65. When the Enslaved Took on Napoleon

This book is a work of both biography and intellectual history, offering a nuanced and balanced account of Toussaint Louverture's life. Hazareesingh delves into Louverture's ability to unite European, African, and Caribbean traditions in the service of his revolutionary aims. The book provides new insights into seminal events such as the initial insurrection of 1791 and highlights the importance of Vodou to the revolutionaries. It also explores Louverture's use of Enlightenment ideas to argue for the equal dignity of all human beings and his significant impact on the postcolonial world.

Written by C.L. R. James in 1938, 'The Black Jacobins' is a pioneering historical work that recounts the Haitian Revolution of 1791–1804. The book places the revolution in the context of the French Revolution and highlights the leadership of Toussaint L'Ouverture, who rose from being a slave to a prominent figure espousing the French Revolutionary ideals of liberty and equality. James's work challenges conventional historiography by emphasizing the agency of the enslaved and their role in shaping their own history. It also explores the broader implications of the Haitian Revolution, linking it to the destruction of European feudalism and the global struggle against colonialism and slavery.