Caribbean Books

I first read Beka Lamb more than 10 years ago and read it again last month as the first selection of The Belize-Carib Book Club of Los Angeles. This is a delightful book that captured growing up in Belize as a young girl in the fifties. I have shared it with friends and relatives and I highly recommend it. I have read all of Zee Edgell's other books and short stories and found each of them captivating. There is no doubt that Zee Edgell is indeed very talented. I look forward to her future publications.

This is a lovely, lyrical coming-of-age story that I think that most people who like to read would enjoy. It meant a lot to me especially because I was born in Belize, but came to the United States at a very young, and don't really remember this place that my parents and other relatives constantly talked about. BEKA LAMB described that Belize of former days and while not varnishing over the hardship, the poverty and the poor choices that women had there also showed the beauty of life in a close-knit community with its own history and rituals (many of which I know are now lost). I have been reading sections to my mother, a native Belize creole; she recognizes everything from the Sunday walks to the funeral customs and is very delighted with the book. But I don't think the book would only appeal to people from a Belizean background. It is also one of the best-done coming-of-age books I have ever read, which really delves into the minds and souls of two young girls (Beka and her friend Toycie) who are at a crossroads and will make choices that take them in very different directions.

I believe that I know this author,Zee Edgell. Did you graduate from SCA in 1958? I would like to know . I'm sure you would remember me. We were in the same graduating class. marie weir I am a teacher, living in Texas

The first time I read this book, it was a mandatory reading assignment in Catholic school in the Caribbean. I left that country and my copy of the book behind and have searched incessantly for it ever since. The story of "Beka Lamb" is a realistic portrayal of Caribbean life for a young girl. The political climate in the novel is still very much in existence today. The plight of the character Toycie is universal.A poor, uneducated, neglected girl, who falls for the first male who gives her an iota of attention.The overbearing matriachs and the struggle for Beka to assert herself as a woman is realistic. Zee Edgell's use of symbolism in the novel is superb.

I have long been a fan of the works of the late Howard P. Lovecraft, and when I discovered a roleplaying game set in his horror universe existed, I knew I had to get it. From the modules to the setting books and creature compendiums, CoC has been a never-ending delight for my inner horror gamer. I highly recommend this sourcebook, along with every single other CoC sourcebook, module, and rulebook. Call of Cthulhu is definitely worth it!

I found this to be an excellent "modern-day" resource for the "Call of Cthulhu" role playing game. Fans of other settings for the game probably won't find it as interesting, or as useful, but if you like to play your "CoC" in the "here and now," this is definitely a must-have resource.

Chaosium's summary text for this product reads: "What secrets lie within the Devil's Triangle? Why was the Mary Celeste abandoned after it passed through the triangle's waters? What caused the disappearance of an entire flight of Avengers in 1945? Why do electronics fail in the triangle for no apparent reason? Now, the answers can at last be revealed.

"'The Bermuda Triangle' is a 1990s sourcebook centered around the famous mystery of the Devil's Triangle. It acts as a guidebook to the entire Caribbean region, detailing not only Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and other nearby islands, but also exposing the mysteries of Rha'thylla, the Sargasso Sea, and more. Guidelines are included for running entire Caribbean campaigns. The book concludes with 'The Privateer's Diary,' a scenario."

This book is a great addition to any CoC collection. Not only does it provide tons of information on the people, politics, and customs of the Bermuda triangle and surrounding areas, but it is loaded with useful creatures, ideas, theories, etc. It has many charts that all keepers should find useful, such as one that randomnly chooses a sea animal. And, to top it all off, it comes with a scenario that I cant wait to throw on my investigators. It is well worth the cost, and then some!

This book is very good if you enjoy the modern adventures for this game. I really liked it because i am very interested in the Bermuda Triangle. I won't tell you any of the story because it would ruin the fun of the game. I wouldn't reccomend this book if you enjoy long campaigns like Beyond th Mountains of Madness (which took me a couple of months to complete with my friends). I would highly recommend this book to anyone except people who like the 20's or 30's adventures.

What a great collection of essays! An excellent book to have around and read when you're a Nuyorican looking for some grounding!

