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The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empire, Disease, and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam
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.
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.
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2018
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May 30, 2023
I have not read this graphic novel, but I just finished the fascinating article by the same author that it is based on. With witty humor and insightful observations about the French colonial system, Michael G. Vann tells the story of the Great Hanoi Rat Massacre, in which the French citizens of Hanoi were forced to face a formidable furry enemy on the most unexpected of battlegrounds — their clean, modern houses.
If there was one thing that helped the French colonialists explain to themselves their subjugation of peoples in Asia and Africa, it was the belief in their own civilizing mission, or as Rudyard Kipling put it, the "white man’s burden" to lead the allegedly ignorant natives toward the blessings of modernity. An essential part of the colonial administration was to build symbols of this modernity to demonstrate the beneficial influence French control had on the countries it cruelly exploited. In Indochina, Hanoi was chosen to present France’s great civilizing work by Governor General Paul Domer. It was to be Doumer’s city upon a hill — a clean, orderly place so different from the “disorderly, venal, and ungovernable” Saigon and more importantly, a triumph of French science and colonial intervention over the dirty, backward ways of the Vietnamese people. Alas, instead of strengthening French authority in Indochina, the great modernization of Hanoi led to a disaster.
Sewers are now a part of urban infrastructure most of us consider a given. In Hanoi in 1920, though, they were a luxury reserved almost exclusively for the white population. Doumer’s great modernized city was actually a perfect illustration of how unfair to the natives the French colonial system was. The French and the Vietnamese lived in two separate neighborhoods. The former benefitted from all the luxuries of civilization — an elaborate sewer system, running water, flush toilets, and clean, wide streets — while the latter was stuck in a dirty, overcrowded place lacking any sewers except for the backward drainage system, which sent waste into a nearby lake only for it to return and flood the neighborhood during the rainy season. The actual aim of Hanoi’s modernization was to protect the French citizens from the unpleasant aspects of colonial life. That burdensome taxes were imposed on the Vietnamese to support this luxury further underscored the exploitative nature of colonialism. At a time when nationalism had not yet risen, it was up to other forces to bring justice to the Vietnamese citizens of Hanoi.
Rats, alongside other pests, were an indelible part of colonial life. Christiane Fournier, daughter of a colonial administrator, jokingly called the pests “the native government” as they were everywhere and impossible to get rid of. Unlike the mosquitos, spiders, and so on, the large number of rats in the city worried the colonial government because of this rodents’ role in the spread of bubonic plague through Western Europe. However, most of the French considered them a concern only of the Vietnamese — the rats were not to be seen on the clean streets of the white people’s neighborhood. Until 1902.
What neither the great civilizer Doumer nor the other French had expected was for their technologically advanced sewer system, which they were so proud of, to be a perfect breeding ground for the rats. Dark and protected from predators, the new underground pipes allowed the rodents to live, travel, and reproduce safely. The rat population grew to unimaginable proportions and soon, to the white citizens’ horror, began to invade, in search of food, their luxurious villas through indoor plumbing. “The sewers were exacerbating and, quite literally, bringing home the city’s rodent problem,” writes the author. What not long ago had been a concern only for the natives, whom the French dismissed as unhygienic by nature, was now an issue the white neighborhood had to deal with too.
As the rats continued to harass the wealthy citizens in increasing numbers and cases of bubonic plague were reported, the colonial administration had no choice but to declare war on the furry enemies. Here again the colonialist attitude showed itself. To eradicate the rats, workers had to go down into the sewers and kill them, but it was unthinkable for the French to make white people do it — in French Indochina, such dirty work was only for the natives. This is why teams of Vietnamese were enlisted to get rid of the rats. Wages were determined based on the number of rodents killed, so it was in the workers’ interest to kill as many of them as they could. The ensuing Great Rat Hunt brought a taste of real colonial life to the white neighborhood: the air of order and modernity that the wide streets and white stone buildings had maintained there were now destroyed by an invasion of teams of native workers. As the author notes, “It is hard to imagine a more incongruous image than that of the colonial civil servant, dressed in white from head to toe and on his way home to his spacious villa, coming into contact with a native sewer worker, covered in filth and carrying hundreds of bloody rat corpses.” Some of the French citizens were so scandalized that they addressed complaints to the Superior Resident of Tonkin about the presence and smell of the rat catchers, who seemed to be for them a pest no less unpleasant than the rats. This is a great instance of colonial thinking: the French took control of Hanoi, forced the Vietnamese people to build a luxurious city only for them, and then, when they called the same those Vietnamese people to do a job that no white person was willing to take, but that benefitted only the white citizens, they complained the workers smelled bad.
