Why do men abduct women? Are their motives sexual, economic, or social? How crucial is the use of violence? How important is the participation of others? What are the societal consequences of abduction?

Answers to these questions can usefully be found in a historical case study of abductions as they occurred in Ireland between 1700 and 1850.

"Forcibly Without Her Consent" describes in detail how abduction was a largely communally-sanctioned exercise in male violence against women, how it depended for success on a well established ritual, how it eluded suppression by the forces of law...