Collaboratively compiled and edited by the team of Gabriel Haslip-Viera (Director of the Program in Latin American and Latino Studies, City College, CUNY), Angelo Falcon (Senior Policy Executive for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund), and Felix Matos Rodriguez (Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Policy, Hunter College), Boricuas In Gotham: Puerto Ricans In The Making Of Modern New York City anthologizes essays reinterpreting and updating the history of New York's Puerto Rican community and its leadership from the beginnings of the great migration in the 1940s down to the present day. Organized in chronological order and including chapters by noted historians, sociologists, and political scientists, Boricuas In Gotham covers diverse issues of culture, demography, language, economic status, politics, and community organization. Also available in a hardcover edition (1558763554, $69.95), Boricuas In Gotham is a seminal work of impressive scholarship and a welcome contribution to Latino Studies supplemental reading lists as well as 20th Century American History reference collections.

CHOICE Magazin: January 2005

"Collaboratively compiled and edited by the team of Gabriel Haslip-Viera (Director of the Program in Latin American and Latino Studies, City College, CUNY), Angelo Falcon (Senior Policy Executive for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund), and Felix Matos Rodriguez (Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Policy, Hunter College), Boricuas In Gotham: Puerto Ricans In The Making Of Modern New York City anthologizes essays reinterpreting and updating the history of New York's Puerto Rican community and its leadership from the beginnings of the great migration in the 1940s down to the present day. Organized in chronological order and including chapters by noted historians, sociologists, and political scientists, Boricuas In Gotham covers diverse issues of culture, demography, language, economic status, politics, and community organization. Also available in a hardcover edition (1558763554, $69.95), Boricuas In Gotham is a seminal work of impressive scholarship and a welcome contribution to Latino Studies supplemental reading lists as well as 20th Century American History reference collections."

This new and very important collection of essays reinterprets and updates the history of New York's Puerto Rican community and its leaders from the beginnings of the great migration in the 1940s to the present time. The collection also honors the memory of the late Dr. Antonia Pantoja, who was perhaps the community's most important and influential activist and institution builder during this period.
The book is organized in chronological order and includes chapters by noted historians, sociologists, and political scientists, such as Virginia Sánchez Korrol, Ana Celia Zentella, José Cruz, Francisco Rivera Batiz, and Gabriel Haslip-Viera. These chapters focus on issues of culture, demography, language, economic status, politics, and community organization.
Eminently useful in college-level courses that deal with Latinos and other ethnic groups in U.S. society, the book ends with essays by Angelo Falcón and Clara E. Rodríguez that assess the legacy, current status, and future prospects of the Puerto Rican community in New York.

Gabriel Haslip-Viera, City College, CUNY, is the editor of Taíno Revival: Critical Perspectives on Puerto Rican Identity and Cultural Politics. Angelo Falcón, Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, is the author of numerous articles on Puerto Rican/Latino politics. Félix V. Matos-Rodríguez, Hunter College, is the author of Women in San Juan: 1820-1868.

I read this book and was just captivated by the strong women in this book. It is an amazing story of three generations of incredible women who struggled and survived many hardships. It speaks to me about the power of the human spirit. This book and the characters having continued to stay with me. This book is a must read for anyone who is looking for inspiration.

The Bridge of Beyond is about the lives of (about) three generations of Caribbean women from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. I found the book compelling for several reasons. For one, it is set in Guadeloupe and I learned a lot about that island which I previously knew nothing about. Also, the insight the book gave me into Caribbean culture reminds me of the constantly changing, pluralistic culture in which I live here in the United States. This book literally gave me big smiles, tears in my eyes, and a lot to think about. Anyone who is interested in the human condition would enjoy this book.

This book is a wonderful example of the power of womenhood, of its rewards and its downfalls. It emphasizes the bond between women and mothers and grandmothers, and shows that women can survive without a man's help. The imagery and descriptions of the land are beautiful.

Set on the French West Indian island of Guadeloupe, The Bridge of Beyond traces a century of history of the Lougandor women beginning after the end of slavery. Five generations are followed, but the main story revolves around Toussine, the woman known as "Queen Without a Name," and her granddaughter, Telumee. The surprise in the book is that the reader can end up feeling such empathy with characters not fully developed in the traditional literary sense. Schwarz-Bart's women are both long-lived and ephemeral like the fairies and witches of the fairy-tale realm. Her entire novel has an otherworldly feel to it. It is a kind of magical tribute to women, self-reliance, living, and the power of self, and also addresses the ever-present West Indian literary theme of transcendence. One of the nicest pleasures of reading the book is the total envelopment one feels with nature. Schwarz-Bart's imagery is filled with references to the sun, moon, stars, flowers, trees, rivers, waves, and the sea. The imagery is repetitious until it becomes almost a written chant in which the story lives. A truly magical literary experience with a feminist foundation.

