Explores the application of a selected number of newly emerging methods and techniquesDuring the past few decades, Caribbean scholars on both sides of the Atlantic have increasingly developed and employed new methods and techniques for the study of archaeological materials. The aim of earlier research in the Caribbean was mainly to define typologies on the basis of pottery and lithic assemblages leading to the establishment of chronological charts for the ...

The autobiography of the fastest man of all time, eight-time Olympic gold medalist, eleven-time World Champion, and a superstar whose talent and charisma have made him one of the most famous people on the planet.Whether you know Athletics or not, and even whether you know sport or not, chances are you know Usain Bolt. The fastest man on the planet, not just now but ever, Usain has won the hearts of people everywhere with his mind-blowing performances and his infectious charisma – u...

A New York Times Notable Book of the YearA passionate and insightful account by a leading historian of Haiti that traces the sources of the country's devastating present back to its turbulent and traumatic history.Even before the devastating 2010 earthquake, Haiti was known as a benighted place of poverty and corruption, blamed by many for its own wretchedness. But as acclaimed historian Laurent Dubois demonstrates, Haiti's trouble...

This novel reveals that lunacy is by no means restricted to the village madman. . . . "By far the funniest book I've read in a decade" ( The Washington Post Book World).In Jamaica, Aloysius is tolerated by his neighbors, but forced to eke out a living by doing odd jobs and use the hospitable woodlands for shelter. Starved of human companionship, he has running conversations with trees and plants.Then love, or a peculiar version of it, comes to Aloy...

This book highlights the diary of Thomas Thistlewood and contains a rich chronicle of platation life in Jamaica during the 18th century.

Jamaican dons see themselves as leaders, protectors, and nearly God-like figures. They see themselves as bigger than even the Prime Minister; with the resources they have, they are not afraid of anyone. In The Making of a Jamaican Don, author Clifton Cameron tells the story of these Jamaican donstheir history, and the role they play in the governing of the Caribbean country.This story is told through the eyes of Spanner and Trinity, two youths from rural Jamaica who leave ...

In Masters of War, Clara Nieto adeptly presents the parallel histories of the countries of Latin America, histories that are intertwined, each reflecting the United States’ "coherent policy of intervention" set into motion by the Monroe Doctrine. As the value of this continued policy comes increasingly into question, Nieto argues for the need to evaluate the alarming precedent set in Latin America: the institution of client dictatorships, the roles played by the interests of U.S. corporati...

While 1998 marked the 100th anniversary of the United States' invasion and takeover of Puerto Rico, it wasn't until 1999 that the island's political movements reappeared on the radar screen of the American people. That year, two major developments occurred that transformed the relationship between Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.: the limited clemency granted by then-President Clinton to eleven Puerto Rican Nationalists, and the death of Puerto Rican civilian security guard David Sanes, ki...

The pirates of Somalia have given new relevance to old accounts of being captured by pirates. In 1821, Captain Barnabas Lincoln of Hingham Massachusetts was captured by pirates in the Caribbean, left with his men on a desert island and lived to tell the tale. Part "Treasure Island", part "Robinson Crusoe", his story combines adventure and history in a true-life tale that rivals the liveliest fiction.

Religion is one of the most important elements of Afro-Caribbean culture linking its people to their African past, from Haitian Vodou and Cuban Santeria—popular religions that have often been demonized in popular culture—to Rastafari in Jamaica and Orisha-Shango of Trinidad and Tobago. In Afro-Caribbean Religions, Nathaniel Samuel Murrell provides a comprehensive study that respectfully traces the social, historical, and political contexts of these religions. And, because Brazil has the la...

From stationmaster's daughter to wife of one of Jamaica's mot charismatic prime ministers, Beverley Manley's life has been an odyssey. As a young girl, starved of her mother's love because she was darker that her sibblings and forced to do housework while her sisters relaxed, Beverley was a modern-day Cinderella. Her adolescent years were painful, having to carry the burden of her self-loathing, the feeling of inferiority within her own family and the constant echo of her mother's ...

In 1654, England’s Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell conceived a plan of breathtaking ambition: the conquest of Spain’s vast American empire. As the first phase of his Western Design, a large expedition sailed to the West Indies, under secret orders to take Spanish colonies. The English Conquest of Jamaica presents entrenched imperial fantasies confronting Caribbean realities. It captures the moment when the revolutionary English state first became a major player in the Atlantic aren...