Roger Allen is professor of Arabic and comparative literature at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an editor of several journals, including the Journal of Arabic Literature, Literature East & West, and Middle Eastern Literatures and was the Arabic editor for the series of encyclopedia volumes, World Literature in the 20th Century. He lives in Philadelphia.

This is an extremely important—and exceedingly well-done—translation. The text itself is surprisingly entertaining and even funny in places, as the original author often employs fascinating hearsay anecdotes to help make a point. Allen's introduction masterfully puts the text into context for the non-specialist and successfully explains why, despite the author's biases, the text should be read as more than mere polemic or diatribe. By contextualizing the key players' affiliations and interests in the useful introduction, Allen helps the reader read between the lines of the text.

• Chapter 1 IntroductionChapter 2 Concerning the circumstances of the Ottoman SultanateChapter 3 AlmabaynChapter 4 The Chief Secretary's Department in AlmabaynChapter 5 The Almabaynjiyya Department in AlmabaynChapter 6 The Department of the Chief Eunuch in AlmabaynChapter 7 The Department of the Yavaran in AlmabaynChapter 8 SpiesChapter 9 Anniversary of the Sultan's AccessionChapter 10 Spies (II)Chapter 11 Splendor of the Caliphate and Magnificence of the SultanateChapter 12 Appointment to Ottoman officesChapter 13 Court Proceedings in IstanbulChapter 14 ShaykhsChapter 15 Writing Ma HunalikChapter 16 The SultanChapter 17 Deposition of SultansChapter 18 Glossary

Roger Allen is professor of Arabic and comparative literature at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an editor of several journals, including the Journal of Arabic Literature, Literature East & West, and Middle Eastern Literatures and was the Arabic editor for the series of encyclopedia volumes, World Literature in the 20th Century. He lives in Philadelphia.

This is an extremely important—and exceedingly well-done—translation. The text itself is surprisingly entertaining and even funny in places, as the original author often employs fascinating hearsay anecdotes to help make a point. Allen's introduction masterfully puts the text into context for the non-specialist and successfully explains why, despite the author's biases, the text should be read as more than mere polemic or diatribe. By contextualizing the key players' affiliations and interests in the useful introduction, Allen helps the reader read between the lines of the text.

• Chapter 1 IntroductionChapter 2 Concerning the circumstances of the Ottoman SultanateChapter 3 AlmabaynChapter 4 The Chief Secretary's Department in AlmabaynChapter 5 The Almabaynjiyya Department in AlmabaynChapter 6 The Department of the Chief Eunuch in AlmabaynChapter 7 The Department of the Yavaran in AlmabaynChapter 8 SpiesChapter 9 Anniversary of the Sultan's AccessionChapter 10 Spies (II)Chapter 11 Splendor of the Caliphate and Magnificence of the SultanateChapter 12 Appointment to Ottoman officesChapter 13 Court Proceedings in IstanbulChapter 14 ShaykhsChapter 15 Writing Ma HunalikChapter 16 The SultanChapter 17 Deposition of SultansChapter 18 Glossary