Haiti: The Tumultuous History--From Pearl of the Caribbean to Broken Nation

In This Full Narrative History Of The Caribbean nation, historian Philippe Girard offers insight into Haiti's complex and layered past, showing that its current state as the poorest country in the Western hemisphere was not inevitable. This highly readable and accessible history takes the reader through Haiti's turbulent past-from its start as a prosperous colony and the only country to pull off a successful slave revolution to its struggles with political despotism and poverty. As international efforts pour in after the horrific earthquake of 2010, Girard provides the necessary context for envisioning its future-including a detailed account of the quake's consequences, the benefit and cost of an American intervention, and a telling look at what Haiti must do to rebuild.