you cite the source online (R18.2).
- Perma / archive URL — An archived copy’s address, such as a perma.cc link, given in brackets after the URL (R18.2.1(d)).
- Explanatory parenthetical — An explanatory parenthetical: what the source says or holds, in a phrase (R1.5).
In a brief and in a law review
The Bluebook sets citations two ways: the Bluepages for court documents and legal memoranda, the Whitepages for law review footnotes. Here is the first example above as each one prints it, in its typeface.
Court documents (Bluepages)
Antonin Scalia & Bryan A. Garner, Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts (2012).
Law review footnotes (Whitepages)
Antonin Scalia & Bryan A. Garner, Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts (2012).
The words are the same in both; only the typeface changes.
Common mistakes
Each of these is a citation the checker refuses, with what it says is wrong and the corrected form.
Wrong
Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish 30–31 (Vintage Books, Alan Sheridan trans., 2d ed. 1995) (1975).
Why
R15.2(a): the editor and/or translator come first in the publication parenthetical, before the publisher, edition, and date.
Right
Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish 30–31 (Alan Sheridan trans., Vintage Books 2d ed. 1995) (1975).
Wrong
Ethics of Consumption: The Good Life, Justice, and Global Stewardship 118–19 (David A. Crocker & Toby Linden eds.).
Why
Could not classify (case, statute, regulation, uniform/model act, article, book, or website).
Right
Ethics of Consumption: The Good Life, Justice, and Global Stewardship 118–19 (David A. Crocker & Toby Linden eds., 1998).
Wrong
J.A.S. Grenville, The Major International Treaties, 1914-1973 114–15 (1974).
Why
R15.3 (R3.2(a)): a title ending in a numeral sets the page off with “, at”.
Right
J.A.S. Grenville, The Major International Treaties, 1914-1973, at 114–15 (1974).
Wrong
1 James Fitzjames Stephen, A History of the Criminal Law of England 156–57 (London MacMillan & Co. 1883).
Why
R15.4(d): separate the place of publication from the publisher with a comma.
Right
1 James Fitzjames Stephen, A History of the Criminal Law of England 156–57 (London, MacMillan & Co. 1883).
Governing rules
B15 / R15
- 3.2(a) — pinpoint pages.
- 15 — books & nonperiodicals.
- 15.1 — book author/editor.
Build this citation with the generator, check one you have already written, or paste a whole list of footnotes to check them in order.
Related source types
Books, periodicals & other secondary: