“Girard’s choice to focus on the tension between idealistic movements and pragmatic politics continues a encouraging trend in recent biographies … From the outset, Girard is determined to draw out Louverture’s complexities and contradictions, to portray him as a political pragmatist—neither the hero of racial egalitarians’ dreams nor the monster of anxious American and European caricatures—driven nonetheless by his own ego, hubris, and desires. Girard’s writing is straightforward and only lightly decorous—much the opposite of the man he portrays—but what he sometimes lacks in style Girard more than makes up for in his ability to integrate a wide range of subjects into an accessible, fascinating historical biography. Girard writes with an inviting, understated confidence that feels welcoming, especially to newcomers to Louverture and Haitian history.”
–Joshua Alvarez, Bookforum, December 9, 2016
