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In The Tools of Empire, Daniel Headrick takes a unique approach in his examination of European imperialism during the nineteenth century. Headrick explores the effects that technical innovations had on imperialism and argues that such innovations enabled imperialism to take shape the way it did. Headrick states that his aim is to “open new vistas and to provoke fresh thinking” on European imperialism and the factors that influenced it, and in The Tools of Empire, Headrick accomplishes just that. Headrick splits European imperialism into three categories: penetration and exploration of foreign countries, conquests of/imposition of European rule on the indigenes, and the establishment of a communication and transportation network in the conquered territories. Headrick discusses the role that technical improvements assumed in each stages, advancing his argument that technological innovations provided the means for Europeans to capture foreign land and the people. In Headrick’s opinion, technological improvements enabled Europeans to explore and conquer, at low costs, areas that previously appeared inaccessible. In other words, Headrick suggests that these advancements satisfied European imperialistic motives and brought