An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, From Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President [Hardcover]

Randall Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 2007

On February 29th, 2004 the democratically elected president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was forced to leave his country. The twice elected President was kidnapped, along with his Haitian-American wife, American soldiers and flown, against his will, to the isolated Central African Republic. Although the American government has denied ousting Aristide it was clear that the Haitian people’s most recent attempt at self-determination had not been crushed by Haitian paramilitaries as Washington claimed. In An Unbroken Agony, bestselling author and social justice advocate Randall Robinson explores the heroic and tragic history of Haiti. He traces the history of a people forced across the Atlantic in chains; recounting their spectacularly successful slave revolt against France and the two hundred years of reprisals that would follow. The fate of Aristide’s presidency is tied to this people’s century-long quest for self-determination and his removal from power exposes the apartheid-like forces that frustrate these aspirations even today. Robinson majestically chronicles the convulsive history of this island nation-from Columbus’s arrival to the fearlessness of the slave revolutionaries who defeated the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804, wresting from France the most valuable colony of any European power anywhere in the world; from the ideals of the young republic, to the foreign backed dictators who corrupted those ideals, culminating in the American led operation removing from power Haiti’s first democratically elected president and his entire government in 2004. Robinson captures the pride and courage of the Haitian people in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. With his passionate prose, Robinson brings alive the powerful memory of the Haitian revolution in the souls of ordinary citizens and shows the boundless desire of all Haitians to chart their own destiny-free of foreign interference.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The title promises a history of Haiti, but Robinson (The Debt, etc.) delivers a brief for former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and an excoriation of American policies and actions related to his exile. The portrait of Aristide borders on hagiography: Of all the public Christians I have known personally, Aristide led a life that emulated the implacable Christ whose sympathies for the poor Aristide had since childhood taken to heart. The Americans, meanwhile, are largely portrayed as evil: American officials had armed and directed the thugs, organized an unelected and unelectable opposition, and choked the Haitian economy into dysfunctional penury. Robinson's righteous outrage often turns to rant, and his passionate, partisan account veers into repetition, without providing adequate context for his ire. He offers minute descriptions of Artistide's abduction to the Central African Republic in September 1994, his flight and the efforts to save and relocate him, but spends little time on Aristide's governance as Haiti's first democratically elected leader. For the uninitiated, Haiti must appear to be a bewildering stew of obscure and violent events, Robinson writes. How sad that he did not use these pages to clarify the broth. (Aug.)
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From Booklist

Outspoken to the point of controversy, activist Robinson boldly addresses the dire consequences of centuries of racism, most famously arguing for reparations to African Americans for slavery in The Debt (2000). Here he focuses his penetrating attention, vigorous analysis, and drum-roll eloquence on crimes against Haiti. A searing overview of Haitian history and the reasons behind the black nation's persistent poverty and isolation is followed by a riveting account of the 2004 coup against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a former humanitarian priest "twice overwhelmingly elected president by the poor." Robinson marshals strong evidence to support his belief that the Bush administration engineered Aristide's removal, and he has firsthand knowledge of the debacle. As friends of the Aristides, Robinson and his wife were in contact with the couple just before they were hustled off to the Central African Republic. Two weeks later, Robinson accompanied U.S. congresswoman Maxine Waters on a daring rescue mission that resulted in the Aristides finding temporary asylum in Jamaica. Robinson's dramatic account makes it clear that many questions remain unanswered. Seaman, Donna

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Basic Civitas (June 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465070507
• ISBN-13: 978-0465070503
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > History > Americas > Caribbean & West Indies > Haiti

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haiti: Behind the Headlines, August 2, 2007

By 

M. Lachenmyer - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, From Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President (Hardcover)

This slim volumn is full of history that usually exists only between the lines in the mainstream press. It is written in a style that is casual and more like oratory or a musical piece that constanly returns to the main themes as the facts unfold rather than a 1000 page history textbook. A story not understood by most in the US, and a must for those wishing to fill in some of the blanks in their knowledge of US foreign policy. The questions raised are disturbing.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Our Book Club Enjoyed It, October 28, 2007

By 

James A. Thomas III - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, From Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President (Hardcover)

Consensus among our book club members was favorable toward Mr. Robinson's latest book. As most of us had never focused on Haiti and knew little about the country's history, An Unbroken Agony was great in that it provided a basic history which highlighted main players and key events. It also gave us an insightful, perhaps biased, account of Aristide's alleged ouster. Since reading the book, I personally am more enlightened about (1) Haitian history and its geography; (2) French, Spanish, and U.S. history; (3) the greatness of Toussaint L'Ouverture whose deeds should be more well-known and documented in history books; (4) the smelly politics and foreign policies of the U.S.; and (5) Aristide's struggle to improve the plight of his nation's people, primarily the lower class and disadvantaged. On the negative side, I wish Mr. Robinson had offered more detail on why the U.S. went to great lengths to rid Haiti of Aristide, i.e., more precise information naming specific corporations and other entities now benefiting from Aristide's absence. Also, I was left wondering why Aristide has not been more vocal in his exile. Why has he not written a book to tell us how and why he was forced to leave his country? Why is he not pleading his own case? Finally, everyone in the book club to a person was motivated/inspired to seek out more information on Haiti, which is a good thing.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ugly truths about the United States, December 26, 2007

By 

Vaughn A. Carney (Vermont USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, From Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President (Hardcover)

Randall Robinson again displays his towering intellect, clear-eyed vision, and grasp of history, economics and power relationships. The ugly truths regarding the unrelenting American (and French) hostility toward Haiti are truths that the overwhelming majority of Americans cannot handle, and who therefore resort to willful ignorance. This book is a fascinating review of the kind of U.S. history that is not taught in the schools, nor covered by the media.