In an introduction (in Chapter 1) the author sketches the main features of common law, civil law, Sharia-Islamic law, as well as some relevant history. However, the work is primarily about the law of England and Wales and, to a lesser extent, Scotland and countries whose law derives from English law albeit with excursions abroad from time to time, e.g., to Germany and France to deal with the enforceability of binding decisions, other than arbitral awards and court judgments. Thereafter the work covers how contracts are made, the position of design professionals, the legal aspects of site conditions, the position of subcontractors, defences to construction disputes and issues relating to contractors’ rights and obligations under standard form agreements and then ultimately the termination of a contract, certification process, types of claims, collateral warranties, non-contract liability, time at large and time-bar clauses before turning to two chapters on dispute resolution. One of the latter deals with “Key Issues in Dispute Resolution” but it is somewhat eclectic; it does not really cover evidence and in particular, expert evidence, the approach to which is a common source of friction.

There are very extensive appendices (16 comprising 215 pages) which include the main UK statutes (and extracts from Dispute Board rules and procedures). The first appendix is a helpful glossary of construction terms (but does not include FRPO!). The need for the remaining appendices is questionable as a practitioner needs only the statute relevant to the case and they add considerably to the bulk. Their inclusion signals that the work is