Black Thunder: Gabriel's Revolt: Virginia, 1800 (Paperback)

by Arna Bontemps (Editor)
Key Phrases: domino spots, brown fangs, Marse Sheppard, Marse Prosser, General John (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Written in 1936 and based on an actual slave revolt, this critically acclaimed novel celebrates slave Gabriel Prossier's struggle to end racial oppression.

Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
'Gabriel Prosser's 1800 slave revolt allowed Bontemps to warn of the rebellion that would come of poverty and racial oppression. This metaphor of revolution is at the same time a highly pertinent representation of black masculinity that will reward students of gender, slavery and the sensibilities of the 1930s.' -Nell Irvin Painter

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press (April 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807063371
• ISBN-13: 978-0807063378
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #612,975 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book about a bad time, January 15, 1999

By A Customer

I thought the book was insightful and related well the oppression of American slaves in 17th century Virginia. Slavery is a subject not often discussed without the emotion of guilt affixed to it. This book presented the racism of slavery in a de facto way that allowed the reader to understand the feelings of inferiority and the rage. The book used several perspectives to provide a thorough analysis. By removing the issue of racism, it helped me better understand and therefore identify with the disdain of injustice and desire for freedom that drove the protagonists to revolt.

Bontemps also dealt with the mix of Christian faith and superstition held by the book's central figures. This is one aspect with which I identified and it may be overlooked without predisposition. The author specifically addressed this through several one-sided discussions between Gabriel and God and the questions of faith raised by his misfortune. The clash of beliefs over the calamity that ensued raised my awareness of how we mix our faith with popular culture and how this mixture often fails to answer our troubled questions in difficult times.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful historical novel that should be widely read, August 19, 1998

By A Customer

This is such a beautiful novel. I am still stunned by the power of it. It is not to be missed. Highly recommend this one.

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an important work of historical fiction., September 30, 1998

By A Customer

This is the best book by Bontemps, a significant author from the Harlem Renaissance period. This book received the most admiration from his peers such as W.E. B. DuBois and Langston Hughes and continues to receive praise from contemporary literary scholars. This story is based on facts of the actual slave rebellion of Gabriel Prosser in Virginia.