Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
Buy new:
$27.68$27.68
FREE delivery: Wednesday, April 24 on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon.
Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com
Buy used: $13.77
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution Paperback – Illustrated, October 31, 2005
Purchase options and add-ons
The first and only successful slave revolution in the Americas began in 1791 when thousands of brutally exploited slaves rose up against their masters on Saint-Domingue, the most profitable colony in the eighteenth-century Atlantic world. Within a few years, the slave insurgents forced the French administrators of the colony to emancipate them, a decision ratified by revolutionary Paris in 1794. This victory was a stunning challenge to the order of master/slave relations throughout the Americas, including the southern United States, reinforcing the most fervent hopes of slaves and the worst fears of masters.
But, peace eluded Saint-Domingue as British and Spanish forces attacked the colony. A charismatic ex-slave named Toussaint Louverture came to France’s aid, raising armies of others like himself and defeating the invaders. Ultimately Napoleon, fearing the enormous political power of Toussaint, sent a massive mission to crush him and subjugate the ex-slaves. After many battles, a decisive victory over the French secured the birth of Haiti and the permanent abolition of slavery from the land. The independence of Haiti reshaped the Atlantic world by leading to the French sale of Louisiana to the United States and the expansion of the Cuban sugar economy.
Laurent Dubois weaves the stories of slaves, free people of African descent, wealthy whites, and French administrators into an unforgettable tale of insurrection, war, heroism, and victory. He establishes the Haitian Revolution as a foundational moment in the history of democracy and human rights.
- Print length384 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherThe Belknap Press
- Publication dateOctober 31, 2005
- Dimensions6.12 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100674018265
- ISBN-13978-0674018266
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together

Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Editorial Reviews
Review
“[A] sinuous and stirring account of ‘the largest slave revolt in the history of the world, and the only one that succeeded.’”―John Leonard, Harper’s
“Laurent Dubois’s patient study offers a valuable glimpse into the complexities of the creation of modern Haiti that supplants the usual commonplaces on this ‘first black republic.’”―Nick Caistor, Times Literary Supplement
“There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of books about the Haitian Revolution, but only a handful are indispensable. Avengers of the New World joins that select company. A powerful narrative informed by the latest research, it digs beneath ready-made notions―whether of purely heroic rebels or of implacable caste hatreds―to bring to light the forging of new identities and new ideals.”―Robin Blackburn, The Nation
“In this exhaustively researched and valuable account, Laurent Dubois, a history professor at Michigan State, looks back to the founding of Haiti… Dubois, writing in an accessible style and with a wide-ranging focus, has done an impressive job depicting the tumultuous founding of Haiti. Readers wanting to place the Caribbean nation’s current struggles in a larger historical context will find Dubois an eminently worthwhile resource.”―Chuck Leddy, Christian Science Monitor
“Avengers of the New World weaves the experiences and stories of slaves, free Blacks, wealthy whites, and French administrators into an unforgettable tale of insurrection, war, heroism, and victory. Laurent Dubois examines the actions of the famous leaders of the revolt such as Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, but also of lesser-known men and women caught up in the violent and tumultuous events. Dubois establishes the Haitian Revolution, which is often misunderstood or forgotten, as a foundational moment in the history of democracy and of human rights… Avengers of the New World can help us put the current situation in Haiti in context, explain the reasons behind the violence, and give us an idea of what the future might hold.”―Caribbean Life
“How well Dubois wears the mantle of this exciting area of study. His engaging analysis of the social forces at play in Saint Domingue (now Haiti) at the turn of the nineteenth century reveals this conflict to be of wider significance than we may previously have thought… Dubois’s masterful grasp of the ‘contorted human relationships’ that define the period renders his study infinitely relevant to our global society… With his help, we may yet come to understand the far-reaching impact of this amazing revolution and the true meaning of Haiti’s beloved motto: L’Union fait la force.”―Patti M. Marxsen, French Review
“In Avengers of the New World, Laurent Dubois has crafted a nuanced yet highly readable narrative of the Haitian Revolution… It is a welcome addition to the growing literature on the revolutionary Atlantic World. Readers new to the Haitian Revolution will especially benefit from Dubois’s lucid explanation of an enormously complex period.”―Yvonne Fabella, New West Indian Guide
“For those who wish to recall the dramatic events that led to the creation of the world’s first black republic and the Western Hemisphere’s second independent nation, I would strongly recommend Laurent Dubois’s Avengers of the New World… The story of Haitian independence is well known and has been told many times before, but Dubois’s vigorous text brings the story to vibrant new life. The battles, personalities, and complex sociopolitical turmoil brought about in Haiti and elsewhere in the world, especially the slave-owning American South, are recalled with a depth and passion that makes this an invigorating work of historical writing.”―Phil Hall, New York Resident
“Readers unfamiliar with the history of Haiti will find this thoughtful, gracefully written book an eye-opening account of the complexities of the Haitian revolution.”―Milton Berman, Salem Press Online