But as superior to the natives as the French believed themselves to be, the rats were there to show them how shaky their control over Indochina actually was. The Vietnamese rat catchers soon began to strike. The job was dangerous — the sewers were full of spiders, snakes, and fleas carrying bubonic plague — and the pay was far from enough. The colonial administration was forced to raise the wage. In 1904, the workers were getting four cents for every dead rat instead of one cent like in the beginning, and notably, they had come to understand their collective strength thirty years before workers organized and rose against the French under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh.
The rat population continued to be really high, so the colonial government added teams of “vigilantes” to those of the professional sewer killers. The vigilantes were to receive one cent in return for every rat tail they brought to the authorities — it was decided that bringing whole rat corpses burdened the health authorities too much. This plan backfired. As the Vietnamese people began to bring thousands of tails, the colonial officials noticed something worrisome: rats without tails were seen on the streets all over the city. Initially confused, they soon figured out that the people were cutting off the rodents’ tails without killing them to let them breed more and increase the number of valuable tails. Furthermore, health inspectors learned that some people were raising rats themselves to collect tails. “Evidently, this was not what the French had in mind when they encouraged capitalist development and the entrepreneurial spirit in Vietnam,” writes the author about these rat farms.
How did the Great Rat Hunt end? Did the French manage to prevail over the armies of rodents, or were the furry enemies and their Vietnamese allies successful? I suggest that you read either the article or the graphic novel to find out.
OF RATS, RICE, AND RACE, as the article is called, will introduce you to an interesting episode that you have never heard of. It is short, informative, and well-written.
If there was one thing that helped the French colonialists explain to themselves their subjugation of peoples in Asia and Africa, it was the belief in their own civilizing mission, or as Rudyard Kipling put it, the "white man’s burden" to lead the allegedly ignorant natives toward the blessings of modernity. An essential part of the colonial administration was to build symbols of this modernity to demonstrate the beneficial influence French control had on the countries it cruelly exploited. In Indochina, Hanoi was chosen to present France’s great civilizing work by Governor General Paul Domer. It was to be Doumer’s city upon a hill — a clean, orderly place so different from the “disorderly, venal, and ungovernable” Saigon and more importantly, a triumph of French science and colonial intervention over the dirty, backward ways of the Vietnamese people. Alas, instead of strengthening French authority in Indochina, the great modernization of Hanoi led to a disaster.
Sewers are now a part of urban infrastructure most of us consider a given. In Hanoi in 1920, though, they were a luxury reserved almost exclusively for the white population. Doumer’s great modernized city was actually a perfect illustration of how unfair to the natives the French colonial system was. The French and the Vietnamese lived in two separate neighborhoods. The former benefitted from all the luxuries of civilization — an elaborate sewer system, running water, flush toilets, and clean, wide streets — while the latter was stuck in a dirty, overcrowded place lacking any sewers except for the backward drainage system, which sent waste into a nearby lake only for it to return and flood the neighborhood during the rainy season. The actual aim of Hanoi’s modernization was to protect the French citizens from the unpleasant aspects of colonial life. That burdensome taxes were imposed on the Vietnamese to support this luxury further underscored the exploitative nature of colonialism. At a time when nationalism had not yet risen, it was up to other forces to bring justice to the Vietnamese citizens of Hanoi.
Rats, alongside other pests, were an indelible part of colonial life. Christiane Fournier, daughter of a colonial administrator, jokingly called the pests “the native government” as they were everywhere and impossible to get rid of. Unlike the mosquitos, spiders, and so on, the large number of rats in the city worried the colonial government because of this rodents’ role in the spread of bubonic plague through Western Europe. However, most of the French considered them a concern only of the Vietnamese — the rats were not to be seen on the clean streets of the white people’s neighborhood. Until 1902.
