The book attempts a different portrayal of the first thirty years of the Third French Republic, focusing on the reconstruction and functioning of the Paris Police after the Paris Commune.

The primary vehicle of the research is the police dossier formed through years of secret surveillance of the socialist Panagiotis Argyriadis. A member of the Second International, publisher of socialist publications, an active lawyer, and a privileged interlocutor of anarchist and socialist groups, Argyriadis remained politically active until his death and built a personal and slightly eccentric international political network that is presented here for the first time.

His dossier is examined in contrast to other sources, and the research raises again the issue of examining police records as a historical source. The role of bureaucracy is highlighted, as well as police practices of repression and surveillance, emphasizing their impact on social and political groups.

The exceptional organization of the repressive mechanisms in late 19th century France is noted, along with a comparison to contemporary practices, which have elevated surveillance, control, and repression not only to a science but almost to a theology.