The Black Jacobins is an informative and compelling story of the Haitian Revolution. While Mr. James takes the reader through the many events that made up the revolution his obvious Marxist perspective and desire to promote a class theory of the revolution is a major limitation. For instance, in order to put forth a Marxist class theory for the revolution Mr. James is forced to underplay other more important factors -such as race.

All in all this book is a positive read for anyone who is intersted in a part of history that is too little known. The life and times of Toussiant L'Ouverture and the Haitian Revolution is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the current state of affairs in Haiti as well as a very dark side of French, British and American relations with the country. Given the barbaric conditions the slaves were subjected to and devestation that was visited on the country in order to defeat the invading French troops it is easier to understand the present state of affairs in Haiti.

James delivers an exquisitely descriptive account of the only slave revolt that ultimately lead to the founding of a black republic in the heart of the Caribbean. This well written book reads like prose making it an easy read. James does an excellent job of letting the reader know who the players in San Domingo were before and during the revolution including - the big whites (planters); small whites (artisans and professionals); mulattoes and blacks. The psychological make up and desires of each class is fully explained so that the reader instantly understands why alliances between the groups were formed and dissolved over time and their effect on colonial government. The character of Toussaint L'Ouverture, the black general who led the slave revolt and administered the colonial government, is discussed throughout the book and insights into his thinking and perspective are gained through his written correspondence and his governmental orders. This allows the reader to gain an in-depth understanding of L'Ouverture as a 3 dimensional persona. The book contains an excellent bibliography for reference. Black Jacobins however is not without some minor flaws. First, although James gives a good account of the desires of various sectors of French society, he fails to give as rich an account of the motivations and perspectives of the French statesmen operating in France. Second, James discussion of Dessaline, L'Ouverture's general who persecuted the revolt to its end, is not dealt with in the same depth as the other major personas. Other writers have undoubtedly covered Dessaline but it would have been nice to gain James' perspective. Critics of James have gone as far as to suggest that he subverts racial dynamics for class dynamics. Two points on this issue refute this notion. First, James provides ample information on the role of race in shaping the motivations of the major partisan groups. Indeed, the reader gains a real appreciation for the prominent role mulattoes played in the revolution and how their attitudes on race and liberty helped shape the alliances they made. Second, writing as a son of Haitian immigrants, I can attest to the fact that Haitians don't perceive race prejudice in Haiti the same way blacks to in the United States. This is not surprising considering that blacks constitute not only the social but also a political majority in Haiti. Rather Haitian society is more sensitive to distinctions in color, education and background. Since color distinctions was the only factor relevant during the revolution, James only deals with that particular distinction and he does so in a balanced manner. Finally, the prospective purchaser of Black Jacobins should be aware that James espouses a Marxist worldview. However, his ideology is not so pervasive as to render the book unpalatable to non-subscribers of Marxism. James provides ample independent references for his historical accounts and the critical reader will find that the conclusions he draws are credible. I would recommend this book.

The Black Jacobins is a timeless classic in both the history and practice of liberation theory.I enjoyed the distinct pleasure of taking undergraduate work with CLR James in the early eighties. His undimmed passion and clarity shaped me deeply. He was quite arguably the greatest unabashed dialectical materialist of the Harlem Renaissance. I heartily recommend that you treat yourself to this,his signature creation.

Let's suppose you don't know anything about Islam. Would you turn to a debate between two scholars of the Sharia' to get your basic knowledge ? Or maybe, if you didn't know anything about Judaism, would you turn to Maimonides' discussion of the impossibility of absolute finality ? The same question can be asked of Maya Deren's incredible, deep, detailed book on Haitian religion, a religion taken largely from West Africa. Although Deren, an artist and film-maker, writes passionately and intellectually about her subject, she assumes far too much knowledge on the part of the reader. I found the book incredibly dense, full of details which I could not possibly remember, yet giving me no quarter, explaining nothing to me in terms that I could come to grips with. I can be emotional in practice, but in reading a book on a rather new subject for me, I prefer some intellectual explanation, some connection to the web of knowledge all readers of books like this do share. Deren waxes philosophical, lyrical, and psychological in turn. It is hard to know how to absorb it all. She describes the symbolic and mythological significance of the many West African deities found in Haiti, trying also to explain how the New World required new meanings in some cases. Her argument that Africans absorbed some Indian influence seems rather frail. She also describes the role of the houngan, or priest of Vodun, the importance of drums and drumming, the fact of possession.

