Part I Beginnings, Discovery and the Colonial Years 9 Ch 1, Monuments, Tombs and a Great River 20 Ch 2, A River gives Birth to an Empire 39 Ch 3, Priests, Freebooters and Merchants: Europeans Discover the Mekong 60 Ch 4, Filling in the Blanks on the Map: Henri Mouhot and the Rediscovery of Angkor 73 Ch 5, The Mekong Explored: From Hope to Disappointment 98 Ch 6, The Mekong Explored: From Disappointment to Tragedy 118 Ch 7, Gunboats and 'Conquered Hearts': Exploration and Imperial Rivalry along the Mekong 136 Ch 8, Navigating the Mekong: Challenge, Illusion and Defeat 155 Ch 9, Fear and Fascination: The Colonial Years along the Mekong Part II Wars and their Aftermath 177 Ch 10, War, Failed Peace and Plans for the Mekong 194 Ch 11, War, Victory and Defeat along the Mekong 206 Ch 12, Tragedies of Peace Part III Present Imperfect, Future Uncertain 223 Ch 13, The Mekong at Peace: Dams, Plans and Controversies I 238 Ch 14, The Mekong at Peace: Dams, Plans and Controversies II 248 Ch 15, Bridges over Troubled Waters and Lands: Present Imperfect, Future Uncertain 262 Epilogue 269 Sources, Notes and Acknowledgements 284 Index Illustrations 30 Bas-relief at Angkor 57 A map of 'Ancient India', published 1715 66 Henri Mouhot 71 Mouhot's tomb 76 Francis Garnier 78 Doudart de Lagrée 82 The French Mekong Expedition at Angkor 83 Phnom Penh, 1866 86 The Khone Falls 94 Delaporte’s rendering of the That Luang stupa 95 The Mekong Expedition faces more rapids 107 The end of the Mekong Expedition 149 Railway bridge built by the French above Khone Falls 157 Hôtel de Ville in Saigon 204 Pathet Lao banknotes 209 Refugees wait for rice on the Thai-Cambodian border 214 Exhumed skulls 250 My Thuan river crossing 258 Modern Jinghong