Western Power in Asia is an accessible and informal account of the Western era of power in Asia. It offers the general reader a unique overview of a vast historical canvas. Its chief merit is that it brings together for the first time so much political narrative in a single volume. For those interested in world history Western Power in Asia is thus an ideal guide to five hundred years of Western power in Asia; and especially its climax during the nineteenth century and its eventual end at the close of the twentieth century. The narrative is tilted towards these two hundred years because they saw the greatest impact of the West on Asian peoples and, in the Japanese reaction to the increasing pressure, the weakening and termination of colonial power.In support of this account of key events are well-chosen quotations from contemporary sources, which represent Western and Eastern voices from each period in question. The easy-to-read style allows the author to logically move from one topic to the next without leaving the reader breathless, while the light footnoting does not disturb the text. The scope of the bibliography is an indication of how widely the author has researched the subject, besides providing a tremendous resource for anyone who wishes to follow up specific matters of interest.