Look, let's be brief. If you already know a lot about West African religion or its New World variants, and if you want a detailed analysis in a non-standard anthropological form, then this could be a five star book for you. Her passion, her scholarship deserve five stars for sure. The best thing about the book is its insistence that Voudoun or Vodun is a rich, vital religion with ancient roots, so far from the caricature often imposed on "Voodoo" by Western popular culture. On the other hand, if you want to know more about Haitian society, if you are looking for an anthropological work that will give you some operating knowledge in Haiti or about Haiti, this volume is going to prove far too rich for your blood. Try some of the other works on Haiti first.

The other reviewers do a good job of discussing Deren's history of Haitian Voodoun, however, it should be noted that regardless of the merits of this as an historical text, the book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in her film practice. Perhaps this is obvious, but it is unmentioned by some others.

Maya Deren's "Divine Horsemen" is a poetically rendered exploration of the philosophy and practices of Haitian Voodoun. Written in the early '50's (with the support of Joseph Campbell), this book is not a "how to" practical guide. Rather it a metaphysical, religious, philosophical & anthropological study of Voodoun. As an artist, Deren brings a uniquely lyrical voice to her narrative and paints a multi-textured, infinitely complex portrait of a spiritual tradition with roots stretching back to the very dawn of humanity. In reading this book I was awed by an awareness of the sophisication and perception of the so-called "primitive" people of West Africa (from which Voodoun derives). They were only "primitive" in terms of the development of technology, certainly not in the development of the spirit. Reading this has created a profound shift in my view of the history of civilization as taught to me in school. This book is essential reading not only for anyone interested in Voodoun, but also for any student of comparative religion, mythology or spirituality.

This book dispels the common myths of Haitians and AIDS. It also shows very clearly the heavy involvement of the United States in creating the poverty Haiti has faced. This book makes use of statistics well, but unfortunately, at this point those stats are many years old. When Farmer wrote this book, only three people in the village of Do Kay had died of AIDS. Now, with huge percentages of Haitians exposed to HIV, the picture must certainly look different. This book is a geat candidate for a revised edition some time in the future.

Farmer's excellent historical ethnography of Haitian illness (as seen through the contemporary context of the world AIDS epidemic), proves the necessity of developing anthropological approaches to understanding health systems and implementing medical care. The diagnosis and analysis of sickness, disease, illness, and treatment should go hand-in-hand with the cultural understanding of local systems of blame, accusation, causation, and cure. Where most approaches to medicine are based on the "Westernized" first-world nations' understanding of the causes of illness (tainted as well, as Farmer shows, by systematic "blame the victim" and shame techniques), the adoption of these approaches in treating the illnesses of other peoples can be catastrophic. Three ethnographies make up the structure of a detailed historical inquiry )

The longstanding tradition of conceiving of illness through the lens of powerlessness shapes the contemporary lives of the people in Haiti with whom Farmer worked. Although they could see the effects of the illness, people in this region were obsessed with the cause of the illness, and felt the need to understand AIDS through a constructed narrative of blame. A deep belief in their religion led villagers to look for the source of witchcraft that could possibly be harming them, and elaborate stories about neighbors, jealousies, and rivalries flourished as a result. Any improvement in the standing of one member of the society (through wealth, status, relationships, acquisition of property or food, or political power through employment or marriage) adds to the structure of distrust and blame.

