A fidalgo (lit. "son of somebody [important]" in Portuguese) is a person of some social standing, and this book is a collection of their exploits in the Asia trade. Focusing primarily on Macau--but with a fair bit of mention regarding Japan and Timor, as well as some about Goa and Malacca--it details many events of these men, both political and personal, between the years 1550-1770. To be fair, it's not an in-depth study of Macau's history or culture, but it does discuss these a bit. It mainly deals with the people who had influential effects on the city and area. I wouldn't recommend it as a travel resource at all, but it is an interesting read for anyone fascinated by old Macao, City of the Name of God in China.