In this sweeping narrative of exploration and expansion, Paul Herrmann examines the forces that have driven humanity across oceans, mountains, and continents in the relentless pursuit of territory, knowledge, and dominance. Spanning millennia, Conquest by Man chronicles mankind's journey from primitive wanderers to seafaring navigators, empire builders, and colonizers, weaving together history, archaeology, anthropology, and myth. Herrmann delves into early human migrations out of Africa, the spread of Indo-European cultures, and the astonishing navigational feats of Pacific Islanders. He surveys the rise and fall of great empires—from the Mongol horde and Islamic conquests to European colonialism—examining the motives behind each wave of expansion, whether rooted in hunger, ambition, faith, or fear. The book does not romanticize conquest but rather interrogates its paradoxes: how exploration brings enlightenment and destruction, how empires foster both civilization and cruelty. Herrmann's style is accessible yet intellectually rigorous, making connections across cultures and eras that reveal the universality of the conquest impulse. Through this lens, readers are invited to reflect on the costs of progress and the enduring impact of imperial ambition on the modern world. Conquest by Man is not only a chronicle of history's movers and shapers, but a meditation on what it means to be human in an ever-expanding world. It remains a compelling work for anyone interested in the deep currents of global history.