Farmer's book shows how disturbingly complex and deep the layers of mistrust, misinformation, and the effects of racism, are. Among the medical hypotheses for the probable exposure is the theory of Haitian sex-workers' contacts through gay tourists to the early strains of HIV. Farmer outlines the long history of Haiti as a gay tourist attraction, and Duvalier's encouragement of tourism as a boost to the domestic economy. Although the possible cause of the gay sex trade for HIV exposure has not been confirmed, medical establishments in the U.S. based their theories of causation on other factors, such as Haitian religious practices. These theories were, in truth, reinforcing longstanding ignorance and racist misunderstandings about Haitian vodou. Stereotypes and racial profiling of Haitian citizenship as a "risk factor" (one of the "Four H's" along with hemophiliac, homosexual, and heroin user), contributed to public policies against Haitian immigrants. Haitians' belief that they are being attacked by some evil sorcery in the guise of a fatal illness called sida falls into place amidst the context of extreme antagonism and injustice.

While reading this book, I was compelled to ask myself if there isn't some truth in Haitians' understanding of AIDS as the result of malicious sorcery. Haiti was the only American society to successfully result from the direct action of a revolution against slavery and colonialism. As such, the small nation governed by creoles and black ex-slaves presented a threat to North and South American colonial societies, which were firmly entrenched in slave labor economic systems. Historically, the threat of a repeat of the Haitian revolution must have terrified white European landowners. This terror of African power and strength has been passed on in a racist legacy, adapted to political policies and nationalist agendas, and still exists in ignorant beliefs about AIDS and its causes. Haitians believe that they are victims of a longstanding racist agenda, and they may in fact be right. Farmer's book begins to illuminate some of the complicated historical and ethnographic realities of the overlapping connections between illness and racism, and between causes and effects.

I read this book for a medical anthropology class and found it incredibly interesting in its discussion of the politics and racism involved in the US treatment of AIDS in Haiti. It delves into how the American presence and influences lead to and exasperated the widespread AIDS and poverty problems in Haiti.

I found this a very useful book to get an idea what Creole is all about. It is short and simple and each chapter makes you more eager to go on to the next. I had the advantage to have learned French in school. Without that I imagine it can be difficult to get an idea how the Creole words should be pronounced. A simple audio tape in addition to the textbook would be most welcome indeed.

I am a student of Haitian Creole, and I found this book to be an excellent supplement to a course or other methods of study. It has an extensive glossary and easy to follow lessons. The only thing is book is missing is a phonetic pronounciation key. Other than that, this book will definitely help beginning speakers of this language.

This is not appropriate for learning Haitian Kreyol on your own - it's some way between a phrase book and a useful reference on the more important grammar. What's really good about it is the glossary, more like a small dictionary, which is more than enough for most everyday purposes, including a little on computers etc.
I'd say this book is best for someone visiting Haiti for more than a holiday and ready to put in more work - useful for phrases/terms and explanation when faced with a grammatical construct not obvious from listening.

Taste of Salt, by Frances Temple is the best book I have read yet. This book teaches you how life is special. The book has emotion, love, happiness, loneliness, and a lot more real feelings people have. The best part is the writer is very graphic in her writing, you almost feel like you were there. The whole book is interesting, you never get tired of reading it. I think Taste of Salt can touch many people in different ways.

Taste of Salt, written by Frances Temple, is a provocative, exciting tale of the life of a young Haitian man, Djo, and the struggle against a dictatorship that hired Macoutes, thugs, to keep itself in power. Djo grew up on the streets with his brother before Father Aristide, known to them as Titid, adopted them. Djo was injured by Macoutes who firebombed him. Now he lies in a hospital bed telling his story to a student of a nun school named Jeremie. She listens.
There are several reasons to read this book, but the two greatest are its complex setting and the intricate writing style. The setting is elaborate as the book takes place in 1991in the city of Port-Au-Prince, when people were trying to attain a democracy and end the dictatorship of Jean-Claude Duvalier who named himself president for life and hired Macoutes. The writing style is unique as it has many flashbacks and the story is half from Djo's view and half from Jeremie's view. The flashbacks are interesting as they tell how the characters came to their current state and telling what they did until then. Also the different characters views have are written slightly different with slightly different writing styles that reflect the different characters speech styles.
This book is quite good but some may find fault with the fact that it uses some Creole words that can be quite confusing and force you to look back to the glossary disrupting. Though at first it may appear a negative fact, by the end it becomes interesting and you feel you have learned a little of their culture. However, even if one finds the Creole to be disrupting they will still enjoy the overall quality of this book.

