(Larger Image)
|
A Continent Of Islands: Searching For The Caribbean Destiny
by Mark Kurlansky
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Da Capo Press (1993-03-21)
ISBN: 0201622319
EAN: 9780201622317
Dewey Decimal #: 972.9
Binding/Media: Paperback - 336 pages
SKU: 04610
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Pages clean, some edge wear on cover, remainder mark.
|
Editorial Reviews
|
Product Description
"An engaging book by an excellent journalist. . . ."--Washington Post Book World. "A penetrating analysis of the social, political, sexual, and cultural worlds that exist behind the four-color Caribbean travel posters."--Kirkus Reviews. Photographs.
|
Customer Reviews
|
look beyond the tourism and poverty, read before you travel
Rating  (5)
Date: 2009-03-23
"An in-depth study of the social history and politics of the Caribbean by a far-ranging journalist, excellent reading for travelers to the region. Organized as a series of independent essays with titles such as "Color-Coded Nations," the book is an insightful and frank look at the culture, music and religion of the Caribbean islands -- and the prospects for the future."
Gracefully written with wonderful detail. Not just for those interested in sociology and geography; also a fine reference for writers who want to add some local color and dialect to their novels.
|
|
Not a history book
Rating  (4)
Date: 2008-06-06
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
This is a study of the culture of the Caribbean, not its history.
This is an interesting read (Cultural anthropology was my favorite subject in college), but don't get this book if you want to learn about the history of the islands. Bits and pieces of history serve as background material for modern events.
Finally, the text is 15 years old, and some sections could use updating.
|
|
It should become a classic
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-03-31
I read this book by accident - a friend said it might interest me - and I was fascinated to the point of starting a second reading immediately - almost unprecedented with me.
I knew very little about the Carribean region - mostly through "antillais" people leaving in Paris where I spent most of my life. But my vantage point and great part of my interest originate from having lived in underdeveloped countries of South America (Bahia in Brasil and Bolivia) for the last three years and having struggled to make sense of what is underdevelopment, what are the roots of it and what could be done about it, how it relates to history, culture, race, economics, etc. This is exactly what MK is trying to do about the Carribean.
He does not pretend to have an answer to these many questions, least of all a simple one. No one serious and seriously informed could pretend to do that. What he deserves full marks for is attacking the question from all possible angles, seeing how they are often relevant to each other - for example that economics cannot ignore culture more than culture can ignore economics, because the devil is always in the detail.
Above all the book is well written, densely packed with first hand experience and information, often full of humour. MK is certainly rather more liberal than conservative, cannot refrain from a bit more sympathy for the Cuban regime than is befitting a good American patriot. That will certainly be enough (or was, the book is already 16 years old) for some to disregard what he says but they will be wrong - as they always are. He has sympathies, yes, but they are are not obstrusive, do not follow any partisan line. To a large extent this book is the sum of the experiences and reflexions of a thinking witness over many years. It should not be ignored and it reads well.
|
|
A good book on a diverse subject
Rating (4)
Date: 2004-03-10
8 out of 9 customers found this reveiw helpful
SO few books exist on general Caribbean history this book, despite its many small flaws, is a very good read. Perusing many different subjects without much connection and hopping from island to island(one has to in the Caribbean) this book details many of the issues the Caribbean faces. From large remnants of the salve trade to smaller remnants of the indigenous people(Arawak and Carib) as well as the everlasting sting of colonization this book paints a colorful picture of the many personalities of the islands and their diverse history. Probably the most ignored fact of the book is that while the British dominated islands have become largely successful democracies the former French and Spanish colonies have slumped into depravity. Little analysis is done and the figures presented mostly are not analyzed. Nevertheless this book is more travel journal then history, and popular history at best, so it does its trick. Anyone interested in an introduction to the Caribbean will be happy. Seth J. Frantzman
|
|
Engaging Overview
Rating (5)
Date: 2002-09-21
11 out of 11 customers found this reveiw helpful
This is not your scholarly tome, an arid recitation of events and facts. For such a fascinating part of the world, the Caribbean has generated very few readable histories that keep a reader's interest. Kurlansky includes a modicum of facts, but the real power of this book is the sweep, and the themes that tie different islands and eras together. I would recommend this book without hesitation to anyone who wants to know something about the Caribbean - or even someone just looking for an entertaining piece of non-fiction. Unlike the single grumpy reviewer, I would have no hesitation using this book in an introductory class on Caribbean culture.
|
|
|
|
|