Based on largely unexploited archival sources, France on the Mekong is the first comprehensive history of the colonial era in Cambodia. The book takes as its point of departure Marx's early appraisal of colonialism's "double mission" in Asia. Tully argues that King Norodom's decision to invite in the French in 1863 was a "Faustian bargain" for Cambodia. While the Protectorate did ensure the continued existence of the Cambodian state, and did much to preserve Cambodia's crumbling cultural legacy, the downside was that authoritarian rule was entrenched rather than weakened, and that the country was left seriously underdeveloped when the French left in 1953. Colonialism disturbed the foundations of traditional society, but did not replace them. This was to have disastrous consequences for post-colonial Cambodia— a point that the author develops at the end of the book.

"This is the first comprehensive work in any language on Cambodia as a 90-year French colony. Summing Up: RECOMMENDED. All levels." - CHOICE

"France on the Mekong is a straightforward narrative that traces the political and social developments of Cambodia under French rule. Tully's well-researched and comprehensive treatment of the subject…is a much-needed contribution to the literature on the subject." - H-France Review