I recently read this book in order to find fresh literature to present in the classroom. I can't wait to read this with my 7th-grade English students. Because of its structure, Taste of Salt lends itself to many creative teaching strategies. The values and themes are very relevant to our students today. Read it and you will see!

Being someone who devours anything written regarding Haiti, I was excited to read "Bones Become Flowers", but was soon skipping entire passages as the author became mired in description that did nothing to further the story. Also there are times when an author can believably write from the other gender's perspective and get it right, unfortunately this was not the case here. It was pretty obvious that the author was a male, not in tune with what a 30+ female thinks, feels, admires etc.

The most disappointing thing was the ending. In all honesty, "Bones Become Flowers" was a waste of money.

This is the kind of book where the author takes the reader on a journey to Haiti along with the American woman, Tracy, who has in mind to give aid to children in an orphanage. But Tracy is cautious, and sees strange things on the island, at the time inexplicable to her. She keeps her own counsel and begins to allow herself an awareness of the mythic culture surrounding her. She hears of wild boys upon a ship, eventually meets these boys, and becomes fascinated with their lives. All is wrapped in rich jungle fauna, the steaming earth, and Vodoo. Tracy opens herself to unfamiliar concepts and eventually decides upon a course that will change her whole life in unforseen ways. The images are so vivid and rich, I felt myself there on the journey and ever curious for what would come next. The only thing that bothered me was the author's description of Tracy's thoughts, as they seemed not quite on target, as a man writing a woman. This was a minor flaw overall, considering the lush content and fullness of the prose.

I can certainly understand why a few women, as well as (possibly) a few men, might not like the protagonist, Tracy, in this wonderful novel of Voodu, adventure and love. After all, she is brave, resourceful, intelligent, well-read and traveled, speaks several languages, and is quite open-minded. And not so very frightened of spiders and things with "too many legs". Of course these qualities are completely unbelievable for a woman to possess, especially when combined with logic and reasoning, and therefore the entire book should be dismissed as "a waste of money". However, my only regrets in buying this book are that it isn't available in hardcover or in French.

Although this book is not for beginners, it provides a wide and varied assortment of notes from the author's thirty-year study of Voodoo/Voudou, mostly in Haiti but also in the Americas. Originally published in the 1950's, this book includes folklore and legends, as well as academic notes.

If you're interested in this subject, "Vodou Visions" by Glassman is a better choice for beginners, or "Jambalaya" by Luisah Teish to explore women's spirituality, particularly Voudou- and African-related. Both of those books are vastly easier to read, and more current.

However, for thorough research into Vodun/Voudoo/Voodoo, this book provides extensive information, and some unrelated but insightful notes to lead you deeper into the context of African-based traditions.

This was probably my first book on Voodoo that I purchased, and it still has to be one of my reference guides to the religious beliefs. While other books dwell on magic, curses, and the curio folk magic of Hoodoo, this book gives you a collection of beautifully drawn Veves, excellent black and white photos, and a whole collection of traditional Voodoo prayers and chants. Their is a section on classifying the various Lwas, or Loas, from the various Voodoo Mysteries, such as the Radas, Congos, Petros, Ibu, Nago, and the Dantor mysteries.

This book is not for the beginners and it does not candy coat Voodoo, it gives you a ruff down of what Voodoo's practices, rites, passages, magic, and sacrifices are all about. This book is an overview of the religion, as it is impossible for a Mystery of such vast Knowledge, beauty and Wisdom to be justly explained in 217 or so pages. It is not meant for all, but for those who truly respects and want to honor the Lwas, this is a good start. Although an ordained Houngan or Mambo would be your best bet.

Milo Rigaud gives a deep and rich account of Vodou. Using theories from geometry, psychology, anthropology, and other academic sources, Rigaud paints a picture of Vodou unlike any other.

His interpretations, while academic and hard to follow at times, give a unique glimpse at how an "earth religion" can be a deep and rich spiritual well, concealing gems of hidden wisdom, profound thought, and beautiful insight.

Maybe not for the neophyte but certainly worth reading. Five stars!

