A stunning achievement and possibly one of the best historical nonfiction graphic novels put to print. Stunning art abounds throughout the pages and the evocative use of lines as characters get animated give an astounding level of passion to this project. As the French Revolution rages in Europe, we follow the decade-plus war that started as slave revolt in San Domingo before eventually birthing the nation of Haiti. A compelling cast of characters leads us from notable battles to Parisian staterooms as we see the political decisions, battlefield machinations and mistakes that led to the lionization of Toussaint Louverture.

Such an important adaption of C.L.R's play! This material is so important and should be provided material in history classes. As a Haitian-American, I know this story but strongly recommend it to anyone who doesn't regardless of their identity. The Haitian Revolution was the catalyst for many Latin American and African countries. #freehaiti

I would love to read about this Toussaint Louverture. He truly is one of those characters who is both larger than life and about whom we know too little. Unfortunately, Netgalley is unable to send this book to Kindle where I exclusively do all my digital reading. So even though I am approved, I will be unable to enjoy this book.

An enjoyable, quick read that covers a rich history of the Haitian revolution. The illustrations were a bit rough around the edges, and seemed like they needed to be polished a bit more before publication; but they were still entertaining and easy to follow. I appreciated the list of characters at the beginning so I could keep track of who's who.

I went into this book not knowing much about the details of this historical moment, and left feeling like I have a good understanding of the larger picture. I'll be looking into Black Jacobins next for more context.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an early copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I was aware that Haiti is the location of the only successful slave revolt, but I wasn’t familiar with Toussaint Louverture. I enjoyed learning about Louverture and his role in the uprising. I think the overly characaturization of Monsieur Bullet would make for a great discussion with students about how authors and illustrators convey emotion and personality of characters. There were so many characters, I definitely appreciated the Cast of Characters at the beginning of the book. While I can’t say I got a complete picture of everything that occurred during this historical event, I did learn enough to make me curious to find out more, which is the hallmark of a good book, in my opinion.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A graphic novel, with dramatis personae!, of the Haitian Revolution. Yes, please! Although there is no color, the illustrator does well differentiating characters in memorable ways to tether the reader through what is a pretty complex story of political intrigue, war, and death. The mosquitos for transitions is a wonderful aesthetic touch!

If you already know the story, this isn't going to teach you anything. If you don't, it's a decent intro and could be useful for a comparative revolution exercise in a US history class. Certainly less time needed than the chapter from An African-American and Latinx History of the United States that I assign.

This graphic adaptation of the CLR James play about the Haitian Revolution is an incredible work of art. The black and white art style keeps the historical drama from feeling cartoony and losing the seriousness of the subject matter. A riveting story rendered beautifully, this is a must read.

“Toussaint Louverture” is a graphic novel about the Haitian Revolution under Toussaint Louverture. According to the publisher’s blurb, the text is from a 1936 play by C.L.R. James. The play was performed by black actors in London at the time, but then the script disappeared for years. Now it has been made into a gripping graphic novel.

The Haitian Revolution was the only successful revolt by enslaved people. This story closely follows the central events of the Revolution. The illustrations make the text easier to understand because they so clearly depict the action and emotion of the characters. The novel is drawn in black and white which only adds to the overall message of the story.

This book is great for teens and adults who enjoy graphic novels and history. “Toussaint Louverture” would be an excellent piece of historical fiction to add to a modern world history class. It would be interesting to have students compare the events depicted in the graphic novel with the historical record, then discuss why James made the choices he did to add drama or explain larger issues faced by enslaved peoples in the Caribbean.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by NetGalley and the publisher, Verso Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A history of the Haitian revolution and it's leader Toussaint Louverture. It tells of why the black population of the island followed him with the goal of ending slavery and the racially based class system of the island. I think the best parts were dealing with his sons and showing both his and their complex feelings toward the larger French government. While the government touted the principles of 'liberté, égalité, fraternité' it did not extend this toward the whole population of Haiti.

The drawing style is very unique. The conveying of emotions in this particular graphic novel is phenomenally well done. I don't think I've ever felt like I could HEAR a graphic novel before. That being said, this was a lot more densely packed than I originally expected it to be. This is a long biopic in book form. Every page is absolutely filled, it's very informative, and I learned so much.

It took me a while to get through. Non-fiction is not something I usually read, I'm more apt to watch documentaries.

Really enjoyed the comic and the information. Would not have a place for it in the curriculum but it would definitely go into my classroom library.

As someone who didn't know much about Toussaint Louverture's life, this graphic novel was a very interesting read. I liked that it was both informational and captivating, the rythm of the action making it difficult to stop reading.
The drawing style and the way it conveys the character's emotions also impressed me. Bullet's hate was particularly striking in the way it disfigures him and makes him look ridiculously angry.
This made me want to learn more about Haiti's story.
I hope this is going to be translated into French soon so I can buy it for my library network.
Thanks to Verso Books and NetGalley for sending me a digital copy of this graphic novel !

