What is *The Big Truck That Went By* about?

*The Big Truck That Went By* chronicles the aftermath of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, exposing systemic failures in the $16.3 billion international aid response. Journalist Jonathan M. Katz combines firsthand reporting with sharp analysis to reveal how well-intentioned efforts trapped Haiti in cycles of poverty, prioritized donor interests over local needs, and left the country more vulnerable to future disasters.

Who should read *The Big Truck That Went By*?

This book is essential for readers interested in humanitarian aid, global development, or modern Caribbean history. Policymakers, nonprofit workers, and students will gain critical insights into how aid structures often perpetuate dependency, while general audiences appreciate its gripping narrative of disaster, politics, and resilience.

Is *The Big Truck That Went By* worth reading?

Yes. Winner of the Overseas Press Club’s Cornelius Ryan Award and shortlisted for the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award, the book is praised as “the most important written work to emerge from the rubble” (*Miami Herald*). It balances rigorous investigative journalism with vivid storytelling about Haiti’s struggle for recovery.

Who is Jonathan M. Katz?

Jonathan M. Katz is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press bureau chief in Haiti. As the only full-time U.S. correspondent during the 2010 earthquake, he broke major stories, including the UN’s cover-up of its role in a post-quake cholera epidemic. His work has appeared in *The New York Times*, *The Guardian*, and *Foreign Policy*.

What critiques does the book offer about international aid?

Katz argues that aid often prioritizes donor visibility over sustainable change, bypassing local governments and creating chaotic short-term projects. He highlights how 99% of U.S. earthquake relief funds flowed back to American contractors, while Haitian-led initiatives were sidelined—a pattern reinforcing poverty and disempowerment.

How does the book analyze Bill Clinton’s role in Haiti’s recovery?

As co-chair of Haiti’s reconstruction commission, Clinton promoted export-oriented industrial parks and luxury hotels, which Katz argues catered to foreign investors rather than addressing housing or infrastructure needs. The book critiques Clinton’s “disaster capitalism” approach for deepening economic inequality.

What caused the cholera epidemic after the earthquake?

Katz uncovered that UN peacekeepers introduced cholera through improper waste disposal at their base. Despite overwhelming evidence, the UN denied responsibility for years, exacerbating an outbreak that killed 10,000+ Haitians. This scandal underscores the book’s theme of accountability in aid operations.

How does *The Big Truck That Went By* compare to other books on humanitarian crises?

Unlike academic analyses, Katz blends investigative rigor with narrative-driven journalism, offering a ground-level perspective akin to *Evicted* by Matthew Desmond. It contrasts with *Dead Aid* by Dambisa Moyo by focusing on systemic failures rather than opposing aid outright.

Big Truck That Went By

How the World Came to Save Haiti and Left Behind a Disaster

Jonathan M. Katz

4.12(1849 Reviews)

Overview of Big Truck That Went By

When a massive earthquake devastated Haiti, AP reporter Jonathan Katz witnessed how international aid became a second disaster. Jon Lee Anderson called it "THE book" on Haiti's reconstruction failure - revealing why billions in relief created more problems than solutions.

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Chapter 1

When the Earth Shattered: Haiti's Unheard Cry for Help

On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, killing over 200,000 people and leaving millions homeless. As the dust settled over Port-au-Prince, a bewildered world asked, "Why Haiti?" The disaster became the Western Hemisphere's deadliest natural disaster, but the tragedy was just beginning. Despite an unprecedented $5.2 billion in emergency relief and $10 billion pledged for reconstruction, Haiti remained broken years later. Nearly a million remained homeless, political riots erupted, and a devastating cholera epidemic emerged-likely caused by the very UN peacekeepers sent to help. Jonathan M. Katz was uniquely positioned to tell this story. As the only full-time American news correspondent in Haiti when the earthquake struck, he experienced the disaster firsthand when his own house collapsed. His dual perspective as both journalist and survivor offers rare insight into how a massive humanitarian effort led by the world's most powerful nation caused such harm to a country that desperately wanted its help. The book has become required reading in university courses on humanitarian aid and disaster response, with former President Bill Clinton calling it "an indispensable, compelling account" of Haiti's tragedy.

