{"product_id":"the-doctor-who-would-be-king-9781478017868","title":"The Doctor Who Would Be King","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003eDr. 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. \u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLength\u003c\/strong\u003e: 312 pages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication date\u003c\/strong\u003e: 15 April 2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e: Duke University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight\u003c\/strong\u003e: 452g\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimension\u003c\/strong\u003e: 152 x 229 x 32 (mm)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/strong\u003e: 9781478017868\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Guillaume Lachenal","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":44095595741434,"sku":"9781478017868","price":15.51,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0522\/4297\/2845\/products\/1651226946855_book.jpg?v=1651261998","url":"https:\/\/shulphink.com\/products\/the-doctor-who-would-be-king-9781478017868","provider":"Shulph Ink","version":"1.0","type":"link"}