This work examines the life and milieu of the 13th-century northern Syrian statesman and author Ibn al'Adim, as reflected in his principal work, the dictionary of people associated with his native Aleppo, the "Bughyat al-talab fi ta'rikh Halab". The book is an examination of the text, in particular Ibn al-'Adim's biographies of his contemporaries, and a discussion of topics suggested by the material. These include the influence of different groups within Aleppo, why and how the dictionary was written, and the personality of the author himself. The study adds social, literary and human dimensions to our knowledge of the place and period.