Chapter 2

A Nation Built on Fault Lines

Haiti's vulnerability began long before the earthquake struck. Port-au-Prince sits in a precarious location-a narrow lowland depression caught between tectonic plates that had violently collided 60 million years ago. The area was first settled by the Taino people around 1500 years ago before European colonization decimated their civilization. In 1749, the French established Port-au-Prince as the colonial capital, but its vulnerability was immediately apparent when earthquakes completely destroyed it in 1751 and again in 1770. After these disasters, the fault beneath Port-au-Prince locked in place, remaining dormant for centuries and allowing collective memory of the danger to fade. Meanwhile, Haiti's revolutionary history shaped its development. In 1791, enslaved people rose up against French rule, defeating European forces and declaring independence in 1804. But the new nation faced immediate hostility from slavery-dependent countries like the United States, which refused to recognize Haiti's independence. Haiti's relationship with America remained complicated throughout its history. The U.S. invaded Haiti in 1915, occupying it for 19 years and centralizing power in Port-au-Prince. This created what anthropologist Michel-Rolph Trouillot called "the Republic of Port-au-Prince," a legacy that persisted into the 21st century. The occupation transformed Haiti's governance, establishing patterns that would later contribute to the earthquake's devastating impact. The Duvalier dictatorships further shaped Haiti's vulnerability. Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier consolidated absolute power through terror after winning the 1957 election, declaring himself president for life. When he died in 1971, his 19-year-old son Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier succeeded him. Baby Doc courted U.S. investment, promoting Haiti as a "Taiwan of the Caribbean" with tax exemptions and non-union labor. While manufacturing grew, these economic policies ultimately led to collapse as agriculture was neglected and urban slums swelled with migrants. By 2010, Port-au-Prince had transformed dramatically. When Baby Doc ruled, four in five Haitians lived in rural areas; by the time of the earthquake, nearly half lived in cities, with about 3 million crowded into the capital. Without building regulations, people constructed unstable concrete shacks that could collapse with minimal force. The state had effectively disappeared-Haiti's $1 billion annual budget was smaller than Miami-Dade County's despite having four times the population. When the earthquake struck, it found a city primed for maximum devastation.

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Chapter 3

The Day Everything Changed

"Tu panse se yon gwo machin ki pase?" Evens asked me. "You think it was a big truck going by?" We had just escaped my collapsing house in Petionville, Haiti, where I'd been living as the Associated Press correspondent for two and a half years. The question seemed absurd-this was clearly an earthquake-but it revealed how Haitians processed the unthinkable. With no major tremors in living memory, many initially mistook the shaking for a passing truck. As night approached, we navigated through the devastated city where thousands gathered singing hymns. Traffic had dissipated as drivers abandoned vehicles or reached destinations. The Champ de Mars was filled with hundreds of thousands of silent people gathered at the National Palace. Some hoped the president would emerge with guidance; many simply had nowhere else to go. The sight of the National Palace-its rightmost dome bowing forward, the central dome collapsed, windows blown out-symbolized the collapse of Haiti's central institution. With no cell signal, we headed for the U.S. Embassy, where I faced shocking rejection from embassy spokesman Jerry Oetgen. Despite our desperate situation, he refused us entry, communications access, or shelter, citing "security protocol." I was eventually allowed to sleep inside while Evens was forced to stay in the guard shack because he wasn't a U.S. citizen. The earthquake had been a great leveler. Unlike previous disasters where wealth and status determined survival, this catastrophe destroyed government ministries and luxury hotels alongside modest homes. Spain's ambassador was seriously injured, students and diligent workers died at their desks, while bosses who left early survived. Whether in Haiti for decades or hours, in slums or five-star accommodations, survival depended solely on the strength of the structures around you when the fault gave way. President Rene Preval, despite his political style of measured silence and inaction, had toured the devastated city by motorcycle in the early morning hours. Though he'd warned of the dangers of anarchic construction and predicted the cycle of disaster mobilization, he now seemed dazed and disoriented. When spotted at the airport by CNN, he muttered only a few confused words about his collapsed palace, appearing neither presidential nor composed-a silence that wounded his nation deeply.

