Until now, the most read accounts of events in Haiti from the election of Francois Duvalier in 1957 until the tragic events of April 1963 were Diederich's and Burt's, "Papa Doc: Haiti and Its Dictator", and the Heinls' comprehensive 785 page history of Haiti, "Written in Blood". The former barely covered the military advisory missions, while the latter could afford just a few pages to this era.

No matter, because Colonel Charles T. Williamson's "The U.S. Naval Mission To Haiti 1959-1963" is now without doubt the definitive record of that episode in U.S and Haitian history.

Colonel Williamson has masterfully researched, organized and presented a story of foreign policy that started with good intentions, gung ho American military advisors. and Haitian armed forces (FAdH) officers eager for military assistance, all of which soon turned into disastrous foreign policy, disenchanted American advisors, and young Haitian officers and soldiers and their families fighting for their very lives. The author makes clear that the times were challenging, exciting, sometimes dangerous for Americans in Haiti and, sadly, always dangerous, often tragic for the Haitians.

What started as a concise monograph that might serve as an "official history" of the U.S. Naval Mission To Haiti grew rapidly as the author sifted through national archives, daily reports, contingency plans, and old military records. All the while he searched for Haitian and American friends and acquaintances of four decades ago to rekindle memories of their experiences and perceptions of the period. The book is an interesting, easy-reading chronological narrative, punctuated with anecdotal material about events and people, both Haitian and American. Williamson lists every member that served in the naval mission, even noting what a few are doing now. He presents his own incisive analyses of the U.S. foreign policy for Haiti, (especially shortcomings), the successes and frustrations of the American advisors and many of their FAdH counterparts, and the motives and intentions of Papa Doc and others. The author's commentary continually emphasizes the never-ending plight of the Haitian people.

Admittedly, it is very easy to be biased toward a book that accurately, interestingly, and minutely recounts a part of history that one has lived through. The plain fact is that Colonel Williamson has given us a great read. Graham Greene would have liked it.

Now retired Marine Corps Colonel Williamson was a young officer when he first went to Haiti in 1958. One of the few still alive who took part in the ill-fated effort to professionalize the Haitian "Army", which was what Papa Doc Duvalier asked the U.S. to do, he is uniquely qualified to chronicle the events of a group of Marines trying to carry out their orders in a byzantine situation.

The US Naval Mission, begun with such high hopes, gradually came face to face with the reality that Duvalier's motives in asking the US to his country were anything but simple, and that a professional, well trained corps of officers and soldiers was the last thing he wanted.

As the US Mission labored to do what it had been sent to do, Duvalier, like Penelope at her loom, seemed determined to counteract every US action, cashiering the most promising officers, allowing graft, killing when he deemed necessary.

While encountering resistance from Duvalier, the Marines were also charged by Haitians opposed to Duvalier with being midwives to the birth of the feared Haitian secret police - the "Ton Ton Makouts". Drawing on many heretofore classified documents, Williamson chronicles in great detail the frustrations encountered by a highly motivated group of professionals who came to love Haiti even as their eyes were opened to the havoc wrought upon it by its Machiavellian Dictator.

Beautiful images and masterful writing combine to give the reader a glimpse of the economically devastated but spiritually rich lives of the people in Haiti.

Pictures of Manbos, Oungans, and Bokos make the book come alive and speak to us of the beauty and wonder of the misunderstood religion of Vodou.

VODOU: Visions and Voices of Haiti by Phyllis Galembo

Phyllis Galembo's photographic skills are legend among those whose interest extends to African and Afro-Caribbean religions. In this area she never fails to impress and satisfy. I am happy to have this book.

In addition to her brilliant photographs, Galembo offers detailed, profound and soulful explanations of Vodou belief. She is one of only a very few authors to have done so. This book will serve to inform and enlighten both the curious and the expert. Bravo!

