An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, from Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President

To quote from the book: "Where the poor were concerned, the United States invariably opposed the efforts of the poor's own governments, whenever and wherever those governments tried in any serious structured way to ameliorate the poverty of their own people. If there has ever been a circumstance in which the Americans did not take the side of the rich in efforts to quash even modest reforms to help the poor, I do not know of it." The plight of Haiti is undeserved, shameful and mostly the result of US intervention to keep the people poor and powerless. Well-written and compelling.

I sent the author an e-mail when I finished reading this book. And I will tell you like I told him. This is one of the best books I have read in quite sometime. Mr. Robinson is a voice for the people of Haiti. I admire people like him because he cares so much for which most people care so little.

This book is a great book for anyone who wants to understand Haiti's 2004 coup and the events leading up to it. But it is even better for anyone who wants to understand U.S. foreign policy towards Haiti and other poor countries. It should be required reading in US high schools and colleges. As with all Mr. Robinson's books, it is written with passion and eloquence, from the perspective of someone who was there, with his eyes, ears and mind open.

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.

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.