Chapter 4

America's Promise: "You Will Not Be Forgotten"

Forty-one hours after the earthquake, President Barack Obama delivered a pivotal address from the White House diplomatic reception room, surrounded by his national security team including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. "I've directed my administration to launch a swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives and support the recovery in Haiti," he declared. With an initial commitment of $100 million - later expanded to over $3.5 billion in total aid - he solemnly promised the Haitian people: "You will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten. In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you." The U.S. military's Operation Unified Response emerged as one of the largest humanitarian missions in modern military history, lasting approximately six months. The operation involved over 22,000 military personnel, 33 ships, and more than 300 aircraft. They distributed staggering quantities of aid: 2.6 million water bottles, 4.9 million meals, and 17 million pounds of bulk food, reaching approximately 3 million people. Infrastructure support included providing plastic tarps to 1.1 million people for temporary shelter, clearing 80 city blocks of dangerous rubble, conducting structural assessments of 40,000 buildings, digging critical flood-prevention trenches in nine major camps, and treating nearly 10,000 patients in field hospitals and the USNS Comfort hospital ship. Military commanders measured success primarily through maintaining civil order - no major riots occurred during their deployment. However, many soldiers, particularly those trained for combat rather than humanitarian assistance, questioned their role and effectiveness. Some noted the disconnect between their military training and the complex humanitarian challenges they faced, including coordinating with hundreds of NGOs and navigating local political dynamics. The transition from immediate disaster relief to long-term recovery and reconstruction proved exceptionally challenging. While emergency food distributions continued well beyond the initial crisis period, medical operations shifted from treating earthquake-related trauma to addressing chronic health issues and routine medical care. A particularly troubling gap emerged in the treatment of thousands of amputees and severe injury survivors, who received little to no follow-up care as aid groups and military units withdrew without establishing sustainable local medical infrastructure. The camp situation grew increasingly complex and problematic. Settlement camps multiplied from 107 in January to over 1,500 by July, housing more than 1.5 million people. This explosive growth was partly due to unintended consequences of aid distribution - many Haitians moved to camps to access services, even if their homes were intact, creating new humanitarian challenges and complicating recovery efforts. Land ownership emerged as perhaps the most significant barrier to reconstruction. The earthquake destroyed the Haitian government's antiquated land registry system - 2,500 bound, decaying, mostly handwritten logs organized chronologically rather than geographically. With less than 5% of the country's land properly documented before the disaster, the land registration agency faced near-impossible challenges in determining property rights, rubble clearance responsibilities, and rebuilding permissions. This paralyzed many reconstruction efforts and left thousands in legal limbo. In the absence of effective official governance, camps developed their own informal power structures. NGOs' well-intentioned calls for "community participation" inadvertently legitimized self-appointed "camp committees," often dominated by young men who exercised considerable control over aid distribution and camp life, sometimes through intimidation. The top-down approach to aid distribution created stark disparities - wealthy areas like Petionville received disproportionate attention and resources, while poorer regions like Carrefour were largely overlooked, highlighting the failure to meaningfully consult with and involve local communities in recovery planning.

