This collection of essays by Donald Quataert focuses mainly on Ottoman labour history. Quataert was one of the first Ottoman historians to devote himself to the study of Ottoman economic and social history, areas which had previously received little attention. This collection, with articles from the late 1970s through to the 1990s, shows the development of the field through Quataert’s work as he seeks to combine a strong theoretical base in social history with research in the Ottoman archives. The fifteen essays show the benefits of this approach, while covering topics such as Ottoman agriculture, industrial manufacturing, railroads, worker unrest and other labour issues. In addition, he offers his own insights into the question of Ottoman decline and the 1908 Young Turk revolution.