Author(s): Marjoleine Kars

History | North America | South and Central America

A breathtakingly original history of the slave rebellion that almost changed the face of the Americas.

Winner of the 2021 Cundill History Prize
Winner of the 2021 Frederick Douglass Prize

'A richly detailed account of a gripping human story' - Washington Post
'[An] epic history ... a sweeping, thoughtful narrative' - Los Angeles Times

On February 27, 1763, thousands of slaves in the Dutch colony of Berbice (in present-day Guyana) launched a massive rebellion. Surrounded by jungle and savannah, the revolutionaries fought for an entire year... and came very close to succeeding.

In Blood on the River, historian Marjoleine Kars reconstructs a rich day-to-day account of this pivotal event - drawing on over nine hundred interrogation transcripts and other documents collected by the Dutch when the rebellion finally collapsed, and which were subsequently buried in archives.

An astonishing original work of history, Blood on the River provides a rare in-depth look at the political vision of enslaved people at the dawn of the Age of Revolution - and is an extraordinary new contribution to our understanding of revolutions, slavery, and of the story of freedom in the New World.

Review: 'A riveting addition to the history of the search for freedom in the Americas' - Kirkus Reviews

'A richly detailed account of a gripping human story' - H.W. Brands

'[An] epic history ... A sweeping, thoughtful narrative, joining a new wave of books that make visible previously dismissed Black voices' - Carolyn Kellogg

'A gripping tale about the human need for freedom ... The story of the Berbice Rebellion begs to be told, and Kars' telling is impressive' - Martha Anne Toll

'A powerful book that will appeal to experts and - thanks to the lively and accessible writing style - the general public alike' - Black Perspectives

Author Biography: Marjoleine Kars is a professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. A noted historian of slavery, she is the author of Blood on the River: A Chronicle of Mutiny and Freedom on the Wild Coast and Breaking Loose Together. She lives in Washington, DC.