If you want to know more about architecture in the Caribbean, you have to read this book!

Through his work at la Marina, Casa de Campo, Gian Franco Fini captures the essence of refined architecture with a perfect air of Caribbean elegance.

This is a book about one of those magical places that once you get there you don't want to leave. It's in the path of boats coming from Miami to the West Indies and is the place to see in the Caribbean before you die. Casa de Campo is the Caribbean most complete resort by far where any possible hobby in the world could practiced at world renowned conditions -besides skiing, except if you change it for water-sky-. The book about the Casa de Campo's Marina is definitely a 5 start in class, quality and content. This is the real thing in Caribbean Elegance and Luxury where you'll be able to find some of the most exclusive houses in the region.

This is the only book available about Marinas from an architectural standpoint. Blueprints, sketches and more than 300 full-color pictures are a never ending source for one of the most luxurious approach to Caribbean Architecture. It's about the renowned Marina at Casa de Campo, La Romana, Dominican Republic and is a must for anyone willing see from the inside out as many options as possible to recreate a tropical paradise despite if it's and apartment or a houses under 2,000 sqf or a masterpiece above 20,000 sqf.
In contrast with W.R. Blain's book for "Marina Developments" -That is an excellent and maybe the only book about Marinas from a structural standpoint- this one is an architectural approach to Marinas and all the elements around it such as Yacht Club, Apartments, Houses, Restaurants and all related services. It's full of details and references in a text that is catchy and easy to read. My only concern was that I thought it was pricy in the first place despite that it was printed and bounded in Italy, but Blain's book is above the $250 and this one is more related to interior design and architecture so it's worth 5 out 5 starts.

This is one of those books you buy over and over again. I love the food in this book.

I'VE HAD THIS BOOK FOR 11 YEARS.SINCE IN MY HIGH SCHOOL DAYS BACK IN MY HOMELAND DOMINICA.I REMEMBER US USING IT AT OUR FOOD AND NUTRITION CLASSES.THIS BOOK USE TO BE ONE OF OUR TEXT BOOK.THERE ARE SO MANY MOUTH WATERING RECIPES.EVEN TO THIS DAY,EVEN IF IT'S IN HALF,WITH SOME MISPLACED PAGES,I CAN STILL COOK UP SOME OLD RECIPES FOR MY DAUGHTER AND HUSBAND.TRUST ME IT IS WORTH THE MONEY,WHICH IS WHY I AM BUYING ANOTHER ONE TO REPLACE THE OLD.

I purchased a 1979 edition of 'Caribbean Cooking' by Rita G Springer back in the early 80's because I needed to learn to cook. I'd moved to England from Trinidad where I grew up. Clueless on how to create the food and dishes upon which I grew up, loved to eat and missed dreadfully, my only option was to learn how to create these for myself! Since then, Ms Springer's book has been one of my best loved, always-to-hand culinary companions. I've created my favourite dishes reliably and repeatedly and tried some new ones to boot.

My 1979 edition was well-thumbed, falling apart really. So I was very excited to find that this old favourite had been re-printed and I could buy a new but the same copy. This book represents for me a staple for anyone wishing to eat real everyday West Indian dishes. As a Trini who loves her food, I can definitely recommend this book for all you Caribees far from home, homesick for local fare. And for the adventurous foodie souls out there, I can definitely recommend this book for you too!

ENJOY!

My father bought this book for my mother for Christmas in 1975. It has some absolutely wonderful recipes-coconut bread being my favourite. Even if you don't cook, it's a great book to read anyway as Rita gives you an insight into the Caribbean way of life. My copy of the book in now in a bad way, it has been mended so many times that I think that if you removed the tape, the book would disintigrate :) The book has been handed down to me now and I feel very honoured to have it. Its contents remind me of my childhood, where my parents came from and ultimately, where I come from. A treasured and well loved heirloom. Thank you Ms Springer.

Caribbean Escapes book is the most exclusive travel reference book I've ever seen. I love the colorful and high quality pictures that the publication showcases all over the 400 pages. The stories are really helpful for any Caribbean trip. They recommend dining, activities and shopping for each region. With 22 destinations and 400 pages, this coffee table book is one of a kind.

I can't wait to see more books from this publisher, I'm sure they will be as good as this!

"Caribbean Escapes is a sequence of indulgent experiences in dazzling photographs endorsed by informative and entertaining text. Put it on your coffee table and it will lure you back again and again. Each turning of the pages thrills the senses. Your ability to resist will be nil."