What neither the great civilizer Doumer nor the other French had expected was for their technologically advanced sewer system, which they were so proud of, to be a perfect breeding ground for the rats. Dark and protected from predators, the new underground pipes allowed the rodents to live, travel, and reproduce safely. The rat population grew to unimaginable proportions and soon, to the white citizens’ horror, began to invade, in search of food, their luxurious villas through indoor plumbing. “The sewers were exacerbating and, quite literally, bringing home the city’s rodent problem,” writes the author. What not long ago had been a concern only for the natives, whom the French dismissed as unhygienic by nature, was now an issue the white neighborhood had to deal with too.
As the rats continued to harass the wealthy citizens in increasing numbers and cases of bubonic plague were reported, the colonial administration had no choice but to declare war on the furry enemies. Here again the colonialist attitude showed itself. To eradicate the rats, workers had to go down into the sewers and kill them, but it was unthinkable for the French to make white people do it — in French Indochina, such dirty work was only for the natives. This is why teams of Vietnamese were enlisted to get rid of the rats. Wages were determined based on the number of rodents killed, so it was in the workers’ interest to kill as many of them as they could. The ensuing Great Rat Hunt brought a taste of real colonial life to the white neighborhood: the air of order and modernity that the wide streets and white stone buildings had maintained there were now destroyed by an invasion of teams of native workers. As the author notes, “It is hard to imagine a more incongruous image than that of the colonial civil servant, dressed in white from head to toe and on his way home to his spacious villa, coming into contact with a native sewer worker, covered in filth and carrying hundreds of bloody rat corpses.” Some of the French citizens were so scandalized that they addressed complaints to the Superior Resident of Tonkin about the presence and smell of the rat catchers, who seemed to be for them a pest no less unpleasant than the rats. This is a great instance of colonial thinking: the French took control of Hanoi, forced the Vietnamese people to build a luxurious city only for them, and then, when they called the same those Vietnamese people to do a job that no white person was willing to take, but that benefitted only the white citizens, they complained the workers smelled bad.
But as superior to the natives as the French believed themselves to be, the rats were there to show them how shaky their control over Indochina actually was. The Vietnamese rat catchers soon began to strike. The job was dangerous — the sewers were full of spiders, snakes, and fleas carrying bubonic plague — and the pay was far from enough. The colonial administration was forced to raise the wage. In 1904, the workers were getting four cents for every dead rat instead of one cent like in the beginning, and notably, they had come to understand their collective strength thirty years before workers organized and rose against the French under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh.
The rat population continued to be really high, so the colonial government added teams of “vigilantes” to those of the professional sewer killers. The vigilantes were to receive one cent in return for every rat tail they brought to the authorities — it was decided that bringing whole rat corpses burdened the health authorities too much. This plan backfired. As the Vietnamese people began to bring thousands of tails, the colonial officials noticed something worrisome: rats without tails were seen on the streets all over the city. Initially confused, they soon figured out that the people were cutting off the rodents’ tails without killing them to let them breed more and increase the number of valuable tails. Furthermore, health inspectors learned that some people were raising rats themselves to collect tails. “Evidently, this was not what the French had in mind when they encouraged capitalist development and the entrepreneurial spirit in Vietnam,” writes the author about these rat farms.
How did the Great Rat Hunt end? Did the French manage to prevail over the armies of rodents, or were the furry enemies and their Vietnamese allies successful? I suggest that you read either the article or the graphic novel to find out.
OF RATS, RICE, AND RACE, as the article is called, will introduce you to an interesting episode that you have never heard of. It is short, informative, and well-written.
June 18, 2023
The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empire, Disease, and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam, Michael G. Vann (1967- ), author, and Liz Clarke (1982- ), illustrator, 2019, 263 pages, ISBN 9780190602697, Library-of-Congress DS559.93 .HV36 V38 2019 Memorial Library
A taste of it here: https://chaohanoi.medium.com/the-grea...
