For more than five hundred years, from the Renaissance until the present, empires in one form or another have been a feature of the political landscape. They evoke the most potent of Stanley, Livingstone and the colonial gallery of great explorers; the Spanish Conquistadors' quest for gold and silver; and the Dutch heritage of trade in the East Indies. For some countries - Germany and Italy - overseas dreams were short-lived; for others - the United States and the Soviet Union - imperialist activity existed but was never accepted as an official state policy; and the disappearance of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires has obscured some of the imperial dimensions of these states. But a generation or more after the final collapse of most of the European Empires, the subject is still a major issue for historians. This intriguing account incorporates new research from across the globe and a profusion of vivid illustrations to tell a story full of conflict, cruelty, heroism, great journeys and extraordinary feats of endurance. It also shows how the maps of explorations, the chronologies of conquests, the records of settlers and administrators, the balance sheets of commerce and all else that made up the Age of Empires playa key role in explaining the global civilization of today.