This is a riveting tale of overcoming oppression and standing up for your rights and the rights of all people to be treated equally. This was a fascinating tale full of twists and turns.

This is a graphic novel, based on a play by a Trinidadian historian named C.L.R. James. I was unfamiliar with the play, however I was familiar with the subject matter of the Haitian Revolution. I appreciate that there is historicity behind the narrative, with interesting representations of historical figures and their role in the revolution.

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the artwork. It was heavily detailed, distinguishing the cast of characters as well as the settings found within the book. After reading this, I truly believe that more historical events should be put into graphic novel formats. As an educator, I believe my students would LOVE a book like this, placing this in a secondary school curriculum. While Maus will always be one of the greatest graphic novels based on historical events, this captures its spirit and reveals more about a topic that the rest of the world only has a small understanding of.

This succeeds both as a graphic novel and as a narrative history. I appreciated every page of the novel and I think people who are interested in Caribbean history, African history, and general world history would appreciate this work!

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974


I enjoyed this book so much. I was familiar with the story, however this book presented it in graphic format which elevated certain parts. It would be a welcome edition to any history class, as an alternative for words only lesson plans. It captures the reader and makes you want to learn more.

For those who don’t know, Toussaint L’Ouverture was one of the leaders who fought for the independence of Haiti along with Henri Christophe and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. He is hailed and revered as a hero in Haiti who helped to end French colonial rule. However, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, once one of his closest allies, may have been partly responsible for Louverture's arrest. In 1802, he was exiled to France along with about a hundred members of his inner circle and all this in spite of the promises made in exchange for his surrender. While there, Toussaint developed several illnesses in prison, including possibly tuberculosis and pneumonia, and he died in prison.

This new text, from Verso books, takes an illustrated view of the great leader’s life with several prominent figures in the ‘cast of characters,’ so to speak, drawn and identified before the book starts. Other figures include Antoine and Louis, enslaved people of African descent. Jean-Jacques Dessalines, as previously mentioned. General Macoya, an officer in the Spanish Army, and Henri Christophe, as previously mentioned. Also included is Boukman, or Dutty Boukman, who was thought to incite the major activities of the Haitian Revolution as a houngan, or priest of Haitian vodou religion.

We also have people from the French and British opposition, i.e. the colonizers, including Napoleon Bonaparte, General Delafosse (both of the French Army), General Maitlan of the British Army, and others.

By taking Toussaint’s life and dramatizing it into a graphic novel, this helps tremendously to explain and distill to the reader what was going on as Saint Domingue, as it was then known, was gearing up for Revolution to get rid of the French invading colonizers once and for all.

While the comic book format can be difficult to follow for readers like me who have trouble following along and interacting with it, the book is still a good and effective way of getting across complex histories into a way that most other folks can absorb it.

Some of the sections are more direct and make more sense than the others as they try to give an ‘on the ground’ look at everything that was happening in Haiti in this context. In some ways, there are too many characters and plotlines to follow, especially with the British and the French.

This is also one of those cases where having the print volume of this graphic novel to review from would have been easier. Some folks don’t have problems reviewing from a digital copy in this format, but for me, it poses challenges. It’s also a bit long for a graphic novel at almost 300 pages.

Nonetheless, it is a very well put together book and I would recommend it.

WOW!

Toussaint L'ouverture, an adaptation of CLR James' early 20th century play about the Haitian slave revolt, pulls absolutely no punches in depicting the horrors not just of Haitian slavery around the time of the French Revolution but also of the brutality of the uprising by the same slaves wanting the freedom that Enlightenment thinkers preached on the opposite side of the Atlantic.

James' rich words and powerful dialogue are well-preserved and enhanced with vivid illustrations of its characters and their violent encounters. It's a vital piece of contextualizing history for adolescent readers - hearing one's AP World teacher discussing a slave revolt doesn't quite convey the despair that led to the revolt nor the lengths to which these enslaved Haitians went to overthrow their oppressors.

This novel is perfect for your high school readers who, thanks to series like Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales from their youth, developed an early interest in history and the outsized personalities who fill its stories but need more than textbook explorations of events to understand and enjoy history.

This one is great not just for high school libraries but also as a companion piece for course materials in world and European history classes.

- As someone who knew very little about Touissant Louverature beyond that he led the slave rebellion in Haiti, this book was an incredible way to learn more. I found myself stopping and googling different things while reading, because this story ties into so many different aspects of history.
- by the time I finished this book, I was furious that I hadn’t learned more about it in school! The connections to the US and the colonial empires in Europe were so important, it’s frustrating that this seems so specifically minimized.
- the drawing style was incredible. The way it conveyed emotion was incredible. While it did make parts hard to read/follow at times, it was worth it for the feelings it conveyed.
- I had a little trouble keeping track of the cast of characters, so I really appreciated the character guide at the beginning.