Product Description

On February 29, 2004, the first democratically elected president of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was forced to leave his country. The president was kidnapped, along with his Haitian-American wife, by American soldiers and flown to the isolated Central African Republic.

In An Unbroken Agony, best-selling author and social justice advocate Randall Robinson chronicles his own cross-Atlantic journey to rescue the Haitian president from captivity in Africa while also connecting the fate of Aristide's presidency to the Haitian people's century-long quest for self-determination.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #706658 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-05
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The title promises a history of Haiti, but Robinson (The Debt, etc.) delivers a brief for former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide and an excoriation of American policies and actions related to his exile. The portrait of Aristide borders on hagiography: Of all the public Christians I have known personally, Aristide led a life that emulated the implacable Christ whose sympathies for the poor Aristide had since childhood taken to heart. The Americans, meanwhile, are largely portrayed as evil: American officials had armed and directed the thugs, organized an unelected and unelectable opposition, and choked the Haitian economy into dysfunctional penury. Robinson's righteous outrage often turns to rant, and his passionate, partisan account veers into repetition, without providing adequate context for his ire. He offers minute descriptions of Artistide's abduction to the Central African Republic in September 1994, his flight and the efforts to save and relocate him, but spends little time on Aristide's governance as Haiti's first democratically elected leader. For the uninitiated, Haiti must appear to be a bewildering stew of obscure and violent events, Robinson writes. How sad that he did not use these pages to clarify the broth. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Outspoken to the point of controversy, activist Robinson boldly addresses the dire consequences of centuries of racism, most famously arguing for reparations to African Americans for slavery in The Debt (2000). Here he focuses his penetrating attention, vigorous analysis, and drum-roll eloquence on crimes against Haiti. A searing overview of Haitian history and the reasons behind the black nation's persistent poverty and isolation is followed by a riveting account of the 2004 coup against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a former humanitarian priest "twice overwhelmingly elected president by the poor." Robinson marshals strong evidence to support his belief that the Bush administration engineered Aristide's removal, and he has firsthand knowledge of the debacle. As friends of the Aristides, Robinson and his wife were in contact with the couple just before they were hustled off to the Central African Republic. Two weeks later, Robinson accompanied U.S. congresswoman Maxine Waters on a daring rescue mission that resulted in the Aristides finding temporary asylum in Jamaica. Robinson's dramatic account makes it clear that many questions remain unanswered. Seaman, Donna

Review
"Randall Robinson is the greatest Pro-Africa Freedom Fighter of his generation in America, his powerful poignant story of personal and political struggle is one of vision, courage, and sacrifice." -- Cornel West

Customer Reviews

Haiti: Behind the Headlines
This slim volumn is full of history that usually exists only between the lines in the mainstream press. It is written in a style that is casual and more like oratory or a musical piece that constanly returns to the main themes as the facts unfold rather than a 1000 page history textbook. A story not understood by most in the US, and a must for those wishing to fill in some of the blanks in their knowledge of US foreign policy. The questions raised are disturbing.

Ugly truths about the United States
Randall Robinson again displays his towering intellect, clear-eyed vision, and grasp of history, economics and power relationships. The ugly truths regarding the unrelenting American (and French) hostility toward Haiti are truths that the overwhelming majority of Americans cannot handle, and who therefore resort to willful ignorance. This book is a fascinating review of the kind of U.S. history that is not taught in the schools, nor covered by the media.

Our Book Club Enjoyed It
Consensus among our book club members was favorable toward Mr. Robinson's latest book. As most of us had never focused on Haiti and knew little about the country's history, An Unbroken Agony was great in that it provided a basic history which highlighted main players and key events. It also gave us an insightful, perhaps biased, account of Aristide's alleged ouster. Since reading the book, I personally am more enlightened about (1) Haitian history and its geography; (2) French, Spanish, and U.S. history; (3) the greatness of Toussaint L'Ouverture whose deeds should be more well-known and documented in history books; (4) the smelly politics and foreign policies of the U.S.; and (5) Aristide's struggle to improve the plight of his nation's people, primarily the lower class and disadvantaged. On the negative side, I wish Mr. Robinson had offered more detail on why the U.S. went to great lengths to rid Haiti of Aristide, i.e., more precise information naming specific corporations and other entities now benefiting from Aristide's absence. Also, I was left wondering why Aristide has not been more vocal in his exile. Why has he not written a book to tell us how and why he was forced to leave his country? Why is he not pleading his own case? Finally, everyone in the book club to a person was motivated/inspired to seek out more information on Haiti, which is a good thing.