Make no mistake, this is a travelogue, not an ethnography in the traditional sense. Hurston, who was a voodoo priestess of a high order herself, was too immersed in the culture to really view it objectively, which is necessary for any anthropologist. That said, it's still a very interesting read and certainly emphasizes the fact that voudon is a valid religion and not a set of superstitions. However, I'm puzzled as to why Ismael Reed (himself an accomplished writer) is listed as a credit. Did he write the introduction? Because he didn't write this book. Hurston wrote it. She traveled to Haiti by herself in the 30s to investigate this. It was not written by Reed.

The writing of Zora Neale Hurston is fine. The content of the book is, in his second part, is a "first hand" experience of what voodoo was in 1930. This is therefore a classical and valuable source of knowledge. Interesting enough, Zora Neale Hurston took probably part at various voodoo initiations, and we would have been interested to know more about her experiences, feelings, philosophical and religious insights. Unfortunately for us, she respected the "secret de l'arcane" which characterizes most of the so called esoteric societies. There is also hope for Haïti in this book, but it demonstrates also the power of USA to bring some kind of mismatch in the political affairs and economic life of a poor and very small country. Abobo!

Reading this book is like travelling along with Ms. Neale Hurston as she explores life in Haiti. You will meet fanscinating and intriguing people. The practices and beliefs are explained in just enough detail to make you feel like you were there, but all the mystery is retained as even the author is unable to explain or understand the depth of experience and strength of beliefs held by the native Haitians. Finding non-fiction that reads like a novel is a rare and wonderful treasure.

Alfred Metraux's study of Haitian vaudou is as comprehensive as one can imagine an outsider can achieve. The book covers the history, social framework, gods, spirits, and loa, rituals, magic, and what The Church thinks. There are antecdotal stories that illustrate the powers and beliefs of vaudou practitioners. Metraux's direct observations are ususally imparted without condescension. I found the writing to be scholarly as well as approachable and entertaining. An excellent resource for those interested in this misunderstood Creole religion.

The most carefully researched and authentic scholarly book on
Voodoo. Reads very well--good in-depth coverage.

If you want to learn something about Voodoo, then start with Alfred Metraux's "Voodoo in Haiti". It's the most straight down the line, objective, anthropological study of voodoo that one can find. Often, better editions of the book are accompanied by Metraux's photography, which in itself tells one a great deal about this religion. Factual evidence is the priority here and for that reason alone, it's a respectable book that doesn't tell any lies. Metraux is the classic 'outsider' who is looking in at Voodoo, and his viewpoint is never marred by Western conceits or judgements. "Voodoo in Haiti" firmly puts Voodoo in its place alongside every other religion in the world: it has value, merits, problems and practices. Most importantly of all, Metraux does not once mention "Live and Let Die".

Take a trip to Haiti. And you may still notice the mountains of garbage at every street corner, drug and crime lords on the loose, the prison system a mess, the economy...what economy? electricity...only when it's for the "Wold Cup", the absence of Police Officers...the condition of the roads! the airport! the beggers, the robbers and the fast and growing numbers of Haitians leaving either by plane or boat! now, instead of publishing a book and trying to convince those who's never lived in Haiti of the President's good heart, he should have taken that money and spent it on the country instead! Nothing has changed from when the Duvalieriste's were in power! Actually, the new President bares an eery resemblance to Papa Doc lately! oh! did I forget to mention the President's mansion in "Tabarre" and the perfect condition of the road in front of his house...we wouldn't want his Excellency to feel a bump now, would we?

hmm. interesting point our President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has. but guess what,it's not enough. in essence,he represents the dream-like state that a lot of my people have:we dream of what we were,of what we could be,yet do nothing about it. he is an intellectual without action. i have lived too long in haiti to hear all of the 'ansanm,ansanm,nou se lavalas'speeches of our DEARLY BELOVED president while continually seeing the misery of my people. good book,"titid". but i don't expect to see anything realistic come of it. (:

This book is a short collection of articles or speeches by President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Reading it is a window into the world of a torn country: the poorest in the western hemisphere. But rather than being depressing, it leaves you with hope as you celebrate the triumphs of the Haitian people as they struggle for democracy and peace.