In the mid-15th century, European maritime nations began to explore sea routes to America and India. But what happened in that part of the world, which initially remained relatively untouched by the West's expansion? In a masterful narrative, John Darwin describes how the Asian empires - China, Japan, the Indian Mughal Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Russian Empire - remained remarkably stable for a long time. It was not until around 1880 that Europe gained an economic and military dominance over them, which it soon lost again during the two World Wars of the 20th century. "This book will become the standard for years to come." Rheinischer Merkur "Hardly a stone of the world-historical mosaic since the early modern period remains unturned by Darwin." Die Zeit.