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Chapter 5

The Broken Aid Machine

Foreign aid rarely went directly to Haiti's government, instead flowing to domestic NGOs and contractors. A growing contingent of academics and disillusioned aid workers argued this approach weakened fragile states, as local officials appeared miserly beside foreigners distributing resources while foreign firms poached talented nationals. By 2005, over 100 countries including the US had signed an aid-reform declaration in Paris pledging to work through "country systems and procedures." Yet in 2009, only 1.7% of US foreign assistance flowed as direct budget support. After the earthquake, little of the $1.1 billion in US emergency assistance reached Haiti directly-half went to US government agencies and the rest to UN agencies, contractors, and NGOs. As reconstruction planning began, the Haitian government estimated needing $11.5 billion over the next decade, including $350 million in direct budget support. A major donors' conference titled "Towards a New Future for Haiti" was scheduled for March 31, 2010, at UN headquarters in New York. The UN's cluster system continued despite internal criticism. In a leaked letter, UN humanitarian chief John Holmes blasted the system's "lack of capacity" and failure to develop coherent response plans. Few Haitians could participate in the English-language meetings except rare individuals like Leslie Voltaire, a Cornell-educated architect and presidential advisor. "There were too many meetings for the small quantity of Haitian technicians," Voltaire explained, noting that constant meetings and diplomatic visits prevented officials from doing actual work. At the donors' conference, representatives from 150 countries gathered at UN headquarters in New York for Haiti's reconstruction. The delegates responded to a fifty-five-page "Action Plan" ostensibly created by the Haitian government but with significant foreign influence. Hillary Clinton delivered a stern speech offering two possible futures for Haiti-either "an engine for progress" or a path of regional and global consequences-while pledging $1.15 billion for reconstruction. Corruption fears shadowed the donors' conference, with concerns about Haiti's government potentially misusing funds. The Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index frequently cited Haiti as highly corrupt, though researchers noted this measured perception rather than actual corruption. A 2009 Harvard study found countries with Protestant traditions, high economic production, and British legal origins tended to receive better ratings regardless of actual experience. The donors ultimately created compromise funding mechanisms, including a World Bank-managed fund and the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission-a board with eleven Haitians and twelve international representatives, co-chaired by Prime Minister Bellerive and Bill Clinton.

Chapter 6

The Governor: Bill Clinton's Haiti

Bill Clinton brought remarkable attention to detail to his Haiti work, demonstrated during a hospital visit where he thoroughly analyzed a motorcycle accident victim's wound and treatment needs. He identified both immediate solutions (securing antibiotic ointment) and systemic problems (the hospital's unreliable medicine supply). This exemplified Clinton's approach: identifying human-scale problems he could solve by connecting donors with specific needs. His relentless optimism about Haiti's potential initially confused journalists accustomed to negative narratives, but eventually became a refreshing perspective. Clinton emphasized investment opportunities rather than just aid needs, making some wonder if he might be Haiti's long-awaited savior. Haitians had mixed reactions to Clinton's involvement. His initial 2009 visit drew cheering crowds, many being Aristide supporters who hoped Clinton might facilitate their leader's return from exile. However, enthusiasm waned as promised donor funds failed to materialize and conditions remained unchanged. Many Haitians were unclear about Clinton's role as UN Special Envoy, questioning how it fit with existing leadership structures. A wry joke spread that Clinton was establishing a new colonial regime, with the Haitian press dubbing him "Le Gouverneur" (The Governor). Clinton's development vision for Haiti was based on Paul Collier's nineteen-page report "Haiti: From Natural Catastrophe to Economic Security." Collier, an Oxford economist who had never visited Haiti before writing the report after just five days in the country, emphasized job creation as the path to security and growth. The report's centerpiece was expanding Haiti's garment industry, leveraging the country's poverty and "unregulated labor market" to compete with China through low wages. The garment industry strategy hinged on Haiti's inclusion in the HOPE II trade agreement, allowing duty-free export of Haitian-assembled clothing to the U.S. market. While the industry could scale quickly with minimal training requirements, critics noted its fundamental flaw: factories could easily relocate wherever wages were cheaper, leaving workers with few transferable skills or sustainable livelihoods. The clash over Haiti's economic future erupted in a battle over minimum wage. In 2009, Haitian lawmaker Steven Benoit introduced legislation to raise the daily minimum from $1.79 to $5. Despite overwhelming parliamentary support, President Preval unexpectedly tabled the bill, triggering protests that filled Port-au-Prince streets. Under pressure from both protesters and the U.S. ambassador, Preval ultimately bypassed constitutional procedure by rewriting the bill himself. His compromise raised most workers' wages to $5 but limited garment workers to $3 daily, with full increases postponed for three years.