This is a "microhistory." He uses the failed 1902 plague-carrying rat eradication to introduce imperialism, globalization, and pandemic disease. The first 122 pages are an engaging history of French imperial domination of Hanoi, in comic-book format. Then after a set of primary sources, mostly from the dawn of the 20th century, Vann gives us 33 pages of what he calls, "historical contexts." These introduce the world history leading to French control of Indochina. Accessible; suitable for kids.
The 1902 rat hunt itself is on pages 89-96. It was ineffective. The plague pandemic eventually subsided; cholera and other diseases became bigger problems.
Maps pp. ii, 21, 31-34, 37-40, 43, 49, 55, 66-67, 73, 75, 78-81, 93, 103, 108, 111, 121, 201, 220
Pages 1-122 history in comic-book format.
Pages 123-195 primary sources, 1887-1996. "Always ask yourself if you can trust these sources." p. 127.
Pages 197-231 historical contexts:
The New Imperialism
Western Industrial Capitalism
The Third Republic (France, 1870-1940)
Vietnamese Resistance: Nationalist, Communist, and Everyday
The Third Bubonic Plague Pandemic, 1855-1959
Pages 233-243 "the making of this book."
Pages 247-250 discussion questions. If you were going to read this book as a student, you'd want to read these first, and write down their answers as you come to them in the book.
Pages 251-255 timeline of Vietnamese dynasties.
Pages 256-263 annotated bibliography.
541-767 First bubonic-plague pandemic: up to 50 million die. p. 73.
1096-1291 Crusades expose Europe to the riches of Asia. p. 32
1346-1835 Second bubonic-plague pandemic: up to 200 million die. p. 73.
by 1820, Indian opium sold in China flows silver to Britain. p. 34.
1839-1842 First Opium War, begins China's century of humiliations. pp. 35, 253.
1855-1959 Third bubonic-plague pandemic: up to 15 million die. pp. xiv, 73, 227-231, 253.
1857-1860 Second Opium War: France enters Indochina. pp. 37, 253.
1869 Suez Canal open. p. 36.
1870-1940 French Third Republic. pp. 217-221.
1871 Germany takes Alsace and Lorraine from France; Germany unifies. p. 202.
1882 French seize Hanoi pp. 13, 39, 253
1901 Plague in Hanoi
1902.04.25-1902.07.10; 1903.04.03-1904.02.22 Bounty on rats in Hanoi. pp. 89-96, 104.
1929-1939 Great Depression disrupts colonial economy; mass unemployment. p. 110.
1930.10 Ho Chi Minh organizes Indochinese Communist Party. p. 110.
1940-1945 Japan captures Indochina and the Dutch East Indies. p. 111.
1941 Ho Chi Minh organizes Viet Minh to fight all foreign occupiers. p. 111.
1946-1954 First (French) Indochina War. p. 254.
1963-1973 Second (American) Indochina War. p. 254.
1995 Diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the U.S. established. p. 255.
1995 Vietnam joins ASEAN. p. 120.
1997, 2014 Michael G. Vann visits Hanoi. pp. 117-122.
Books:
Empires and Colonies in the Modern World: A Global Perspective, Heather E. Streets-Salter, Trevor R. Getz, 2015.
Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West, William Cronon, 1991. Shows that no city is an island. Chicago exists because of the Midwest, sending agricultural products to the city, and getting manufactured goods from it. p. 199.
[In that regard, The Penguin Atlas of Medieval History, 1961, shows that, when trade collapses, cities evaporate. Covers Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, 362 CE to 1478 CE. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ]
Vann's wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael...
A taste of it here: https://chaohanoi.medium.com/the-grea...
This is a "microhistory." He uses the failed 1902 plague-carrying rat eradication to introduce imperialism, globalization, and pandemic disease. The first 122 pages are an engaging history of French imperial domination of Hanoi, in comic-book format. Then after a set of primary sources, mostly from the dawn of the 20th century, Vann gives us 33 pages of what he calls, "historical contexts." These introduce the world history leading to French control of Indochina. Accessible; suitable for kids.
