In these 20 papers given at the Melaka July 2009 First International Admiral Zheng He Society Conference, some 24 English-speaking specialists discussed aspects of the impact and career of the Admiral in the Afro-Asian world of the 15th century. The papers, several of which deal with largely unexplored and/or acutely controversial aspects of the subject, demonstrated the significance the Admiral had, and perhaps still has, in Afro-Asian history and in perceptions of it. The four sections focus on Zheng He and maritime civilization; and cultural continuity in Southeast Asia; in historical traces in Africa and beyond; and in new approaches and ongoing historical research. Another volume in Chinese includes the Chinese language papers presented at the Melaka conference.