A passionate and insightful
account by a leading historian of Haiti that traces the sources of
the country's devastating present back to its turbulent and traumatic
history
Even
before the devastating 2010 earthquake, Haiti was known as a
benighted place of poverty and corruption, blamed by many for its own
wretchedness. But as acclaimed historian Laurent Dubois demonstrates,
Haiti's troubled present can only be understood by examining its
complex past. The country's difficulties are inextricably rooted in
its founding revolution—the only successful slave revolt in the
history of the world; the hostility that this rebellion generated
among the surrounding colonial powers; and the intense struggle
within Haiti itself to define its newfound freedom and realize its
promise.
Revealing
what lies behind the familiar moniker "the poorest nation in the
Western Hemisphere," this indispensable book illuminates the
foundations on which a new Haiti might yet emerge.
A
New York Times Notable Book of the Year
