This work investigates the transformative impact of Western expansion and colonial settlement on the Pacific region and its surrounding continents between 1513 and 1958. A. Grenfell Price, a noted geographer and historian, utilizes a comparative framework to analyze how moving frontiers altered indigenous landscapes and social structures. The text examines the ecological, demographic, and political consequences of European contact, arguing that these interactions created a distinct historical trajectory for the Pacific basin. By synthesizing historical records and geographical data, Price provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms behind Western influence in the region.

Scholars recognize this text as a significant contribution to the study of colonial geography and the history of the Pacific. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational resource for understanding the long-term effects of Western expansion in the region.