This book comprises the diaries of Lady Layard, wife of the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, between 1877 and 1880 when her husband Sir Henry A. Layard was in duty in the Ottoman capital Constantinople (modern Istanbul). This corresponds to a time when the Ottomans were in war with Russia. Lady Layard not only took place in diplomatic relations which her position required but also took active part in local charities and relief work following the retreat of the Ottoman armies from the Russian frontier. This provided her the opportunity to make close friendships with the Sultan and some other high ranking government officers, which lasted even after her departure from Constantinople. Therefore her diaries provide an insight into the diplomatic relations and social life of the time and are an excellent record of the social atmosphere in the Ottoman Empire in those years.