Caribbean Books

I wrote this book because I have always been moved by the experience of consuming Caribbean food, and because I love reading and writing about it -- whether it be my own writing, or reading the writing of others. The awareness that diverse groups of people have come together -- in various states of contentment and discontentment -- to produce even a morsel of one Caribbean meal both humbles and excites me. It was out of this modest idea that I wrote this book. I hope you enjoy it. I would love to answer any questions you have about it.

Cameron's approach beats the other guidebooks in its up to date assessment of the country's politics and history as it relates to each of the regions you plan on visiting. Relevant sidebar info is sprinkled throughout the book to provide the reader with something other than the usual monotonous listings of hotels, restarants, and places to visit--though she knows her stuff here as well. This book is the most currently published of all the other titles out there.

I just picked this up and am headed to St Lucia next week (will update after I return). After getting this book, the Insight guide, and the Rough guide (which is anything but rough) I like this best. It's throw-in-your pocket small, chock full of info, and every page I open, I find things I want to do, and enough instruction on how to go about doing it. It has nice maps, and things seem well organized by topic (nice notable for parents- kids section). The top 10 list of things to do peaked my interest: every one of the items sound GREAT. I think this book is more tumed to the active traveller that really wants to get out and see their destination. I gave this 5 stars because it's the best guide I have for getting around, but it is lacking pictures, of which it only has a few. No big deal, I'll take my own :)

AUTHOR DARYL RUSSELL GRIGSBY HAS WRITTEN AN EXCELLENT BOOK ABOUT BLACK REVOLUTIONARIES. HE COVERS MANY IMPORTANT BLACK HISTORICAL FIGURES THAT A LARGE MAJORITY OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAVE HARDLY NEVER HEARD OF; GENIUSES SUCH AS AMILCAR CARBAL, FRANZ FANON, KWAME NKRUMAH, PATRICE LUMUMBA, WALTER RODNEY, NGOGI wa THIONG'O, PAUL ROBESON, CLAUDIA JONES, KWAME TOURE, AND AMIRI BARAKA; JUST TO NAME A FEW. THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT INTRODUCTORY FOR THOSE STUDYING ABOUT AFRICA'S STRUGGLES AGAINST EUROPEAN COLONIALISM AND IMPERIALISM AND ALSO ABOUT REVOLUTIONARY THEORY. THEY NEED TO PUT THIS BOOK BACK IN PRINT, BECAUSE THIS KIND OF KNOWLEDGE CAN'T BE FORGOTTEN.

A LOT OF FACTS IN THIS BOOK SURPRISED ME. FOR EXAMPLE, I DID'T KNOW W.E.B. Du BOIS AND LANGSTON HUGHES WERE SOCIALISTS/COMMUNISTS. I AND PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF BLACKS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE AFRICAN BLOOD BROTHERHOOD, P.A.I.G.C, AND F.R.E.L.I.M.O.

IT IS A SAD REALITY THAT MOST BLACKS DON'T PICK UP A BOOK AND READ ABOUT THEMSELVES. THIS BOOK IS A GOOD WAY TO SHOW AFRICAN-AMERICANS THAT THEY ARE MORE THAN JUST NEGROES, BUT THAT THEY ARE A STRONG PEOPLE WITH A RICH HISTORY OF REVOLUTIONS, ART, AND THEORY.

I love history but most historical books are pretty dry and boring but this one was alot different, quite interesting. Great read if you love history!

"The Forts of Old San Juan" is the official National Park Handbook for touring Castillo de San Felipe del Morro and Castillo de San Cristobal in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The former, known as El Morro, was designed by Juan Batista Antonelli and built by 18th-century engineers. The fort covers over 5 acres and had the primary responsibility for defending the harbor of San Juan, doing so with batteries of cannon on four different levels. The latter, San Cristobal, is the largest of the San Juan forts, covering 27 acres, and protected the city's landward approaches. I wish I had this booklet when I visited the forts a couple of years ago because while visitors had a sense that these were an imposing pair of defensive positions, you get a more sophisticated understanding from reading it.

