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.

About the Author
Michael G. Vann is Professor of History at Sacramento State University. Liz Clarke is a professional illustrator based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Reviews
Vann and Clarke have provided a helpful addition to the large selection of textbooks on Vietnam. Clear writing, helpful footnotes, and historical context help Vann and Clarke deliver a readable history of a complex topic. The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt offers a model of how to translate a history that is equal parts global, transnational, and local history into a new medium. * Zachary M. Matusheski, Journal of American-East Asian Relations *
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 *



Book Information
ISBN 9780190602697
Author Michael G. Vann
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 756g
Dimensions(mm) 256mm * 180mm * 19mm