Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History

by C.L.R. James, Nic Watts (Adapted by), Sakina Karimjee (Adapted by)

Overview

Longlisted for the American Library in Paris Book Award

Winner of the American Book Award

Winner of the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award

PERHAPS THE GREATEST VICTORY OF THE OPPRESSED OVER THEIR OPPRESSORS IN ALL HISTORY

The end of slavery started in what was then San Domingo. In 1791, the enslaved people of the most prized French sugar plantation colony revolted against their masters. For over twelve years, against a backdrop of the French Revolution, they fought an epic black liberation struggle for control of the island. Theirs was the first and only successful slave revolution. It was the creation of Haiti as a nation, the first independent black republic outside of Africa, and an international inspiration to the persecuted and enslaved. This is the impassioned and beautifully drawn story of the Haitian Revolution and its incredible leader: Toussaint Louverture.  

The text of this graphic novel is a play by C. L. R. James that opened in London in 1936 with Paul Robeson in the title role. For the first time, black actors appeared on the British stage in a work by a black playwright. The script had been lost for almost seventy years when a draft copy was discovered among James’s archives. Now this extraordinary drama has been reimagined by artists Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781788737906
Publisher:	Verso Books
Publication date:	10/10/2023
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.22(w) x 9.47(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

The polymath intellectual and Trinidadian revolutionary C. L. R. James is perhaps best known asthe author of the seminal history of the Haitian Revolution, The Black Jacobins, published in 1938.

Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee are artists based in the UK.

Editorial Reviews

10/23/2023

This forceful and cinematic adaptation by comics newcomers Watts and Karimjee turns C.L.R. James’s 1934 play about the Haitian Revolution into a graphic history. In 1791, cruel enslaver and San Domingo Colonial Assembly president Bullet executes a white man for seeking political equality for mixed-race people on the island of Hispaniola. Enslaved people, already incited by the French Revolution, launch a revolt. Two years later, when news arrives that the French king has been killed, Toussaint Louverture (1743–1803) rises to become a leader of the rebellion and urges a more measured approach. Representatives from England and the United States conspire to turn the uprising to their advantage as Toussaint inspires the population. Many political machinations and skirmishes follow. By 1802, Napoleon and other leaders convince the Haitian leader General Christophe to defect in their plan to recapture the island and reinstitute slavery. Toussaint is ultimately arrested, but his capture doesn’t extinguish the fire for freedom among the formerly enslaved. The black-and-white cartoonish art never undercuts the impassioned, if occasionally overly chatty, political message, with dynamic panels depicting brutalities as well as subtle and stylish moments of realism (outdoor rainy scenes; a conversation shown in polished reflection). This fiery primer offers education and insights into Haiti’s fight for independence. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"One of the year's top works of nonfiction."
—Rob Salkowitz, Best Graphic Novels Of 2023, Forbes

"A very intense treatment of the uprising in Haiti that paralleled and deeply involved the French Revolution."
—Best Books of 2023, Comics Grinder

"The adaptation is exciting, educational, and the perfect gift for the lefties in your life."
—Hank Kennedy, The Best of 2023, The Comics Journal

"The drawings are fantastic and the energy palpable on every page."
—Joe Sacco, journalist and comic book artist, author of Palestine

"A marvellous adaptation of one of the most important black history and slave history books ever written. C.L.R. James would be delighted."
—Paul Buhle, authorized biographer of C. L. R. James and editor of more than twenty radical history graphic novels

"An epic work of graphic history – a compelling, dramatic, detailed, delicate, and human rendition of this incredible tale of resistance"
—Kate Evans, author of Red Rosa: The Graphic Biography of Rosa Luxemburg

"The inspiring spirit of the men, women and children who made the Haitian Revolution has been beautifully and vividly brought to life as never before. This extraordinary work is a wonderful tribute to not only C. L. R. James but also to the greatest ever movement to demand Black Lives Matter."
—Christian Høgsbjerg, co-author of Toussaint Louverture: A Black Jacobin in the Age of Revolutions

"A historically important story, cinematic drawings, a powerful work."
—Charles Johnson, author of Middle Passage

"The basis for this graphic novel is C. L. R. James' 1934 play, adapted by Watts and Karimjee; readers who don't know what to expect from the graphic-novel adaptation of a play will be pleased with the result...An important piece of history that shouldn't be forgotten."
—Booklist

"Adapting C.L.R. James's 1934 play, Karimjee and Watts's evocative black-and-white drawings channel the rebellious spirit of the Haitian Revolution in its fight for Black liberation."
—The New York Times Book Review

"This fiery primer offers education and insights into Haiti's fight for independence."
—Publishers Weekly

"This is the impassioned and beautifully drawn story of the Haitian Revolution and its incredible leader: Toussaint Louverture"
—Comics Beat

"Their illustrations do justice to the original work, beautifully rendered and depicting dynamic characters and exciting drama."
—Keith Harris History

"The comic book format, constantly zooming out to the big picture and in on the details, proves immensely suited to the complex parallels between personal and universal struggles around which James's play revolves."
—Mark Rappolt, Art Review

"This is quite a comic! A very intense treatment of the uprising in Haiti that paralleled and deeply involved the French Revolution and yet was treated for centuries as a mere sidebar to world events. Readers will need to think hard, even now, about the reasons why."
—Paul Buhle, Comics Grinder

"The caricaturing at work in Toussaint Louverture is impressive. Each character has a distinct, stylized, expressive face ... While the aim of this volume is educational, entertainment is not forgotten."
—The Comics Journal

"Nic Watts and Sakina Karimjee's brilliant graphic novelisation of CLR James own stage adaptation of his book The Black Jacobins will both inspire and convince that, whatever the circumstances, change is possible."
—Philosophy Football

"Packed with powerful symbols and imagery that build a rich picture of the strategies and tactics that led to the uprising’s eventual victory."
—Dominic Davies, The Conversation

From the Publisher