Black Spartacus
The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture
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Black Spartacus
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Narrated by:
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Sudhir Hazareesingh
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Ben Arogundade
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
The Haitian Revolution began in the French Caribbean colony of Saint-Domingue with a slave revolt in August 1791 and culminated a dozen years later in the proclamation of the world's first independent Black state. After the abolition of slavery in 1793, Toussaint Louverture, himself a former slave, became the leader of the colony's Black population, the commander of its republican army and eventually its governor. During the course of his extraordinary life he confronted some of the dominant forces of his age - slavery, settler colonialism, imperialism and racial hierarchy. Treacherously seized by Napoleon's invading army in 1802, this charismatic figure ended his days, in Wordsworth's phrase, 'the most unhappy man of men', imprisoned in a fortress in France.
Black Spartacus draws on a wealth of archival material, much of it overlooked by previous biographers, to follow every step of Louverture's singular journey, from his triumphs against French, Spanish and British troops to his skilful regional diplomacy, his Machiavellian dealings with successive French colonial administrators and his bold promulgation of an autonomous constitution. Sudhir Hazareesingh shows that Louverture developed his unique vision and leadership not solely in response to imported Enlightenment ideals and revolutionary events in Europe and the Americas, but through a hybrid heritage of fraternal slave organisations, Caribbean mysticism and African political traditions. Above all, Hazareesingh retrieves Louverture's rousing voice and force of personality, making this the most engaging, as well as the most complete, biography to date.
After his death in the French fortress, Louverture became a figure of legend, a beacon for slaves across the Atlantic and for generations of European republicans and progressive figures in the Americas. He inspired the anti-slavery campaigner Frederick Douglass, the most eminent 19th-century African American; his emancipatory struggle was hailed by those who defied imperial and colonial rule well into the 20th. In the modern era, his life informed the French poet Aimé Césaire's seminal idea of négritude and has been celebrated in a remarkable range of plays, songs, novels and statues. Here, in all its drama, is the epic story of the world's first Black superhero.
©2020 Sudhir Hazareesingh (P)2020 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Black Spartacus
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Leah
- 16-09-22
Eye opening. Informative. Inspirational.
The truth erodes with time, so we must honour the right to & fight for freedom and equality. I want to know more... so I will.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Frank Amin
- 29-09-22
A vivid portrait of a real black superhero
Singh’s biography is not entirely linear but he does write evocatively and covers the many facets of Toussant well- from the political to the military, personal to the mystical. The sheer scope of Toussant’s achievements are amazing to hear about, but as he sometimes writes, Toussant is a figure that hovers high but rarely seems grounded in this book - despite the wealth of good material here. Whether it is because of a sparcity of evidence in finer details, I don’t know. People may benefit from a more straightforward biography initially before turning to this one for extensive embellishment.
It is highly evocative and insightful but missing something in the more basic aspect of narrative.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joseph Elliott-Coleman
- 16-12-21
Fantastical, inspirational, and damn brilliant.
Easily one of the best books I've read this year, this exhaustive, comprehensive, and deeply inspirational odyssey into the life, struggle, and enduring influence of Toussaint Louverture mystique and how he continues to serve as an inspiration for generations of African across the world who continue his fight for freedom from colonialism and oppression.
Read this book NOW.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Agberolistic
- 10-01-21
Fantastic Researched Biography
The level of detail and research is fantastic and I thank the author for writing this exceptional biography which is level, engaging and exhilarating. The narration was a little monotone but not too distracting however, my only criticism was that the quotes narrated in French were not interpreted into English....so were lost on me - and that was a disappointment.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brian Q
- 15-01-24
Black Power
These histories are important to the elevation of Our Community. The deliberate misrepresentation of Black History and Black Heroes only serves to perpetuate racism against Black people and other so called minorities.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 08-08-22
poor narration
interesting story but couldn't finish due to poor narration- monotone throughout. really interesting historical figure
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Gruffydd P. Jones
- 20-09-20
Narration detracts
I’m afraid the author’s decision to do the narration himself was mistaken. The unvarying tone, the slight misplacements of emphasis and the inappropriate micro-pauses detract from what is, I’m sure, a good read. There were times when I began to suspect that the narration was computer-generated or manipulated. A professional narrator would have brought the text to life.
I returned the audiobook. The two chapters I heard convinced me to buy or loan the print version instead.
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7 people found this helpful