Trading with the Ottomans

This book is a major achievement and deserves praise. Company histories are notoriously tricky to undertake as those who write them always run the risk of boring readers to tears with needlessly long-winded descriptions of financial accounts, cargo merchandises or commodity price fluctuations, etc. Dr Vlami has done extremely well here with a carefully balanced analysis of an important economic entity, the geographic area and timeframe of commerce, and the people involved. This assiduous work is remarkably well researched, with an excellent use of primary and factual material. The text is outstandingly erudite without being overly verbose. Educated in Italy and Greece Dr Vlami is part of an emerging body of young researchers exploring the complex web of historical economic realities facing the Mediterranean. This is her first book and it constitutes a very welcome addition to this field of knowledge.