Advance praise: 'The law of the sea may be one of the oldest areas of international law, but . continues to be one of the most contemporary and relevant topics in international relations. As Professor Tanaka says, 'the law of the sea provides a legal framework for ensuring international cooperation in marine affairs, thus safeguarding the common interests of the international community as a whole'. He has written an excellent exposition of the law of the sea. It covers, in comprehensive detail, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, other international agreements, customary international law principles and related soft law documents, all of which are supported by analysis of pertinent judicial opinions and State practice. I very warmly encourage all, both 'new hands' and 'old sailors' of this area of the law, to rely on this book in their further study of the topic.' Duncan French, Sheffield University.