A classic and impassioned account of the first revolution in the Third World.This powerful; intensely dramatic book is the definitive account of the Haitian Revolution of 1794-1803; a revolution that began in the wake of the Bastille but became the model for the Third World liberation movements from Africa to Cuba. It is the story of the French colony of San Domingo; a place where the brutality of master toward slave was commonplace and ingeniously refined. And it is the story of a barely literate slave named Toussaint L'Ouverture; who led the black people of San Domingo in a successful struggle against successive invasions by overwhelming French; Spanish; and English forces and in the process helped form the first independent nation in the Caribbean.
#499880 in Books Edelson S Max 2017-04-24Original language:English 9.30 x 1.40 x 6.40l; #File Name: 0674972112480 pagesThe New Map of Empire How Britain Imagined America Before Independence
Review
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Long Overdue BookBy Benjamin SacksI loved this book. If you have any interest in maps; cartography; or empire; this should be at the top of your list. "The New Map of Empire" is one of the best books on cartography I've read in years. Edelson clearly spent years painstakingly researching hundreds of maps to reconstruct how Britain's multitude of institutions; who often seemed more concerned with backstabbing their cross-town rivals than actually managing the colonies; tried - and; in the Thirteen Colonies; at least; failed - to extend and exert both familiar and new kinds of authority over their subjects. His chapters on Canada and the Caribbean are particularly illuminating. They certainly deepened my understanding of how other; non-Thirteen Colonies possessions in North America were mapped; controlled; and understood in the tumultuous years between the Seven Years War and the American Revolution. While the book could have done with more inset maps; especially to visualize some of Britain's economic and social plans (e.g.; on the Rosalij Estate); I think his development of a website to store them is a useful alternative. I hope his work; too; spurs similar efforts on French and Spanish colonies.2 of 13 people found the following review helpful. Utterly DreadfulBy RebeccaAs an academic I’ve always had a high tolerance for books that most people would consider dull. Indeed; many of my favorite works – books that I reread on a regular basis – are a source of dread even to others in academia. This book… This book taught me that there is a limit to what I can endure. Dry; jargon filled sentences that circle back on themselves. Probably to hide the fact that the author has essentially nothing to say. If you value your time; if you value your sanity; if you value good scholarship; please stay away from this dreadful book.