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Chapter 7

The Deadly Gift: Cholera's Arrival

Forty-one-year-old Rosemond Lorime from the small village of Meille in Haiti's central plateau experienced an intense stomach pain while traveling. After his father fell ill with similar symptoms, Rosemond's entire family became sick with severe diarrhea and vomiting. Despite efforts to get medical help, Rosemond died shortly after reaching the hospital in Mirebalais on October 17, 2010. As news broke of a mysterious outbreak in Saint-Marc with symptoms of vomiting, fever, and severe diarrhea, health experts who had previously dismissed post-earthquake epidemic fears grew concerned. By the weekend's end, about two hundred people had died, and tests confirmed cholera had reached Haiti. The timing raised questions-why would cholera appear nine months after the earthquake and in the countryside rather than the capital? Research shows disease outbreaks rarely follow natural disasters, and when they do, they're typically diseases already present in the region. Most significantly, cholera hadn't been documented in Haiti for at least a century, with the CDC having stated it was "extremely unlikely to occur" in the Caribbean. As the epidemic spread, rumors circulated that UN soldiers had emptied latrines into water sources or dumped mysterious substances into the Artibonite River. These rumors reflected long-standing tensions between Haitians and MINUSTAH peacekeepers, whose presence many locals resented as an insult to their sovereignty. Following these rumors to a UN Nepalese battalion base near Mirebalais, we discovered broken pipes leaking black sewage toward the river. Local resident Jean-Paul Chery showed us open pits where SANCO, the UN's waste contractor, dumped excrement from the base. The waste sometimes overflowed into the river that millions downstream depended on. The timing was suspicious-the unit had rotated in shortly before the epidemic began, and the soldiers had been in Nepal during a cholera outbreak there. The epidemic spread rapidly through a population with no immunity to the bacteria. Within hours of infection, victims could be bedridden, and within days, dead. Bodies were being piled into mass graves for the second time that year. NGOs established treatment centers, but many Haitians distrusted them, believing foreigners had brought the disease. After my story broke, the UN stonewalled further inquiries. When pressed about testing, UN spokesman Pugliese admitted the Nepalese soldiers had never been tested for cholera, contradicting earlier claims. The UN's own medical manual didn't even list cholera as a condition precluding service. Meanwhile, officials insisted investigating the outbreak's origin wasn't "important" or a "priority"-despite this being standard epidemiological practice during disease outbreaks. By early November, cholera reached Port-au-Prince, with the first case confirmed on November 8. The death toll passed four hundred. While many feared the camps would be hardest hit, the NGOs' post-earthquake water provisions actually made them safer than the untouched slums. In Cite Soleil, Doctors Without Borders struggled to accommodate the flood of patients.

