Concentrating on the 18th through the 20th centuries, this comprehensive reference provides full coverage of European exploration and imperial expansion in Africa and Asia. Three major themes - motive, the influence of changing ideas on the conduct and understanding of exploration, and the impact of exploration on the politics of the European empires - are integrated into seven chapters and an epilogue. Exploration in the Age of Empire examines the way in which all the great explorers who served the European empires of the modern era became popular celebrities, unlike their predecessors, and illustrates the roles of explorers as propagandists.