Description
Book SynopsisIntended as a reminder of Europe for soldiers and clerks of the empire, the city of Dalat, located in the hills of Southern Vietnam, was built by the French in an alpine locale that reminded them of home. This book uncovers the strange 100-year history of a colonial city that was conceived as a center of power.
Trade Review"In the masterly hands of Eric Jennings, the history of Dalat becomes, not just a case study of a colonial holiday site, but a window into the dreams, fears and tension of colonialism." Canadian Journal Of History "An outstanding book... In a riveting sequence of chapters, the author develops a multilayered analysis of life in Dalat." American Historical Review "An excellent work... Jennings' book testifies to his prominent position in the field of French colonial history." -- Michael Vann Reviews In History "[A] remarkable book, which is impeccably researched... An eye-opening, eminently readable, highly impressive work." H-Net Reviews "Professor Jennings of the University of Toronto is a specialist in French colonial history and this work reflects his expertise in the subject." -- Michael Kyle Asian Affairs
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Escaping Death in the Tropics 2. Murder on the Race for Altitude 3. Health, Altitude, and Climate 4. Early Dalat, 1898--1918 5. Colonial Expectations, Pastimes, Comestibles, Comforts, and Discomforts 6. Situating the "Montagnards" 7. A Functional City? Architecture, Planning, Zoning, and Their Critics 8. The Dalat Palace Hotel 9. Vietnamese Dalat 10. Some Colonial Categories: Children, European Women, and Metis 11. Divine Dalat 12. The Maelstrom, 1940--1945 13. Autonomous Province or Federal Capital? 14. Dalat at War and Peace, 1946--1975 Epilogue Notes Select Bibliography Index