Chapter 8

Politics Amid Ruins: Haiti's Contentious Election

Haiti's presidential election approached amid stalled reconstruction and a cholera epidemic. President Rene Preval was attempting a rare feat-becoming only the second Haitian leader to complete two full terms and peacefully transfer power. Of Haiti's 49 previous heads of state, 22 were overthrown, two assassinated, one executed, and one committed suicide. With nineteen candidates on the ballot, Preval's Unity Party and its candidate Jude Celestin remained frontrunners by default, plastering posters across the country and campaigning on stability. Among the challengers was Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly, who leveraged his fame as a musician to connect with voters disillusioned with politicians. At his massive rally in Croix-des-Bouquets, Martelly energized thousands with his charismatic performance, positioning himself as the candidate of change against Preval's promise of stability. One week before the November 2010 election, a clean vote seemed impossible. Earthquake damage to the Electoral Council headquarters caused logistical problems nationwide, while thousands of dead remained on voter rolls. Political factions clashed violently, with each campaign reporting assassination attempts and blaming rivals. Despite these issues, international organizations insisted on keeping the November 28 election date, with the EU warning that delays would "jeopardize political stability." When foreign diplomats spoke of democracy in Haiti, they often meant elections rather than true democratic governance. As anthropologist Michel-Rolph Trouillot observed, observers wrongly reduced Haiti's problems to procedures for accessing political power, assuming free elections would automatically lead to democracy. Instead, Haiti's weak institutions and extreme inequality produced what scholar Robert Fatton called "predatory democracy," where the privileged exploited electoral processes. Election Sunday descended into chaos. Polls opened late, voter registration problems prevented participation at sites like Camp Corail, and ballot boxes were vandalized in Port-au-Prince. By noon, candidates began gathering at the Karibe Hotel to denounce widespread fraud. In a stunning development, twelve candidates including frontrunners Martelly and Manigat jointly called for the election's annulment. The announcement sparked immediate protests, with thousands pouring into streets chanting "Arrest Preval!" As the December 7 deadline approached, dread fell over Port-au-Prince. The results were announced at Le Villate social club amid an eerily empty city. Mirlande Manigat received 31.37% of votes, Jude Celestin 22.48%, and Michel Martelly 21.84%-putting Celestin in the runoff and eliminating Martelly by less than 1%. Only 20% of Haiti's population had managed to vote. The announcement immediately triggered protests.

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Chapter 9

The Unfinished Recovery

One year after the earthquake, Haiti remained in limbo. The political crisis showed no signs of abating as President Preval fumed over the OAS recommendation to drop his chosen successor Celestin from the presidential race in favor of Michel Martelly. On January 16, 2011, shocking news rocked Haiti: Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier was ending twenty-five years of exile to return to Port-au-Prince. The former dictator who had ruled Haiti for fifteen bloody years arrived to a mixed reception-cheers from some, horror from others who remembered the torture and killings during his regime. The electoral crisis intensified when the Provisional Electoral Council officially rejected the OAS report. The U.S. applied extraordinary pressure, with UN Ambassador Susan Rice demanding implementation of the OAS recommendation and linking billions in promised aid to "a credible process." The State Department revoked U.S. visas of a dozen officials tied to Preval's Unity Party. Finally, Hillary Clinton herself arrived in Port-au-Prince to break the deadlock, meeting with candidates and delivering an ultimatum to Preval: implement the OAS report as is. The runoff campaign saw Martelly's popularity surge. His crude persona resonated with a traumatized population seeking entertainment rather than political debate. With only one-fifth of the electorate voting, Martelly won decisively with 67.5% of votes. On May 15, during a power outage, he accepted the presidential sash and declared in English: "This is a new Haiti! A new Haiti open for business, now!" Three years after the earthquake, cholera continues plaguing Haiti, with mounting evidence that UN peacekeepers introduced it. Martelly's presidency has brought political change marked by propaganda, personality politics, and continued tension with parliament. While camps are being cleared from visible areas, most Haitians still live in unsafe buildings. The recovery commission's mandate ended with many projects unfunded, while luxury hotels for foreigners represent the most significant new construction. The United States remains dominant in Haiti's reconstruction, focusing on the Caracol Industrial Park with its South Korean anchor tenant Sae-A Trading Co. While the project may provide 20,000 jobs and encourage decentralization away from Port-au-Prince, critics note that factory owners pay no taxes to Haiti and can remove all profits from the country. The $5-a-day minimum wage is considered a barrier to the factories' success, and Sae-A's troubled history in Guatemala raises concerns about labor conditions. When friends ask about disaster relief, the best advice is to give wisely to organizations with local experience and connections, preferably to NGOs from affected countries themselves. But the real work must happen between emergencies-building local institutions that can operate independently and addressing the poverty that makes disasters deadlier. Consumer choices in wealthy nations also impact conditions in places like Haiti, where the garment industry depends on low wages. Haiti's story offers crucial lessons about disaster response worldwide. We must challenge misconceptions: people rarely riot after disasters; poorly planned interventions can cause harm; and your $20 donation likely didn't reach actual survivors. As Western countries reconsider foreign aid approaches, Haiti's earthquake became a test case for whether building local institutions might better prepare countries for future crises-a test that, thus far, we seem to be failing.

