Although this is the fifteenth edition of a reference work that has come out irregularly since 1927 under a variety of titles and sponsors, it appears to be taking shape as an annual publication. If so, it is to be welcomed, for the Handbook provides timely and comprehensive data on governments, political parties, legislatures, cabinets, and the media.
Of course, a massive compilation of this sort must contain its errors and uncertainties. The Palestine Liberation Organization receives an entry of its own, as though it were a government — indeed, its listing exceeds in length that, for example, of East Germany. Despite the claim to having made "particular effort" to standardize the transliteration from Arabic, howlers abound. But errors are relatively few and the Handbook stands out as the best of its kind.
