Idän orjakauppa keskiajalla: ihmisryöstöt Suomesta ja Karjalasta

The book is praised for its extremely interesting subject matter and its valuable contribution to understanding the nature, evolution, and terminology of slavery. Reviewers found it to be a solid and meritorious work, easy to cite, and a source of much new information, particularly regarding Russian history, Tatar culture, and Black Sea trade routes. The author is commended for offering insightful and well-founded criticism of previous research, and for shedding light on the scarcity of documented slave trade before the 17th century, which often distorts historical perceptions. The book also introduces a fascinating perspective on medieval ethnicity, suggesting it was based more on lifestyle and religion than on language.

Despite its strengths, the book presents a challenging reading experience for many. It is described as densely packed with an overwhelming amount of specific details, including countless names of slave traders, routes, markets, chronicles, tax registers, villages, and villagers. A significant portion of the text delves into the methodological difficulties of deducing the existence of slavery from ancient texts and speculating on the ethnicity of slaves, given the imprecise nature of historical terms. Critics note that the book struggles to deliver on expectations implied by its subtitle, as the nature of the source material prevents drawing extensive conclusions about the abduction of specific groups. The research results are considered somewhat meager in this regard, and the book's structure and conciseness could be improved. Some felt it would have been more engaging for a broader audience if it had included more individual, well-known stories. One reviewer found it tiresome, boring, and an endless list of trivial information, unable to finish it.

In conclusion, the book is a robust academic work, particularly valuable for its deep dive into the complexities of slavery and the challenges of historical interpretation. While it may not provide definitive answers or a direct narrative on specific human abductions due to source limitations, it excels in analyzing the broader history of slavery, its terminology, and the methodologies for studying it. It is therefore best suited for readers with a strong interest in historical research methodology, the intricate details of the slave trade, and the difficulties inherent in reconstructing history from sparse evidence. Casual readers or those seeking a straightforward, narrative account focused on specific groups might find it dense and less satisfying, and its title may inadvertently set expectations that the book, by its very academic nature and source constraints, cannot fully meet.