The collection's editor writes:

Southeast Asian history and historiography would be greatly handicapped if the writings of Nicholas Tarling were removed from the increasingly expanding literature. The reading list has increased several folds since the early 1950s when Southeast Asian history was beginning to emerge as a serious area of scholarly research and writing. Nonetheless the works of the pioneering batch of scholars have remained relevant more than half a century since their publications. These books and articles have attained 'classic' status, never failing to be listed in students' 'required reading lists'.

Peter Nicholas Tarling (b. 1931), currently emeritus professor at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, figured among those whose works possessed a long shelflife. By mid-2009, the indefatigable Tarling had authored or edited close to forty books and more than ninety scholarly journal articles. By critically scrutinizing and analysing British imperial designs on the region, Tarling has contributed significantly to the historiography of Southeast Asia as Great Britain was a major player, if not the dalang (puppeteer) of events and developments on the geopolitical stage.

Tarling's corpus of works, specifically his papers published in scholarly journals, is an essential guide to all those seeking to understand the politics and history of Southeast Asia.