The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empire, Disease, and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam (Graphic History)

The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empire, Disease, and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam (Graphic History)

by Liz Clarke (Author), Liz Clarke (Author), Michael G. Vann (Author)

Synopsis

The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empire, Disease, and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam tells the darkly humorous story of the French colonial state's failed efforts to impose its vision of modernity upon the colonial city of Hanoi, Vietnam. Part of the Graphic Histories series, this book offers a case study in the history of imperialism, highlighting the racialized economic inequalities of empire, colonization as a form of modernization, and industrial capitalism's creation of a radical power differential between the West and the rest. On a deeper level, The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt examines the contradictions unique to the French Third Republic's colonial civilizing mission, the development of Vietnamese resistance to French rule, and the history of disease. Featuring forty-nine primary sources-many available in English for the first time-and three full-color maps, The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt illustrates the ironic and tragic ways in which modernization projects can have unintended consequences.

$44.93

Quantity

20+ in stock

More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 288
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: OUP USA
Published: 19 Jul 2018

ISBN 10: 0190602694
ISBN 13: 9780190602697

Media Reviews
The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt effectively engages its readers in the intertwined stories of French colonialism, the New Imperialism, and a Vietnam in transition during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in a thought-provoking and memorable blend of critical textual discussion and high-quality illustration. * David W. Del Testa, Bucknell University *
This is a beautifully written and illustrated history based on solid research. The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt does a phenomenal job of contextualizing the far reaches of the French empire in world history. Students will enjoy the graphics and the intellectual stimulation of the story. I strongly recommend it for classes in world history, historical methodology, and Southeast Asian history. * Christina Firpo, California Polytechnic State University *
The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt very usefully integrates a discussion of the civilizing mission with the history of colonial urbanism, public health, and scientific experimentation. There's very little accessible material on this in English for undergraduate students, and the text does an excellent job of translating complex historiography in a readable way. * Rebecca Scales, Rochester Institute of Technology *
Students will be delighted by The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt. The superb graphics and the story itself will enthrall general readers as well. * J. R. McNeill, Georgetown University *
The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt is a captivating story! If offers an 'all in one' package that makes it a practical text for world history courses. * Margaret B. Bodemer, California Polytechnic State University *
Author Bio
Michael G. Vann is Professor of History at Sacramento State University. Liz Clarke is a professional illustrator based in Cape Town, South Africa.