This collection investigates how travel writing functions as a mechanism for constructing cultural 'othering' while simultaneously engaging with the physical realities of the regions being visited. Editors Derek Gregory and James Francis Duncan assemble a team of international scholars to analyze how 18th and 19th-century travel narratives served as instruments of imperial power. By contrasting the imaginary perceptions travelers carried with them against the geographical differences they encountered, the authors reveal the complex power dynamics inherent in colonial-era exploration.

Scholars and students of postcolonial geography frequently cite this work for its rigorous examination of how travel narratives reinforce imperial ideologies. The text is recognized as a foundational resource for those studying the intersection of historical travel writing and critical cultural theory.