Will Smiley is a historian of the Middle East and of international and Islamic law, with a particular interest in the Ottoman Empire. He is Assistant Professor of History and Humanities at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge and his JD from Yale Law School, and previously held fellowships in Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, and in Legal History at New York University.

Winner of the Jelavich Book Prize

"Smiley's well-researched book will be valuable for anyone working on Ottoman history, international law or Eurasian studies and blazes a new trail for future debates and research in these fields. Moreover, readers can obtain thorough knowledge, about the history, legal history and political and institutional histories of the Russian and Ottoman states. Smiley's ability to read between the lines and interpret historical events from different perspectives makes the book more perspicuous and interesting to read." -- Turkana Allahverdiyeva, Sehepunkte

"...especially interesting..." -- Julia Leikin, University of Exeter

"Will Smiley's learned, engaging, and thoroughly researched book serves as an exemplar of comparative, historically grounded legal research. It is certain to leave its mark in the fields of Ottoman studies, Eurasian studies, Islamic law, and international law and to find favor with specialists and educated lay readers alike." -- Mariam Sheibani, Islamic Law and Society

"this is an expert book that will be compulsory reading for all scholars of international legal history, Ottoman history, imperial Russian history and the history of the Black Sea region ... this book will spark a whole new generation of scholars researching the rich international legal histories of Eurasia." -- Philippa Hetherington, Slavonic and East European Review

"This is an extensively detailed history of Ottoman Turkish relations primarily but not entirely with...the Russian Empire, the Hapsburgs, and the West, dealing with the numerous wars in which it was involved between 1700 and 1876...Recommended" -- CHOICE