This book, edited by Ignacio Arroyo, a Professor of Law at the University of Barcelona, comprises seven parts: articles, comparative law, international maritime organizations, case law, commercial and maritime events, documentation and a bibliography.

Part I contains six articles which were presumably selected to give a broad view of maritime law. They cover maritime fraud, collision and loss of cargo, pollution, the history and background of P. & I. Associations, marine insurance and the role of Japanese and American lawyers in maritime dispute settlements. Each article stands on its own and there is no common theme or link between them. The authors are a mixture of academics and lawyers in practice and are of various nationalities. There is no uniformity between the articles, each author assuming a different level of knowledge on the part of the reader. Furthermore, as some of the authors are not writing in their native language, some of the articles are difficult to follow, thereby detracting from their effect. The articles in this section will be of interest to a limited number of readers and no one reader is likely to be interested in all of them.

Part II is devoted to comparative law and covers 13 jurisdictions. Each article provides a review of developments in the law of each jurisdiction but, as there is no common approach, the information provided in the articles vary. The articles, which provide comment as well as details of the cases and explanations of new legislation and directives, are easier to follow and make for more interesting reading. Part III, entitled “International Maritime Organisations”, is a collection of articles each describing the work of one international body during the period covered by the Yearbook. It is divided into governmental and non-governmental organizations, namely UNCTAD, UNCITRAL, ILO, OECD, CMI, BIMCO, UNIDROIT and ISF. The articles read as short reports of the year and, although they lack a common approach or style, contain interesting information for individual specialists.

Part IV is a digest of case law divided by subject-matter. It covers, inter alia, arbitration, carriage of goods by sea, marine insurance and limitation of liability. The most important decisions worldwide appear to have been reported but there is no discussion of the cases or any attempt to highlight the importance of the case and its effect upon the current national law. Part V, headed “Commercial and Maritime Events”, is a brief series of “news reports” of maritime events. There is no explanation of why particular items have been included and many can have but limited interest. Part VI merely reproduces new documentation. This includes the CMI/ICC questionnaire of sea waybills and the Lisbon Rules: Compensation for Damages in Collision Cases. There is no explanation as to why particular forms and rules are reproduced, nor is there any comment or explanation concerning their effect. Part VII is a bibliography containing book reviews and a section headed “Books Received”. There is also a list of journals, which presumably refers to more important articles printed during the year covered. There is no explanation as to why these have been included, nor any explanation for their presence.

As a whole, there is no structure to the book. The individual sections and articles stand on their own and it is difficult to see at whom this book is aimed. The depths at which topics are