Promised Lands: The British and the Ottoman Middle East by Jonathan Parry

lack of an organizing framework (other than the panoramic question posed at the outset) is a major weakness. As a result, it reads more like a textbook than a scholarly work exploring a readily identifiable question and argument. It may well provide a foundation for subsequent research, but it misses an opportunity to explore pointed questions in greater depth. Despite these minor qualms, Altman’s informative and important book will undoubtedly benefit the next generation of scholars of the early Spanish Caribbean.