The New Area Studies enable a rethinking of world history and a more critical approach to traditional historical writing. An additional factor contributing to the critical reflection on traditional area studies was the contemporary political context. The contributors contend that there is a need for greater supra-regional integration and transboundary as well as cross-border perspectives within historical research. This process should be accompanied by the diversification of research within the traditional area studies disciplines and the adoption of an approach that considers regions from a cross-cultural perspective. The eight case studies presented in this volume exemplify the transottoman perspective in examining the intertwined history of Eastern, South-Eastern Europe and the Near and Middle East.