The 1902 rat hunt itself is on pages 89-96. It was ineffective. The plague pandemic eventually subsided; cholera and other diseases became bigger problems.
Maps pp. ii, 21, 31-34, 37-40, 43, 49, 55, 66-67, 73, 75, 78-81, 93, 103, 108, 111, 121, 201, 220
Pages 1-122 history in comic-book format.
Pages 123-195 primary sources, 1887-1996. "Always ask yourself if you can trust these sources." p. 127.
Pages 197-231 historical contexts:
The New Imperialism
Western Industrial Capitalism
The Third Republic (France, 1870-1940)
Vietnamese Resistance: Nationalist, Communist, and Everyday
The Third Bubonic Plague Pandemic, 1855-1959
Pages 233-243 "the making of this book."
Pages 247-250 discussion questions. If you were going to read this book as a student, you'd want to read these first, and write down their answers as you come to them in the book.
Pages 251-255 timeline of Vietnamese dynasties.
Pages 256-263 annotated bibliography.
541-767 First bubonic-plague pandemic: up to 50 million die. p. 73.
1096-1291 Crusades expose Europe to the riches of Asia. p. 32
1346-1835 Second bubonic-plague pandemic: up to 200 million die. p. 73.
by 1820, Indian opium sold in China flows silver to Britain. p. 34.
1839-1842 First Opium War, begins China's century of humiliations. pp. 35, 253.
1855-1959 Third bubonic-plague pandemic: up to 15 million die. pp. xiv, 73, 227-231, 253.
1857-1860 Second Opium War: France enters Indochina. pp. 37, 253.
1869 Suez Canal open. p. 36.
1870-1940 French Third Republic. pp. 217-221.
1871 Germany takes Alsace and Lorraine from France; Germany unifies. p. 202.
1882 French seize Hanoi pp. 13, 39, 253
1901 Plague in Hanoi
1902.04.25-1902.07.10; 1903.04.03-1904.02.22 Bounty on rats in Hanoi. pp. 89-96, 104.
1929-1939 Great Depression disrupts colonial economy; mass unemployment. p. 110.
1930.10 Ho Chi Minh organizes Indochinese Communist Party. p. 110.
1940-1945 Japan captures Indochina and the Dutch East Indies. p. 111.
1941 Ho Chi Minh organizes Viet Minh to fight all foreign occupiers. p. 111.
1946-1954 First (French) Indochina War. p. 254.
1963-1973 Second (American) Indochina War. p. 254.
1995 Diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the U.S. established. p. 255.
1995 Vietnam joins ASEAN. p. 120.
1997, 2014 Michael G. Vann visits Hanoi. pp. 117-122.
Books:
Empires and Colonies in the Modern World: A Global Perspective, Heather E. Streets-Salter, Trevor R. Getz, 2015.
Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West, William Cronon, 1991. Shows that no city is an island. Chicago exists because of the Midwest, sending agricultural products to the city, and getting manufactured goods from it. p. 199.
[In that regard, The Penguin Atlas of Medieval History, 1961, shows that, when trade collapses, cities evaporate. Covers Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, 362 CE to 1478 CE. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ]
Vann's wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael...
March 16, 2024
A compact view of French imperialism in Hanoi.
Read for Class
Read for Class
June 4, 2021
I'm not sure that I liked this book as much as some of the other books in this series - in particular Abina and the Important Men - since the primary sources are not as good to teach with and the story is less survey-history-level friendly. Nevertheless, my students in Modern France loved this book - the use of illustrations as well as the "history from below" angle of the French empire.
December 14, 2023
"And rats make me crazy!" - The French in Vietnam circa 1902
More history in graphic novel form please - the whole second half is sources!
More history in graphic novel form please - the whole second half is sources!
September 25, 2023
Discovered this thanks to the American Historical Association’s summer reading challenge. An excellent book with great resources - I wish there was a young reader’s version so I could use it with my 9th graders.
