This book has a sweeping account of how West came onto dominate Asia around Indian ocean. How the West used its superior maritime forces to take control over Asia is quite enthralling. The book starts with Portuguese sailor Vasco Da Gama whose journey from Lisbon to Calicut in 1498 opened gates for Europeans. The book has an interesting account of wars between Portuguese and King of Travancore which latter won Keeping Portuguese limited to the Western coast. After Portuguese, came the Dutch and then the British. The author has divided the book in certain phases and focuses on three main countries  in these phases - India, China and Japan. After all these years, the discussion also moves to Russia as it became a stakeholder in China and Japan wars.