French orientalist Paulin Martin (1840-1890) is known both for his works on Syriac literature and the Bible. Here, writing in a relaxed and open style, he discusses Christianity in 19th century Iraq and the surrounding areas. The book is prefaced with a beginning section surveying Chaldea in antiquity, but the bulk of the volume is divided into two parts: one on contemporary Iraw and another with reflections on the east, which are especially concerned with Catholicism there. Following the body of the work are several statistical tables on the dioceses and villages of the region, including information on schools, Catholic population, and the number of priests; a list of books published at the Dominican Press in Mosul is also given. This volume is valuable not only for its record of information about Christianity in the middle east in the 19th century, but also for its testimony of the views of a learned European writer on the subject.