This text follows the story of map-making, exploration and colonization in Asia from the 16th to the 19th centuries. It recounts the fascinating story of how Southeast Asia was, quite literally, put on the map, both in cartographic terms and as a literary and imaginative concept.

This book deals with the historical development of South-East Asia (Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines) from the earliest times to the present. All maps are coloured. The text places each map in its historical context, also providing lists of kings, presidents etc.