In Torture and The French Army During The Algerian War of Independence, 1954-1962, Raphaelle Branche thoroughly describes the mechanism and origins of French torture in Algeria during its war of independence. She shows how colonial racism and methods of torture inherited from the Indo-Chinese war were used by the French Army to "justify" torture in the Algerian colony.

Basing her research on archives, which were recently opened to the public, and testimonies of soldiers and officers, Branche analyzes the functioning, the discourse and the self-justification of the French institutions at the time. The result is a fascinating and important work of history.