The Doctor Who Would Be King

Dr. Jean Joseph David, a French colonial army doctor, governed an entire region of French Cameroon during World War II. He dreamed of establishing a medical utopia but had unchecked power, leading to a tragic comedy of power.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 15 April 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

In the captivating book "The Doctor Who Would Be King," Guillaume Lachenal delves into the extraordinary tale of Dr. Jean Joseph David, a French colonial army doctor who assumed the role of ruler over a vast region of French Cameroon during World War II. Dubbed by the locals as "emperor," Dr. David harbored a grand vision of creating a medical utopia, driven by an unbridled desire to fulfill the colonialist dream of liberating colonized subjects from the clutches of misery, ignorance, and illness. Lachenal employs a rich tapestry of archival materials, oral histories, and ethnographic fieldwork to trace the origins of Dr. David's earlier attempts at a similar project on a Polynesian island and the enduring legacies of his failed experiment in Cameroon. Rather than presenting a mere recounting of imperial hubris, Lachenal skillfully weaves the past into the present, exploring the memories and remnants of Dr. David's rule to unveil a profound global history of violence, desire, and failure. Within this tragic comedy of power, the hope for a better future becomes obscured, casting a shadow over the human condition.

In the captivating book "The Doctor Who Would Be King," Guillaume Lachenal delves into the extraordinary tale of Dr. Jean Joseph David, a French colonial army doctor who assumed the role of ruler over a vast region of French Cameroon during World War II. Dubbed by the locals as "emperor," Dr. David harbored a grand vision of creating a medical utopia, driven by an unbridled desire to fulfill the colonialist dream of liberating colonized subjects from the clutches of misery, ignorance, and illness. Lachenal employs a rich tapestry of archival materials, oral histories, and ethnographic fieldwork to trace the origins of Dr. David's earlier attempts at a similar project on a Polynesian island and the enduring legacies of his failed experiment in Cameroon. Rather than presenting a mere recounting of imperial hubris, Lachenal skillfully weaves the past into the present, exploring the memories and remnants of Dr. David's rule to unveil a profound global history of violence, desire, and failure. Within this tragic comedy of power, the hope for a better future becomes obscured, casting a shadow over the human condition.

Weight: 452g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478017868