“This wonderfully readable account is a timely reminder of the perils and sacrifices that marked Haiti’s revolutionary path, resulting in only the second independent nation of this hemisphere. Dubois rightfully emphasizes the impact of French revolutionary principles (i.e., the Rights of Man) on the Haitian rebel slaves, as well as the inextricable influence of French politics on the fate of its Caribbean colony, highlighted by the power struggles between Napoleon and Louverture. The author’s insights about the nature of solidarity, trust, and leadership among the slaves, as well as the organization of insurgents across the colony, are well worth recalling, especially in this fateful year.”―R. M. Delson, Choice
“What Laurent Dubois has achieved is a synthesis of the most current research in a strikingly accessible and appealing presentation, be it to experts or to general readers unfamiliar with the subject. Avengers of the New World is more than likely to become the new standard work in English on one of the most under-reported events in the history of the Western Hemisphere.”―Madison Smartt Bell, author of All Souls Rising and Master of the Crossroads
“By abolishing slavery and granting citizenship to all men, the Haitian Revolution fulfilled the ideals of the Age of Democratic Revolution in a way that France, the United States, and other nations were not yet ready to accept. Dubois demonstrates the revolutionary determination of enslaved Caribbean- and African-born people and captures the voices of key actors including Toussaint Louverture, individual slaves, free people of color, rival black generals, and white women. This is a story that needs to be told in the engaging yet scholarly voice that Dubois achieves.”―John Garrigus, Professor of History, Jacksonville University
“Brilliantly conceived, beautifully rendered, Laurent Dubois’s narrative places the Haitian Revolution at the center of the Age of Revolutions―one of three that shook the world―challenging in the process the stubborn academic myopia that divides the history of Europe from its colonies, and whites from blacks.”―Thomas Holt, author of The Problem of Race in the 21st Century
“The course of the Haitian Revolution was as checkered as the storyline of an Italian opera. Laurent Dubois wisely and eloquently reduces that complexity to understandable proportions. He shows how the revolutionary leadership evolved over time, both defining its own objectives and winning its battles along the way. With care and good judgment, Dubois builds for us a compelling picture of the emergent consciousness of the slaves. His distinctive contribution is to bring to life one of the most significant events in modern political history, an event that has been deliberately misrepresented for the past two centuries.”―Sidney Mintz, author of Caribbean Transformations and Sweetness and Power
“Avengers of the New World is a luminous model for the history of revolution, for a ‘people’s’ history of freedom, and, not least, for a history that is truly Atlantic in scope. At once original, deeply learned, and gracefully written, Dubois’s achievement is worthy of its great lineage: that of C. L. R. James and Aime Cesaire.”―James C. Scott, author of Domination and the Arts of Resistance and Weapons of the Weak
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : The Belknap Press; First Edition (October 31, 2005)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 384 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0674018265
- ISBN-13 : 978-0674018266
- Item Weight : 15.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 6.12 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #399,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #34 in Haiti Caribbean & West Indies History
- #1,334 in Discrimination & Racism
- #9,424 in World History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Laurent Dubois is Professor of Romance Studies and History and Faculty Director of the Forum for Scholars & Publics at Duke University. His works on the Caribbean in the Age of Revolution include the author of Avengers of the New World (Harvard University Press, 2004) and A Colony of Citizens: Revolution and Slave Emancipation in the French Caribbean, 1787-1804 (University of North Carolina Press, 2004), which won four book prizes, including the Frederick Douglass Prize. He has also published two collections: Origins of the Black Atlantic, edited with Julius Scott (Routledge Press, 2009) and Slave Revolution in the Caribbean, 1789-1804: A History in Documents, edited with John Garrigus (Bedford Press, 2006). In 2012 he published Haiti: The Aftershocks of History (Metropolitan Books), which was reviewed on the front page of the New York Times Book Review as well as in the Miami Herald, the Boston Globe, and the New Yorker. He recently published The Banjo: America's African Instrument (Harvard University Press 2016), for which he received a National Humanities Center Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He also was the recipient of a Mellon New Directions Fellowship to study Ethnomusicology. He has also written about sport in Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France (University of California Press, 2010), as well as for The New Republic and Sports Illustrated and at his Soccer Politics Blog. His book The Language of the Game: How to Understand Soccer (Basic Books), will be published in March 2018.
For more information visit http://duboisl2.wordpress.com/.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
By Laurent Dubois
The book for me was very informative and the writing style makes it an easy read for the masses. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and I am encouraged to learn even more about Haiti and the Revolution and how it sent shock waves throughout the western world.
I am beginning to understand why the west has a policy of pretending that Haiti doesn't exist. Their feelings are still hurt that a bunch of African slaves defeated the most powerful army at that time - Napoleon's army. Not only that, Haiti's defeat of the French army encourage and gave hope to the slaves of North America. Can anyone say Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey and Gabriel Prosser?! During Denmark Vesey's trail, there was testimony from his co-conspirators that he had connections with Haiti, and after burning down Charleston, the Haitians were ready to receive them.
After Napoleon's defeat, he had to sell his US territory for a song. Y'all may know it as the Lousiana Purchase. The English purchased the land and double the size of the US.
Of course, their intention was to expand slavery in North America.
I give this book a five star and highly recommend it for an easy read and introduction of the Haitian Revolution.