October 5, 2024
This story is so crazy I can't believe it's true. I think I may be entering a historical fiction era
August 27, 2021
Such a wonderful book, very digestible, very interesting, and no less academic! I have known the author's famous academic paper on this subject for a very long time, without any idea that he has brilliantly "translated" his not-too-easy-to-read paper into an actual, full-fledge comic. And not just any by-the-book comic, this is a wonderful and authentic interpretation of Hanoi during a very important period of its history, through a very peculiar story of a "rat hunt". Thanks to the author's mountains of archival texts and pictures, the book's authenticity is ... really authentic and not the pseudo-authenticity a Western reader can find in books like Nguyen Thanh Viet's "The Sympathizer". Of course the book can be improved, by drawing a larger picture of Vietnam at that time so that the particularity of Vietnamese people and Hanoi during this period can be more easily grasped. But all in all, this is a very informative yet entertaining for any comic reader or history lover of any age. To someone who was born and raised in Hanoi like me, reading this book was also a hilarious experience thanks to its excerpts of some English articles at the beginning of the 20th century praising Hanoi to no end as a superior city to the like of Hong Kong and Singapore. The author even made sure that this book can be an educative tool as well with a lengthy discussions on his research framework, historical context, and some hints on how the book can be taught in class. And indeed it should be, especially for Vietnamese students in Hanoi.
March 9, 2021
An interesting book, the first half is all told in graphic novel format while the second half is all primary sources and the author's commentary on the sources. A quick and gripping read, The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt deals with the colonization of Vietnam by the French, primarily in the city of Hanoi, which the author portrays as two cities -- one French, one native Vietnamese. The dynamics of colonial life are explored, with the main focus of the book being an outbreak of plague in Hanoi and the French colonial government's insistence it was caused by the Vietnamese. The graphic history part is interesting and presents its information well, however the dialogue can feel a bit odd (which is not a big deal). For historians or students of history, you will be glad to know that the primary sources used by the author are all included in full with commentary included.
In short, a good book on the subject of late 19th century French colonialism in Asia which can be enjoyed by those who have no basis of knowledge in the era and those who are already familiar with the history.
In short, a good book on the subject of late 19th century French colonialism in Asia which can be enjoyed by those who have no basis of knowledge in the era and those who are already familiar with the history.
October 29, 2020
basically what i got from this is that i hate the french third republican empire.
the graphic novel portion was a really interesting way to get the information across and i’ll definitely be reading other Oxford University non-fiction prints like this again, i really enjoyed this format.
also the list of primary sources at the end of the book was really cool, it kind of helps the reader see the authors research process and how they pierce everything together.
overall, really great read, would recommend !
the graphic novel portion was a really interesting way to get the information across and i’ll definitely be reading other Oxford University non-fiction prints like this again, i really enjoyed this format.
also the list of primary sources at the end of the book was really cool, it kind of helps the reader see the authors research process and how they pierce everything together.
overall, really great read, would recommend !
April 28, 2019
I always love history in the graphic novel format. The subject was intriguing and was well researched but maybe this could have used the traditional long history non-fiction rather than the graphic novel format. There is so much more that can be said about colonial history than this graphic novel could manage.
February 20, 2019
Fascinating read! In particular liked the portion after the primary sources where the story of the research and development of the book was described. Definitely a useful resource for APWH - social issues, political, environmental up the wazoo, cultural and whole bunch of economics too!
August 29, 2019
A fascinating look at French imperialism in Asia, examining the root causes of the conflict in Vietnam.
The rats? Well, building French sewers in Hanoi was not the best of ideas, nor was their solution. After reading this book, you understand better how rats and imperialism go together.
The rats? Well, building French sewers in Hanoi was not the best of ideas, nor was their solution. After reading this book, you understand better how rats and imperialism go together.
January 19, 2026
This is microhistory at its best. I appreciated how the tight, detailed storytelling makes the saga darkly funny in its absurdity. At points it reads almost like a caricature of French colonial overconfidence. The ridiculousness is genuinely entertaining, but the research is careful and the implications are serious.
Beyond the central story, the book opened up several threads I want to explore further. I was struck by how different colonial powers dressed up invasion in different moral languages: British “free trade” backed by the opium wars, French civilizing enlightenment, American claims of protection from European imperialism (often invoking Kipling’s “white man’s burden”), the Dutch “ethical policy,” and Belgian rhetoric of domination-as-service. These projects also drew on Social Darwinist ideas about “survival of the fittest” to rationalize war capitalism.
