false<![CDATA[Toussaint Louverture: A Biography]]>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171308885m/96011.jpg960113In 1791, Saint Domingue was both the richest and cruelest colony in the Western Hemisphere; more than a third of African slaves died within a few years of their arrival there. Thirteen years later, Haitian rebels declared independence from France after the first--and only--successful slave revolution in history. Much of the success of this uprising can be credited to one man, Toussaint Louverture--a figure about whom surprisingly little is known.<br><br>In this fascinating biography, the first about Toussaint to appear in English in more than fifty years, Madison Smartt Bell combines a novelist's passion for his subject with a deep knowledge of the historical milieu that produced the man. Toussaint has been known either as a martyr of the revolution or as the instigator of one of history’s most savagely violent events. Bell shatters this binary perception, producing a clear-eyed picture of a complicated figure.<br><br>Toussaint, born a slave, became a slaveholder himself, with associates among the white planter class. Bell demonstrates how his privileged position served as both an asset and a liability, enabling him to gain the love of blacks and mulattoes as "Papa Toussaint" but also sowing mistrust in their minds.<br><br>Another of Bell's brilliant achievements is demonstrating how Toussaint’s often surprising actions, such as his support for the king of France even as the French Revolution promised an end to slavery and his betrayal of a planned slave revolt in Jamaica, can be explained by his desire to achieve liberation for the blacks of Saint Domingue. <br><br>This masterly biography is a revelation of one of the most fascinating and important figures in New World history.17162421612007Toussaint Louverture: A Biographytotal:26|5:2|4:11|3:12|2:1|269250800falsefalseThu Feb 05 09:42:51 -0800 2009Thu Feb 05 09:42:51 -0800 2009
Madison Smartt Bell's extensive work on Haitian history makes him the right man to tackle Louverture, an elusive but significant figure. Critics felt, however, that since so little is known about him prior to age 50 (something even Bell himself concedes), Bell might have better served his subject wi...more...]]>
30falsefalseThu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009Fri Feb 13 10:08:38 -0800 2009Fri Feb 13 10:13:54 -0800 2009
more...]]>
40falsefalseWed Mar 12 00:00:00 -0700 2008Mon Feb 18 17:32:28 -0800 2008Wed Mar 12 19:37:26 -0700 2008
more...]]>
30falsefalseSun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007Sat Mar 31 19:03:57 -0700 2007Wed Jul 04 15:50:02 -0700 2007
more...]]>
40truefalseThu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007Thu Nov 22 12:30:32 -0800 2007Thu Nov 22 12:35:24 -0800 2007
more...]]>
00falsefalseTue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008Mon Feb 18 18:09:48 -0800 2008Mon Feb 18 18:12:37 -0800 2008
more...]]>
40falsefalseSat Feb 23 15:40:30 -0800 2008Sat Feb 23 15:45:57 -0800 200830falsefalseSun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008Mon Jun 30 10:29:58 -0700 2008Sun Aug 03 06:42:20 -0700 200800falsefalseSat Nov 28 15:26:01 -0800 2009Sat Nov 28 15:26:01 -0800 200900falsefalseThu Nov 12 00:00:00 -0800 2009Fri Nov 13 14:45:11 -0800 2009Fri Nov 13 14:45:31 -0800 200900falsefalseSun Oct 18 17:00:03 -0700 2009Sun Oct 18 17:00:03 -0700 200900falsefalseMon Sep 28 21:21:57 -0700 2009Mon Sep 28 21:21:57 -0700 200930falsefalseWed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009Sat Aug 01 16:14:08 -0700 2009Sat Aug 01 16:14:26 -0700 200940falsefalseMon Jul 20 19:57:37 -0700 2009Mon Jul 20 19:57:37 -0700 200900falsefalseSun Jul 12 22:09:47 -0700 2009Sun Jul 12 22:09:47 -0700 200900falsefalseMon Jun 22 22:45:24 -0700 2009Mon Jun 22 22:45:24 -0700 200950falsefalseWed May 27 23:01:28 -0700 2009Wed May 27 23:01:28 -0700 200930falsefalseSat May 16 20:14:25 -0700 2009Sat May 16 20:14:25 -0700 200900falsefalseSun May 03 13:00:21 -0700 2009Sun May 03 13:00:34 -0700 200900falsefalseWed Apr 01 18:43:13 -0700 2009Wed Apr 01 18:43:31 -0700 2009
http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=96011