I ordered Caribbean Escapes and was surprised at what I found. I have never seen a publication in an oversized/ coffee table format that focused on high end travel. There's foders, frommers, and lonely planet but they are small and ment to bring along after you figure out where you're going and where you'll stay. Due to its size (11'x13') this one is obviously for trip planning prior to travel. The others also give details on budget dives to luxury resorts. Caribbean Escapes focused on what I was looking for which is indepth detail and experience based information on the best travel options in the islands. This one is for planning before the trip and tells you about the island and then gives you information through articles to pick your hotel. It also recommends the top restaurants and activities as well. It's perfect for those who want to figure out where to go and will spend a few schekels on their vacation. The photos are over the top too. Very impressive.

Are you trying to find the perfect spot to vacation, forget your troubles and lose yourself in a world all your own? If you are you simply must have this wonderful book and experience in word and pictures the world of the Caribbean.
In this work more than 20 writers have taken the time to clue you in on 100 resorts. As you read through this work your eyes will feast upon beautiful pictures of the area, the beaches, the luxurious living quarters of the numerous resorts and will hunger to taste more.
You are given important tid-bits of information on regions that have the best golf, spa, honeymoons, shopping or excitement. Each location is vividly pictured and explained to you. I particularly loved "Musha Cay," a fantasy location, one where you have the ability to own your own island, one week at a time. Wonderful!
I don't believe they left anything out of this work that you would need to know. The only problem I see would be trying to make a decision as to which one to chose to spend your time. This truly is a useful, fun, colorful experience of a read for those planning their getaway to those who would just like to taste of what could be. Very well done.

A Caribbean Journey from A to Y (Read and Discover What Happened to the Z) is an ABC picturebook that leads the reader through the Caribbean islands as well as through the alphabet. From Aruba to Trinidad and alligator to yam, A Caribbean Journey from A to Y is filled with fun facts about life, cuisine, fun, and culture in island nations! "What words begin with Z? Zoo begins with Z, but we'd rather use it for zebra. We don't have zebras in the Caribbean (except at the zoo), but that doesn't matter. We will take our Z to Africa, where zebras are really from, and where they still run free." Simple, color illustrations in the style of a child's drawing enliven this wonderfully educational picturebook.

This is an alphabet book for children like no other. The words, carefully chosen, educate children in a way that is not just fun, but entertaining as well. The illustrations jump off the page and makes this book a journey like no other. Surprising, as you can tell from the title, is how Z is used at the end. This book is filled with suspense, history, knowledge and fun. This is a great book to read aloud, in a classroom, on the plane, etc. As a father, I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for more than an alphabet book, but a book that will leave the reader wanting to learn more about the caribbean islands and a better understanding about how the caribbean came to be.

This is a wonderful book filled with bright and beautiful illustrations and provides great information about the caribbean islands and their abundance of unique flora and fauna. The story is entertaining and easy to read, with a great discovery in what happened to the Z. I read this book to my son even though he is only 2 and he loves trying to find all the items listed on the page, provides fun and education. A rare find! A one of a kind ABC book!!

Mario Picayo's A Caribbean Journey from A to Y creates a sincere, helpful template for readers as they navigate the Caribbean Islands using the alphabet as their guide from letters A to Y (leaving the reader in suspense wondering where the Z has gone to). Each letter serves as a looking glass into Caribbean culture by representing its rich vegetation, diverse array of animals, and, most importantly the great people that inhabit these islands. While the alphabet guides the reader, Earleen Griswold's illustrations supplement the text with their lush, vivid colors that are diverse as the Caribbean itself. Bright hues of vibrant blues skies, colorful fish, and hot orange suns catch the eyes as well as the imagination. The story supplies the reader with factual and historical insight in addition to instilling a sense of great pride by uniting the Caribbean Islands by way of highlighting their origins to their African roots. I highly recommend this book especially for reading to children. The striking illustrations and enriching text are perfect for showing the little ones. A great read for children and grown-ups alike.

Carnal Hours by Max Allan Collins is a work of fiction. It is however based on a real life crime....the 1943 murder of Canadian millionaire Sir Harry Oakes. This well researched novel is narrated by its protagonist, the streetwise Chicago PI Nathan Heller, a fictional character who appears in a number of Max Allan Collins books.
Most of the action unfolds in the Bahamas, Sir Harry's adopted home and the site of his grisly murder. Enhancing the interest quotient of the ongoing narrative is the presence of a number of real life celebrities. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Erle Stanley Gardner, Eliot Ness, Meyer Lansky, Ian Fleming and Sally Rand all put in appearances. Some of these historical figures really were connected to the Oakes murder case, others were inserted in by the author to add color to the proceedings.
Carnal Hours is an exceedingly interesting murder mystery. The narrative is fast paced and action packed. Collins did his homework in researching the time and locale in which the story takes place and it shows. Highly recommended.