The discussion of Sinophobia and the third plague pandemic was particularly eye-opening. Plague narratives stretch from the Justinianic Plague (often dated to the mid-6th century) through the Black Death (1346–1350) to the third pandemic associated with outbreaks in Yunnan. Yet this same disease was weaponized to justify imperial intervention and to stoke xenophobia against Chinese populations.
One of the most interesting threads is the rat as a symbol of modernity—what Jonathan Burt calls a “totem animal of modernity.” Hanoi’s rat hunt was not unique; comparable campaigns unfolded in places like San Francisco and Rio de Janeiro. Seeing these parallels clarifies how rats became central to anxieties about urban modernization, disease control, and the “civilizing mission” across continents. Modern infrastructure carried its own hazards: sewer systems meant to improve public health could also create ideal habitats for rats, turning modernization into a new ecology of risk.
The format deserves special mention. As someone who enjoys both graphic novels and nonfiction, this book hit a rare sweet spot. It is highly readable without losing rigor as a research-based work. The illustrations are not decorative; they clarify the colonial city, the sewer systems, and the absurd mechanics of the rat hunt.
Beyond the central story, the book opened up several threads I want to explore further. I was struck by how different colonial powers dressed up invasion in different moral languages: British “free trade” backed by the opium wars, French civilizing enlightenment, American claims of protection from European imperialism (often invoking Kipling’s “white man’s burden”), the Dutch “ethical policy,” and Belgian rhetoric of domination-as-service. These projects also drew on Social Darwinist ideas about “survival of the fittest” to rationalize war capitalism.
The discussion of Sinophobia and the third plague pandemic was particularly eye-opening. Plague narratives stretch from the Justinianic Plague (often dated to the mid-6th century) through the Black Death (1346–1350) to the third pandemic associated with outbreaks in Yunnan. Yet this same disease was weaponized to justify imperial intervention and to stoke xenophobia against Chinese populations.
One of the most interesting threads is the rat as a symbol of modernity—what Jonathan Burt calls a “totem animal of modernity.” Hanoi’s rat hunt was not unique; comparable campaigns unfolded in places like San Francisco and Rio de Janeiro. Seeing these parallels clarifies how rats became central to anxieties about urban modernization, disease control, and the “civilizing mission” across continents. Modern infrastructure carried its own hazards: sewer systems meant to improve public health could also create ideal habitats for rats, turning modernization into a new ecology of risk.
The format deserves special mention. As someone who enjoys both graphic novels and nonfiction, this book hit a rare sweet spot. It is highly readable without losing rigor as a research-based work. The illustrations are not decorative; they clarify the colonial city, the sewer systems, and the absurd mechanics of the rat hunt.
June 20, 2025
I picked up this book because I ran out of things to read on the Amtrak back to Dartmouth. I was carrying it back to Dartmouth for my friend Khanh. The story is one of colonialism, and it rhymes with many other stories of colonialism: European power enforces shortsighted policy with great brutality and causes great suffering. The graphic novel format lent it broader appeal – perhaps to youth – but the text itself seemed too complex in its word choice and sentence structure, and rather dry. The whole graphic novel is presented literally as a lecture, meaning it was not too engaging. I wish the authors took more advantage of the graphic novel format to tell their story – I still recall how Satrapi’s Persepolis uses the visual flexibility of the graphic novel to further isolate its characters through the panel borders. At the same time, it didn’t go deeply enough into any of the details of the events. Overall, the book tries to be both easily readable and informative, but it doesn’t succeed at either. It would best appeal to those who already have an invested interest in Vietnam and/or the process of historical research.
October 3, 2021
This historical graphic novel describes the impact of French colonization on Vietnamese culture.
However, after a while, it becomes irritating to observe how every single French character is obnoxious and condescending all along the book.
