- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; First Edition edition (Nov 24 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 140396887X
- ISBN-13: 978-1403968876
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 16.4 x 1.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 431 g
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#734,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #72 in Books > History > Americas > Caribbean & West Indies > Haiti
- See Complete Table of Contents
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
Review
Praise for Clinton in Haiti by Philippe Girard:
"An engaging and wonderfully readable account of the circumstances leading up to the U.S. invasion of Haiti in 1994, and its restoration of Jean-Bertrand Aristide as Haitian president."--Elizabeth Abbott, Trinity College, University of Toronto
"This is an extraordinarily well written account that places Clinton's Haitian foreign policy in historical perspective. Linguistic wit and analytical sophistication prevail as Girard skillfully weaves readers through the complexities and tragedy of Haiti's history and the highly touted, but unsuccessful aftermath of the 1994 "invasion" by U.S. troops to restore Aristide and democracy to this Caribbean republic. Until Clinton administration classified documents become available this will remain the standard account and an object lesson for all future American cut-and-run attempts at peace-keeping and nation-building."--Joan Hoff, Montana State University, Bozeman
"Written by an outstanding young French scholar of recent American history, this examination of U.S. intervention in Haiti under Bill Clinton probes the motivations behind an unnecessary military action and explains the ways in which objective failure is translated into political success. The author's finely-calibrated sense of irony makes his work as entertaining as it is instructive."--Alonzo L. Hamby, Ohio University, and author of For the Survival of Democracy: Franklin Roosevelt and the World Crisis of the 1930s
"An engaging and wonderfully readable account of the circumstances leading up to the U.S. invasion of Haiti in 1994, and its restoration of Jean-Bertrand Aristide as Haitian president."--Elizabeth Abbott, Trinity College, University of Toronto
"This is an extraordinarily well written account that places Clinton's Haitian foreign policy in historical perspective. Linguistic wit and analytical sophistication prevail as Girard skillfully weaves readers through the complexities and tragedy of Haiti's history and the highly touted, but unsuccessful aftermath of the 1994 "invasion" by U.S. troops to restore Aristide and democracy to this Caribbean republic. Until Clinton administration classified documents become available this will remain the standard account and an object lesson for all future American cut-and-run attempts at peace-keeping and nation-building."--Joan Hoff, Montana State University, Bozeman
"Written by an outstanding young French scholar of recent American history, this examination of U.S. intervention in Haiti under Bill Clinton probes the motivations behind an unnecessary military action and explains the ways in which objective failure is translated into political success. The author's finely-calibrated sense of irony makes his work as entertaining as it is instructive."--Alonzo L. Hamby, Ohio University, and author of For the Survival of Democracy: Franklin Roosevelt and the World Crisis of the 1930s
Product Description
Why has Haiti been plagued by so many woes? Why have multiple U.S. efforts to create a stable democracy in Haiti failed so spectacularly? Philippe Girard answers these and other questions, examining how colonialism and slavery have left a legacy of racial tension, both within Haiti and internationally; Haitians remain deeply suspicious of white foriegners' motives, many of whom doubt Hatians' ability to govern themselves. He also examines how Haiti's current political instability is merely a continuation of political strife that began during the War of Independence (1791-1804). Finally, Girard explores poverty's devastating impact on contemporary Haiti and argues that Haitians--particularly home-grown dictators--bear a big share of the responsibility for their nation's troubles.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tragic, heartbreaking history. . . ., Nov 5 2006
By Danniray99 "Danniray" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Paradise Lost: Haiti's Tumultuous Journey from Pearl of the Caribbean to Third World Hotspot (Hardcover)
Philippe Girard's book about the chaos and utter hopelessness of Haiti makes for mesmerizing but disheartening reading. It seems that for 200 years, Haiti has been plagued by voodoo-like bad luck. Haiti's slaves may have staged the first and only successful uprising against one of the most brutal (French) occupations, but this did nothing to improve their lot. But as Girard makes clear, international racism is NOT the cause of Haiti's never-ending troubles! Haiti's problems are directly due to the unspeakable ineptitude and corruption of political leaders who expressed utmost contempt for the very people they were elected to Govern. Papa Doc Duvalier may have been one of the most vicious dictators, but he was in fact just one in a very long line of political leaders who have systematically stripped Haiti of whatever potential it once had. Sadly, Haiti now seems forever destined to retain its status as the poorest, most desolate nation in the western hemisphere.Girard splendidly details Haiti's history from colonial to present-day. He writes of Haiti's entangled and complicated racial history, the abdication of the French, the contempt that the remaining ruling class of mulattoes (of mixed race and lighter skin) had for their illiterate and ill-informed darker-skinned countrymen; the US occupations; the unrelenting exploitation, pollution and pillaging of land, resources and foreign aid; the brutal repression, violence and callous indifference of politicians to building an infrastructure that would allow the country to advance from an antiquated rural-based economy to one more modern and service-oriented.
I was expecting to receive a thick, heavy history book--one that is usually issued in high school or college, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book is a very SLIM volume and a very quick read, the better to showcase Mr. Girard's beautifully concise and lively writing style. I highly recommend this book to anyone remotely curious (as I was) about why Haiti continues to be the pariah of the carribean. "Paradise Lost" is a real page-turner, worth every penny and more!
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Provocative and informative, Dec 22 2005
By Haiti lover - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Paradise Lost: Haiti's Tumultuous Journey from Pearl of the Caribbean to Third World Hotspot (Hardcover)
This is likely to be the most ground-breaking book on Haitian (or even Third World) history in a long time. Refuting the tired "this is the white imperialist's fault" that is still the Haitian mantra 200 years after independence, Girard shows that the disastrous rule of Haitian dictators like Duvalier and Aristide is the main reason why Haiti is such a mess today. One might expect a racist diatribe with such a premise, but the book is well documented, surprisingly civil, and often funny as well.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
I've read it twice!!, Dec 18 2009
By TropicalDoc - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Paradise Lost: Haiti's Tumultuous Journey from Pearl of the Caribbean to Third World Hotspot (Hardcover)
I just finished reading "Paradise Lost" for the second time. Now I am going through and making notes! This is an excellent, fair and balanced account of Haiti's birth to nearly the present day. Those who are blind believers in Paul Farmer's "Uses of Haiti" will rankle at the idea that endemic racism and Haiti's plethora of predatory leaders might be responsible for the curent plight of this country. I tire of the xenophobic attitude that has held Haiti captive. The author presents a concise and very readable account from start to finish. He is not afraid to recount history without "spin" and I find this very refreshing. He does not present Duvalier and Aristide "in the same basket" but he does clearly define why both leaders were despots. Liberals will not agree with the presented facts but that only lends this excellent book more credence. The author offers a concise synopsis of why Haiti has failed and how they can succeed. I have recommended this book to many others. I GIVE "PARADISE LOST" THE HIGHEST RATING!!!
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Business & Investing > Economics > Economic Conditions
- Books > Business & Investing > Economics > Economic Policy & Development
- Books > History > Americas > Caribbean & West Indies > Haiti
- Books > History > Americas > Central America
- Books > Nonfiction > Economics > Economic Conditions
- Books > Nonfiction > Economics > Economic Policy & Development
- Books > Nonfiction > Politics
- Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science
- Books > Professional & Technical > Accounting & Finance > Economics > Economic Conditions
- Books > Professional & Technical > Accounting & Finance > Economics > Economic Policy & Development
- Books > Science
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