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Key Themes in Big Truck That Went By

humanitarian aid failure
disaster capitalism
foreign interventionism
structural vulnerability
post-colonial governance

Quotes from Big Truck That Went By

“To understand Haiti, one must understand the Duvaliers.”
“Aristide was no saint, but he was the closest thing to a popular leader Haiti had ever known.”
“In Haiti, the line between reality and make-believe is often so thin as to be nonexistent.”
“Haiti was not merely poor. It was broken.”
“Haiti is a country where the past is always present.”

Characters in Big Truck That Went By

Jonathan M. KatzAP correspondent and survivor of the earthquake
EvensThe author's companion during the earthquake
Rene PrevalPresident of Haiti during the 2010 disaster
Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" DuvalierFormer dictator who promoted U.S. investment
Jerry OetgenU.S. Embassy spokesman who cited security protocol

About the Author

Jonathan Myerson Katz is the acclaimed author of The Big Truck That Went By: How the World Came to Save Haiti and Left Behind a Disaster, a seminal work of narrative nonfiction that exposes the failures of international aid and disaster response. An award-winning journalist and foreign correspondent, Katz draws on his firsthand experience as the Associated Press bureau chief in Haiti during the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, where he provided critical reporting and uncovered the UN’s role in a deadly cholera outbreak. His expertise in global affairs, conflict, and post-colonial history is reflected in his penetrating analysis of humanitarian crises.

Katz’s work has earned the Cornelius Ryan Award, the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award, and the Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism. He is also the author of Gangsters of Capitalism, which traces America’s imperial history through the life of Marine General Smedley Butler.

A frequent commentator on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR, Katz shares incisive political analysis in his newsletter, The Racket. The Big Truck That Went By remains a definitive account of modern disaster capitalism, praised for its rigor and narrative force.

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"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

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@Pitiful

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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

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@Matt, YC alum

108

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@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

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@djmikemoore

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@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

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201

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483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

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"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

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Chapter 4

Big Truck That Went By

OverviewOverview of Big Truck That Went By

One book. Many ways to hear it.

When the Earth Shattered: Haiti's Unheard Cry for Help

A Nation Built on Fault Lines

See every word as you hear it

The Day Everything Changed

America's Promise: "You Will Not Be Forgotten"

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The Broken Aid Machine

The Governor: Bill Clinton's Haiti

See every word as you hear it

The Deadly Gift: Cholera's Arrival

Politics Amid Ruins: Haiti's Contentious Election

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The Unfinished Recovery

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Key Themes in Big Truck That Went By

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Characters in Big Truck That Went By

About the Author

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1,000,000+ curious minds.

1,000,000+ curious minds.

One book. Many ways to hear it.

When the Earth Shattered: Haiti's Unheard Cry for Help

A Nation Built on Fault Lines

See every word as you hear it

The Day Everything Changed

America's Promise: "You Will Not Be Forgotten"

Get more out of Big Truck That Went By

The Broken Aid Machine

The Governor: Bill Clinton's Haiti

See every word as you hear it

The Deadly Gift: Cholera's Arrival

Politics Amid Ruins: Haiti's Contentious Election

Get more out of Big Truck That Went By

The Unfinished Recovery

You made it to the end of Big Truck That Went By

Users also liked

Discover more

Overview of Big Truck That Went By