In an empirical work based on primary sources, About-El-Haj (Near East and European history, State U. of New York-Binghamton) looks at the middle period of Ottoman history as a discrete and separate phase between the early period of foundation and consolidation and the later period of reform and modernization. He departs from conventional approaches by arguing that there were transformations during the period, and that they were driven by the dynamic needs of certain groups in society rather than by the need to accommodate external pressures. The first edition was published in 1991 by the State University of New York Press, Albany. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)