Night Of Fire: The Black Napoleon And The Battle For Haiti

by Martin Ros

The largest, and only successful, slave revolt in history took place in Haiti shortly after the French Revolution. First organized by a voodoo priest, the rebellion soon came under the leadership of an educated, Catholic slave named Toussaint Louverture -- a man of such military and political skill that he was referred to by contemporaries as the "Black Napoleon".

Genres: History

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this book, and I am teaching this currently in World History. I like this book because of its readability. Ros, a Dutch journalist, writes very well; and he is a great story teller. This book, though it has an academic tone, is accessible to non-academics and non-specialists. By reading this biography of Toussaint and history of the Haitian Revolution, the reader can grasp the heart of the story. The reader will be able to converse about Toussaint and the Revolution.

Yet there are problems. First, some of the language is problematic. Ros (in the English translation by Karin Ford-Treep) uses the words "Negro," "Mulatto," and "Colored." I find this troubling given that Ros published the book in Dutch in 1991. Second, Ros uncritically falls into sexist tropes as he wrote of women.

Overall, I recommend the book (actually I was assigned to read this book in 1995 in graduate school). This is a good introduction to Toussaint and the Haitian Revolution. If you are really interested in Toussaint and the Haitian Revolution there are other works to read that have advanced the scholarship on Toussaint and the Haitian Revolution.

[Jw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. Lots of information about the slave trade and Haiti's independence that I never learned in a history class. Especially illuminating was the attitude of the French Revolutionary leaders, Napoleon and his family towards the idea of an independent, black state. Will be sharing this book with my future students in U.S. History class.

[Marc Lamot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mooie evocatie van de slavenopstand die leidde tot de revolutie en onafhankelijkheid van Haïti, eind 18de eeuw, begin 19de eeuw, en de ontsporingen ervan. Knap staaltje van docufictie.

[Prince Chambliss]

It is most certainly not for the faint of heart. Not having been educated on the history of Haiti, I was interested when some suggested that the natural disasters occurring in Haiti in the past few years were God's punishment for its past. Of course, I was generally familiar with Toussaint Louvertere which I had seen spelled a different way. However, I had not studied his life in detail and was not in any way familiar with the particulars of the history in that country.

While I am a strong believer in the basic goodness of human nature, I am well aware of the many examples of man's inhumane treatement of his fellow man. The details provided in this book will not be appealing to most and should likely be avoided by those not desiring knowledge of the precise description of how slaves were tormented by their most perverse masters and what atrociites the slaves could inflict,themselves, when the tables are turned. But, of course, it is possible to skip over those graphic accounts and concentrate on the general history which is fascinating. The accounts of the fierce military campaigns, espionage intrige and political machinations are all exrremely interesting and intriguing.

Reading about the day to day events in the life of a slave growing up in Haiti more than 200 years ago is illuminating. Being the son of a reported son of an African king, Toussaint Louvertere is likely to have had a better life than most slaves. He was permitted to learn to read and write and also learned some Latin which is probably a beter education than many of us are exposed to even today. I learned a great deal about the violent history of Haiti and commend this account to those seeking intimate knowledge of the "Black Napolean" whose life was not nearly the "bowl of cherries" that one would have envisioned for one who successfully led a slave revolt and established a new order for a new nation. Like George Washington, Toussaint Louvertere may have indeed been the father of his country but, more than 200 years ago, the differences between the nature of the lives of the two leaders are startling.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pocket history of the rebellion notably foregrounded in the resistance culture of the slaves in revolt.

Reading alongside Mike Duncan's Revolutions Podcast series on the Haitian Revolution:

http://www.revolutionspodcast.com/201...

[Ceora]

Intense sh*t. I didn't know Napoleon was ever stopped. A lil' black dude won a battle against him.

[Penelope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Really changed my perception on slavery in the New World.

[Netsrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gem, very informative and greatly helped me in realizing how much of a pilar Toussaint Louverture in the Black Pearl of the Caribbean.