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103rd out of 227 books
—
60 voters
Master of the Crossroads (Haiti Series #2)
Continuing his epic trilogy of the Haitian slave uprising, Madison Smartt Bell’s Master of the Crossroads delivers a stunning portrayal of Toussaint Louverture, former slave, military geniusandliberator of Haiti, andhis struggle against the great European powers to free his peoplein the only successful slave revolution in history. At the outset, Toussaint is a second-tier...more
Paperback, 752 pages
Published
November 9th 2004
by Vintage
(first published 2000)
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An excellent sequel to All Souls Rising, and with less of the horrifically graphic descriptions of torture and murder. Which isn't to say that it doesn't have any such passages. It's just that Master of the Crossroads deals more with Toussaint's consolidation of his authority throughout the island, particularly in his battles with the Spanish, then the English, and finally in the civil war with Rigaud and his supporters. There is one small uprising afterward, but it is quashed pretty quickly.
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Part 2 of Smartt Bell's sprawling factional book about the Haitian Revolution as seen through the eyes of physician Antoine Herbert contiunes. The doctor has been on the island eight years, arriving in 1791 in search of his sister. In this sequel, Louverture has militarily, for the most part, secured the island. The military victories are done through brute force and political cunning with the Jacobins of France, the British and Spanish governments, all of whom are intent in squashing the slave...more
Heart-wrenching and well-written; the story is told from the POV of a French doctor who was part of Toussaint L'Ouverture's close entourage.
Great historical fiction on the Haitian slave uprisings.
Second in trilogy about Haiti.
This book is dense and intense, demanding a lot from the reader (keeping French and Creole slang straight and managing a pretty complex cast of characters against a rapidly changing historical backdrop.) The investment of energy and intellectual effort to understand Haiti c. 1791-1802 is worth it, and I think the author does an incredible job of deftly relating details of social, military, and economic life at that time. I didn't find it to be transcendent, but I feel certainly more well educate...more
Non iniziato
Epic. In the tradition of the great, sweeping historical novels, Madison Smartt Bell takes on the Haitian Revolution--the only successful slave revolution in the Western Hemisphere--and produces a masterful trilogy. Like most great fiction, he makes you work. The plot is almost as complex as the characters themselves, which is why they are so amazingly lifelike.
Dramatic, funny, horrifying, and compelling.
Dramatic, funny, horrifying, and compelling.
The further history of the Haitian revolution. Probably not particularly engaging for anyone not already thoroughly versed in the complex events of that time. Good writing though...
2nd in Haitian Revolution trilogy. still vivid and as dense as the first
May 12, 2012
Moloch
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4 of 5 stars
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outstanding.
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Shelves:
fiction,
literary,
historical,
general,
biographical,
haiti,
history,
revolution,
1791-1804,
toussaint,
louverture,
slave,
insurrections
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Madison Smartt Bell is a critically acclaimed writer of more than a dozen novels and story collections, as well as numerous essays and reviews for publications such as Harper’s and the New York Times Book Review. His books have been finalists for both the National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award, among other honors. Bell has also taught at distinguished creative writing programs including th...more
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