The Colonial Bastille: A History Of Imprisonment In Vietnam, 1862-1940

"Zinoman makes original contributions on multiple fronts, including colonial systems; prisons as social institutions; political life in prison; public campaigns concerning prisons; and released prisoners in action. He also takes us beyond the colonial/anticolonial, nationalist/communist, and war/peace dichotomies that have long dominated Vietnam studies."--David Marr, author of "Vietnamese Tradition on Trial, 1920-1945"

"This is a wonderful, lucidly argued, and meticulously documented book."--Ann Stoler, author of "Race and the Education of Desire: Foucault's History of Sexuality and the Colonial Order of Things"

Peter Zinoman's original and insightful study focuses on the colonial prison system in French Indochina and its role in fostering modern political consciousness among the Vietnamese. Using prison memoirs, newspaper articles, and extensive archival records, Zinoman presents a wealth of significant new information to document how colonial prisons, rather than quelling political dissent and maintaining order, instead became institutions that promoted nationalism and revolutionary education.