Written in Blood: The Story of the Haitian People 1492-1995

by Robert Debs Heinl, Nancy G. Heinl

This text provides a history of Haiti from 1492 to the end of 1995.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

902 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 1978

Reviews

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a "must read" when studying why Haiti continues to be an economic disaster despite the best efforts of well-intentioned people, charities, organizations, and governments. The authors both resided in Haiti in the 1960s and witnessed many of the traumatic events under "Papa Doc".

This book accounts the history of Haiti from the time of Columbus to the 1990s. It describes the potential and opportunities to grow and prosper, sadly squandered for personal gain or just plain incompetence of its leadership.

It has no happy ending and the turmoil, suffering, and poverty continue today. It contains a remarkable observation; Haiti enjoyed better government, infrastructure, sanitation, nutrition, living conditions, and economic success in the late 1790s than it has today!

[Maxo Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perhaps the best book on the subject of Haiti period.

[Julio The Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely stunning account of the history of the most tragic nation in the Western Hemisphere, and that is no accolade to prize. The author is a former U.S. Naval Attache to Haiti who writes sympathetically of a people he obviously admires for their resoluteness and heroism, but who also seem perpetual victims of history. Spanish genocide against the Indian native population, division of the island between France and Spain, Saint-Domingue the sugar colony keeping afloat the Bourbon monarchy by importing hundreds of thousands of slaves to cut cane for export, a savage war of liberation against the French after the 1789 Revolution led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, which had to be fought again when Napoleon invade the island and restored slavery, independence as the world's first Black republic, a humongous foreign debt to France coupled with non-recognition by the United States until the 1870s, civil war and partition of the country between north and south, wars with Santo Domingo next door, countless coups, an American occupation lasting from 1917-1933, run by future president Franklin Roosevelt, division between mulattoes and Blacks, the tyranny of "Papa Doc" Duvalier, who once put a curse on John F. Kennedy, the downfall of his son "Baby Doc" in 1986 and a failed attempt at democracy, the aborted rule of Father Aristide, and another American military invasion under Clinton; what hasn't Haiti endured? All this sorrow Robert Debs Heini tells with respect for the people of Haiti while maintaining a clear objective eye.

[Yoruichi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is very interesting, even if it reoeat itself a lot. It is more a political than a social or economical history. It doesn't tell how people actually lived, qhich is what I was looing for. Nevertheless, it is as complete as a handbook can be.

[Heather Babinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always wanted an all inclusive, well written history of the country I love, Haiti. This book put Haiti's history in a way I could enjoy reading it.