The Black Jacobins

Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo revolution

| 4.46 | 3,766 ratings and reviews

Recommended by Ben Horowitz, Christian Wisskirchen, Trevor Phillips, and 3 others. See all reviews

Ranked #4 in Marxism, Ranked #11 in French History — see more rankings.

In 1789 the West Indian colony of San Domingo supplied two-thirds of the overseas trade of France. The entire structure of what was arguably the most profitable colony in the world rested on the labour of half a million slaves. In 1791 the waves of unrest inspired by the French Revolution reached across the Atlantic dividing the loyalties of the white population of the island. The brutally treated slaves of Saint Domingo seized at this confusion and rose up in rebellion against masters. In thisclassic work, CLR James chronicles the only successful slave revolt in history and provides a... more
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Reviews and Recommendations

We've comprehensively compiled reviews of The Black Jacobins from the world's leading experts.

Ben Horowitz Co-founder/Andreessen HorowitzA management and cultural genius better than anybody that I’ve ever read about or learned from. (Source)

Christian Wisskirchen The book highlights the achievement of the Haitian nation to be the only ever slave revolution achieving independence by armed struggle. (Source)

Trevor Phillips This book is very complex because it does not make the rebellion’s leader, Toussaint L’Ouverture, into a sort of plaster saint. (Source)

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