Bills of Lading are central to contracts for the carriage of goods by sea and international trade. Their multi-functional nature, together with the large volume of case law and regulation, make the law in this field as complex is it is commercially important. This Lloyd’s Shipping Law Library title gives an exposition of English law with emphasis on the practicalities of the subject in a maritime context. It deals with the interrelated problems arising from bills of lading being a receipt, a contract and a document of titles and includes an analysis of the Hague and Hague-Visby Rules, as well as covering topics of particular contemporary relevance such as combined transport and electronic bills.