This is a straightforward handbook treating the three international rivers in the Middle East -- the Jordan, the Nile, and the Tigris-Euphrates. Shapland manages to be succinct but comprehensive in covering physical geography, hydrological factors, the several divergent doctrines and practices in international law concerning rivers, the economic aspects of different approaches to river management, and the diplomatic history and present situation of the several riparian states concerning water resources. With clear maps and tables plus an extensive bibliography, this is a useful reference book.