This book was written at the turn of the 19th Century. I lived in Haiti for a year, and Mr Pritchard's descriptions are penetratingly accurate, and his predictions uncannily correct. His writing skills are of the very highest order, and his extraordinary experiences combined with his sense of humour make for an absolute gem of a book. For those interested in the History of Haiti, this book must not be missed.

This is a very interesting book. It was written in the begining of century, but stills actual after one hundred years. The author - the english journalist Hesketh Prichard, from the "Daily Express" - depicts his impressions of a journey across and about Haiti. He found a country where the black race rules after a century, which was a rarity in 1900 (just Liberia and Ethiopia, at the time, had black governments, too). Although the author shows simpathy for the ordinary haitian people, the opinion that he gives from the country is far away to be positive. Here, in his opinion, we find a place,curiously, like post-colonial Africa 60 years later, where who really rules is widespread corruption, exarcebated but ridiculous militarism (an army with 7.000 men had 6.500 generals and 7.000 brigadiers), venal judges, police brutality, intimidation of free press,continuous political instability (during one hundred years, none president of Haiti was able to end his term), and, last but not the least, susperstition and witchcraft. I will end my commentary, quoting the author himself: "Today in Haiti we come to the real crux of the question. At the end of a hundred years of trial, how does the black man governs himself? What progress has he made? Absolutely none. When he undertakes the task of government, he does so, not with the intent of promoting the public weal, but for the sake of filing his own pocket. His motto is still, "Pluck the fowl, but take care she does not cry out". Corruption has spread through every portion and every department of the Government. Almost all the ills of the country may be traced to their source in tiranny, the ineptitude, and the improbity of those at the helm of state. (...) Can the negro rule himself? Is he congenitally capable? (...) Today, and as matters stands, he certainly cannot rule himself". Worth reading book, wrote in a fine literary english.

I stumbled upon this work by accident and love it!!! It is a must have for any collector of Sacred Music or Vodou Practicioner!!! The book is interesting and informative and the music is sensational!

In BABOUK, Guy Endore continues along the same artistic heights he hit the previous year with THE WEREWOLF OF PARIS, this time turning his attention to the Haitian slave trade and the brutality of Western civilization. In reading this, it's no surprise that it was a commercial catastrophe for Vanguard Press in 1934, especially since the original jacket contained the paratextual blurb "From The Author Of THE WEREWOLF OF PARIS", obviously desperate at marketing the controversial content by associating it with the former success. The story is told from the perspective of a young slave, Babouk, and, as always, Endore does an extensive amount of research on his subject matter. This new Voices of Resistance edition (the first since '34) is excellent, with an outstanding preface and postface that place both the text and the revolution into a historical context for the reader unfamiliar with Haiti's struggle for freedom. The typeface has improved (Endore consented to having the original plates melted down to aid the war effort) and the overall design is far superior. The material is disturbing and for good reason. I highly recommend this work, not only because Endore is a brilliant storyteller, but because he relentlessly attacks Western patterns of domination and oppression at a time in history when it was incredibly unpopular to do so. The author, in a 1963 inscription, once wrote accurately: "BABOUK is my unknown masterpiece. At any rate, unknown."

I enjoyed it immensely, it was a journey that i will never forget. I recommend it for all of those willing to go somewhere that only you yourself can go!

This book and "the doorknob of destiny" are two of my all-time favorite children's books. The stories are campy, funny, and engaging, and the illustrations are wonderfull.

My father who was from Haiti did translate this book into French before he died in Sept.1999 and got the author's family the right to publish this French version of the book. Toussaint Louverture was one of his favorite heroes since he fought against slavery with much success. But so far no editor in France that he contacted ever accepted to publish it. I've started to type all the French text into my computer and I have in mind to publish it over the Internet. Is there any means to get any formal acceptance from Ralph Korngold's descendants? Please email me any info that could help make Toussaint and Haiti, the first black republic, more widely known worldwide and go on with my father's work. Thanks.

This book is one of the most extraordinary documents I have ever seen. Brave and ferocious and tender all at once.