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Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution Paperback – Illustrated, October 31, 2005

4.7 out of 5 stars 204

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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.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A stern and brilliant new book… The Haitian Revolution, in all its ugliness and brutality, was the response of the oppressed, indentured and enslaved to their unjust condition. And it is this whirling and chaotic world that Dubois so vividly brings to life in Avengers of the New World and so accurately deconstructs… Dubois starts this book about war with chapters about love, death, books and graveyards. His discussions of interracial love affairs and the attitudes of slaves both toward death among slaves and toward death among masters are riveting and eloquent. Indeed, Dubois’ literary sensibility informs the book from start to finish, so that at its beginning as well as its end, the reader feels as if the story must be fiction, yet it is not… Dubois calls Haiti a nation ‘founded on ashes,’ and he has written splendidly about the fires, both political and cultural, that lit up the land during the days of revolution and that are still, in a sense, burning today.”Amy Wilentz, Los Angeles Times Book 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

Laurent Dubois is the John L. Nau III Bicentennial Professor in the History & Principles of Democracy at the University of Virginia.

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
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 204

About the author

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Laurent Dubois
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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

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
204 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2008
Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution
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.
12 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2022
This history of the Haitian revolution is a worth read.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2017
Good book - but if you are buying the ebook, note that it only includes the Kindle locations and not the actual book page numbers like most ebooks, so citation can be a problem if the book is for school. Another thing I noticed about this ebook related to all the others I've purchased in the past is that when highlighting key phrases or quotes, there's no notes section to collectively place all those quotes conveniently in one place to review.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2022
As described and on time, thanks!
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2022
Good
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2021
I found this book super insightful, well researched and easy to read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to learn more about Haiti, the Haitian revolution or slavery.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2021
There are many histories of the Haitian Revolution, but none more passionate, thorough, and detailed than this one. This is a masterpiece of historical narrative.
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2013
This book is the best document I have had about Espaniola, The information about the revolution is priceless, the slavery description is also most informative. The writer's approach to inform about the Dominican Republic and Haiti actions provides an unusual lot of information in one text and gives a better than most, interresting and complete view of the situation at one time. It is a very well explained situation of the French military involvment and of the action/reaction of the slave element within the then white society. The emergence of Haiti is well covered in this book.
15 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A superb recollection of the he shouldn’t revolution which reads like a novel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2021
I love this book from beginning to end. It perfectly balances being an informed read whilst simultaneously entertaining the reader. After reading the black Jacobins I really thought I had a grasp on the Haitian Revolution. However the more great books I read such as this the more that I realise the complexity and multi faceted nature of the Haitian Revolution.
One person found this helpful
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Gordinho
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book on Haiti, complex and informative
Reviewed in Canada on July 22, 2019
Great. Worth reading twice. There is a lot I unpack here. The history of Haiti and the slave revolt is one of the most compelling and interesting piece of history. Well done here. The book leaves us with a desire to read and learn more about Haiti and its complex history and the foreign nations that have worked against and continue to oppress the Haitian people.
Guillermo Aguilar
4.0 out of 5 stars Uno de los silencios mas interesantes en la historia
Reviewed in Mexico on October 28, 2017
Excelente libro para conocer, ubicar histórica y socialmente uno de los eventos mas silenciados de la historia contada en occidente; la revolución de Haití.
2 people found this helpful
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Brandon wood
5.0 out of 5 stars Important History
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2021
This is a great book about a major part of history which often gets glanced over. Lots of information and easy to read makes this book informative and enjoyable, i recommend this to anybody with an interest in this subject.
One person found this helpful
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Natalie
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2020
Why is the story of the only successful slave revolution in world history not taught is beyond me, a truly inspirational historic world event of great importance .Fantastic book
One person found this helpful
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