Book description
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 critical portrait of their
leader, Toussaint L'Ouverture, 'one of the most remarkable men of a
period rich in remarkable men'.
C L R James was born in Trinidad in 1901 and was one of the prominent
figures in the West Indian diaspora. He wrote extensively on Caribbean
history, Marxist theory, literary criticism, Western civilisation,
African politics, cricket and popular culture. He died in 1989.
James Walvin is Professor of modern history at the University of
York and is co-editor of the journal 'Slavery and Abolition'.