I am against any colonization or intrusion into the government of any country. And the author is of the same opinion. However, there's a total lack of balance in the author's judgment. I would have appreciated some moderation considering the role Americans played in Vietnam, Latin America, or South Africa, to name a few.
I also found the story extraordinarily informative but too long.
Yet, despite my three stars and this extremely critical review, I recommend the graphic novel as an excellent way to learn some history.
However, after a while, it becomes irritating to observe how every single French character is obnoxious and condescending all along the book.
I am against any colonization or intrusion into the government of any country. And the author is of the same opinion. However, there's a total lack of balance in the author's judgment. I would have appreciated some moderation considering the role Americans played in Vietnam, Latin America, or South Africa, to name a few.
I also found the story extraordinarily informative but too long.
Yet, despite my three stars and this extremely critical review, I recommend the graphic novel as an excellent way to learn some history.
September 23, 2025
I'm very biased towards illustrated academic books, so having a comic history of French colonial Hanoi through a micro history of public health rat hunting initiatives was so fascinating and deviates from the often boring and Euro-centric texts that come out of Vietnamese Studies. I am often very hesitant of non-Vietnamese scholars who write about any Vietnamese history, but I am incredibly impressed by Vann's ability to pack such a complex history in slightly over a 100-page comic. The primary sources he used are also included in the book. Such a great classroom material, and definitely would include this in any course related to Vietnam, Southeast Asia, or the history of disease.
October 23, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the fact that it was a history book written like a comic. Also, I loved the symbolism in this book, like how the rats symbolized colonialism. I liked how the dual cities also illustrated that the government rather spend its money on people who are already rich, rather then the people living in poverty because they're considered thought of as unhelpable, or too messy. This example of a dual city exists almost in every major city to this day. Overall great read 10/10 would recommend.
written by vazira khakimova (bc it doesn't show my name on my profile)
written by vazira khakimova (bc it doesn't show my name on my profile)
September 29, 2023
It was assigned reading so take that as you will. It wasn’t too bad, but truly nothing to write home about. One of my biggest gripes was the ratio of paragraphs to diagrams to essays interspersed with the story (unequal and clunky at times). Would not have picked it up by myself. Vann seems like a nice guy though.
December 14, 2023
WOW I had no idea how bad French colonialism was in Vietnam...I felt so sick reading so much of this.
This is my second book in the Graphic History Series, the first one being about the murder of Emmett Till. I am definitely going to keep reading more books like these, and really appreciate all the primary and secondary sources being put together in an illustrated and easy to understand book.
This is my second book in the Graphic History Series, the first one being about the murder of Emmett Till. I am definitely going to keep reading more books like these, and really appreciate all the primary and secondary sources being put together in an illustrated and easy to understand book.
November 14, 2022
It was a good book on how Vietnam was colonized by French explorers and how Hanoi was founded. There was many good parts but even better. It showed how the natives in hanoi were able to kill of the French people encroaching on there land.
September 18, 2023
the graphic novel part of this book was INCREDIBLY interesting. will now be searching for ways to include graphic novels in my instruction! the rest of the book was typical historical stuff but interesting enough.
September 29, 2023
Best history textbook I've ever had. There gets to be alot of exposition and the comic style lends itself to bias and images that are not necessarily true, but reasonable assumptions I suppose. However the illustrations do make the material easier to process than a normal history book.
October 19, 2023
2.5! I have never read a historical graphic novel, and this wasn't terrible, but it did give me a headache trying to read the small text. I think it also lost the narrative elements with so much info-dumping.
Currently reading
November 12, 2025This is clearly going to be a 5-star book. Read the intro material on a loaner from Aparna but was so enthralling, I gave hers back and bought my own copy! Content, style, structure are all exemplary. Can't wait to get back to it.
November 4, 2021
Read this book for class. Super interesting example of a microhistory and an interesting perspective on colonization and public health.
November 14, 2021
everyone should read! so accessible yet so deep
December 24, 2021
RIYL: getting angry about Western colonialism and capitalism. A good cautionary message for us public health types about recognizing whose interests we serve.
December 30, 2021
this was SO cool - would so, SO recommend if the concept sounds interesting to you - such a fun and interesting way to learn about history
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