I like Collins... I really do. Personally, his Nathan Heller series are interesting, accurate and a fast-read. I've even enjoyed his other historical fiction (Murder at the War of the World's was outstanding).

Anyone who has read his Purgatory series knows that Collins is really a good writer, but I guess I don't understand why he cheapens his work by copying televeision series like CSI and now Criminal Minds. Of course the obvious answer is because he can make money with a recognizable series, but he is a much more talented author than this.

Collins is a devoted Mickey Spillane, 50's noir, author who occassionally writes under another name or with his wife. Recently he tackled the son of Doc Holiday meeting Wyatt Earp and Al Capone... imagine that!! I always look forward to reading him, but I wish he would, however, had stayed with Heller and continued to expand his world.

Collins is good historical mystery read regardless of what he tackles.

An excellent historical mystery, with Collin's Nate Heller filling the role of an real-life private detective who investigated the murder of Sir Harry Oaks.

Look for the reference to Dick Tracy that Collins ames at the end: "It hurts."

A fitional novel about an actual event that held my interest better than any other non-fiction books on the Death of Sir Harry Oakes

Ché Guevara Speaks to Youth
The titles of these speeches are enough to tell why this should be every rebel's handbook.

As a physician, he explained that being good people is not enough to become a revolutionary doctor - one must make a revolution. Once that revolution had won through, he explained the tasks communist youth face. This advice may be taken well to heart, because there are too many people who try to be good persons, and leave it at that.

Read el Ché in his own voice, so you can make up your own mind. This is what Pathfinder Press stands out for: offering space for revolutionaries to speak for themselves. And well earned is this addition to the "...Speaks" "series."

Historically, this individual's intellectual development may be traced in this volume. The reader can see how the ideas gelled into what was to become the first experiment in the socialism of solidarity, which was retaken in 1985, just in time before the USSR began to quaver.

...as an equal.Too many books are out there "interpreting" Che Guevara ; most often by academics who fear and hate revolution.Here Che speaks for himself : how the Cuban revolution discovered the "road of Marx" by breaking out of the Yanqui Empire fror good; how "lone wolf" individualists do NOT make social revolutions; how to be a revolutionary MD or anything else "first a revolution must be made"; the need for a disciplined revolutionary youth organization;how to learn from fighting workers and peasants while fighting alongside them;internationalism as a necessity and a duty; the fight against postrevolution bureaucracy.These ideas as guide to action are how revolutionary Cuba has survived and will survive.Young and not-so-young fighters REQUIRE THIS BOOK as "globalized capitalism" tears our lives apart.To fight back "intelligently, as Malcolm X would say.Read "Cuba And The Coming American Revolution" by Jack Barnes side by side with this gem of a book.

Even if you are not so young person like myself, you can find your youth and your belief in the future,through Che's vision in these speeches. Whether speaking to a group of medical students in Havana, or a Latin American Youth Congress, or to anti-imperialist youth from around the world gathered in Algeria, Che's message to young people was not watered down. These speeches are a serious charge to young people to take the present and the future in their hands, and follow his vision of struggle for socialism, for the needs of working people, the oppressed, around the world. The ideas in this book are just as, or perhaps, even more valid than when Che lived.


While this book may not be directly available from Amazon at times, they are available from the booksfrompathfinder on Amazon that you can find by clicking on the new and used books on this page.

Che Guevara was an Argentinean-born revolutionary who helped lead the first socialist revolution in the Americas and initiate the renewal of Marxism. In Che Guevara Talks To Young People, he speaks as an equal with the youth of Cuba and the world as he challenges them to work, become disciplined, and join in the struggles for justice at home and abroad. Guevara excites youth to read, study, aspire to become revolutionary combatants, politicize the organizations and institutions they are part of, and in the process to politicize themselves. The talks collected in this single volume are prefaced by Armando Hart, and were compiled with the cooperation of Casa Editora Abril in Cuba. Che Guevara Talks To Young People is highly recommended reading for students of Marxism, the Socialist struggle in the Americas, as well as the life and thought of Che Guevara.