Bedtime Biography: Black Spartacus

Narrated Valeri Ross

Music by Federico Coderoni

Black Spartacus (2020) tells the story of Toussaint Louverture, one of the leading figures in the Haitian Revolution in the late eighteenth century. It explores how Louverture, a man born into slavery, managed to overcome his position in society to lead the enslaved people of Haiti to first their freedom and then their independence from France. It was the first successful slave rebellion in history. 

• Students of postcolonial history
• People who want to be inspired by figures in history
• Anyone interested in the history of Haiti or the Americas

Sudhir Hazareesingh is a historian who has written extensively on French history and culture, especially the period after the Revolution. He is a senior fellow and lecturer of politics at Balliol College, Oxford. His book, Black Spartacus, was nominated for the  2020 Ballie Gifford Prize.