But his amplifications and additions are often substantial, and thus his book is one from which specialists on Ottoman Egypt, as well as Ottomanists and historians of the Middle East in general, will profit. The book has the added benefit of being straightforward enough to be accessible to students, although a few visual and mnemonic aids—maps, chronologies— might have increased its appeal to that readership. Specialists may question the decision to dispense with diacritics throughout the text and might also wish to see somewhat fuller endnotes. There are a number of instances in which Winter alludes in his narrative to some obscure text, then gives only a terse citation in the note, frustrating those of us who might like to know more about the eclectic array of sources he has mined.

This book provides a valuable resource for specialists on Ottoman Egypt and the Middle East, but could benefit from a few visual aids and fuller endnotes.

Carter Vaughn Findley, Ottoman Civil Officialdom—A Social History (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1989). Pp. 399.

Key Takeaway: This book provides a valuable resource for specialists on Ottoman Egypt and the Middle East, but could benefit from a few visual aids and fuller endnotes.