This booklet is divided in three parts: Part 1, Old Forts in a Modern World establishes the key idea that in fortifying San Juan the Spanish military engineers made maximum use of the city's natural defensive features and erected fortifications that controlled both land and sea approaches. Part 2, Gateway to the Indies provides the history of Puerto Rico and the importance of San Juan as a strategic seaport. This is where you will find a look at La Fortaleza, the first fort built to protect the harbor and city of San Juan. Small by European standards, its main purpose was to repel attacks by the Island-Carib Indians and not the Dutch (who destroyed the fort in 1625). However, it does give you a basis for comparison to the other forts. This chapter also looks at Sir Francis Drake's attack in 1595 and the Earl of Cumberland's attack in 1598 (a diagram explains how a siege worked circa 1700). Part 3, A "Defense of the First Order" explains how Puerto Rico's strategic significance compelled King Philip IV to repair and strengthen the fortifications to the massive edifices we can still see today. In 1797 the prolonged attack by General Ralph Abercromby and Admiral Sir Henry Harvey failed. However, the city fared less well when an American naval squadron commanded by Admiral William T. Sampson, including the U.S.S. Iowa, bombarded the forts.

Even though it has been a couple of years since I visited, the text is clear enough and the illustrations have enough details that it all readily came back to me. The handbook is illustrated with contemporary photographs, maps, and diagrams of the forts, along with a few historical paintings and illustrations. So if you are visiting San Juan and decide to visit the Forts of Old San Juan, pick up this handbook so you can not only understand the various architectural structures you will be seeing but also the history of the forts and the practical utility of the forts in defending the harbor and town of San Juan. If you have visited other National Parks and picked up other handbooks then you already know these are high quality efforts.

Compiled and edited by Elzbieta Szoka, Fourteen Female Voices From Brazil is an impressive anthology of literature by female Brazilian authors featuring an interview with (and color photograph of) each author. Poetry, fiction, drama, and powerful literary voices and social messages fill the pages of this compelling anthology from cover to cover. Showcasing the lives and works of Nelida Pinon; Lygia Fagundes Telles; Helena Parente Cunha; Astrid Cabral; Marly de Oliveira; Jandira Martini; Leilah Assumpcao; Maria Adelaide Amaral; Myriam Campello; Sonia Coutinho; Esmeralda Ribeiro; Miriam Alves; Conceicao Evaristo; and Renata Pallottini, Fourteen Female Voices From Brazil is especially recommended for Women's Studies and 20th Century Brazilian Literature reading lists and reference collections.

Framing the Word is an invaluable collection of essays bringing together critics from Europe and the Caribbean. It examines the new and exciting literature of Caribbean women writers. I found this book particularly thought-provokng, apart from being a rare and important resource. To date, Caribbean women's literature has enjoyed little critical attention despite the quality of their writing. The essays in this book begin to redress this gap. Students and lay readers alike will find these essays particularly enriching.

The life of Frida Kahlo, one of the world's greatest women artists, is excellently portrayed in this book. Rauda Jamis manages to give us a unique insight of the pain, anguish and passion that fill the world of Frida. From her birth to her death, the book captures us and invites us to travel with Frida, as we identify ourselves more and more as we read, with this fascinating woman.

Ramona Abella takes the reader on an historical and culinary journey to old Cuba that will have you wanting to travel there. I enjoyed reading the heartfelt tribute to the author's family and her Cuban homeland. Anyone with Cuban or Spanish ancestry is guaranteed to find favorite recipes from their childhood in "From Cuba With Love". The wide variety of recipes provides everything needed to experience a Cuban meal - from the main course, side dishes, desserts, and even an assortment of beverages. The Arroz con Pollo is the absolute best Chicken with Rice recipe I have found anywhere! I think I have a new `covered dish' for whenever the occasion arises. This recipe is so easy to make that it practically cooks itself. Many of the recipes are for one serving. This is terrific for creating a special meal just for myself or calculating the exact recipe needed when cooking for any size group. I also enjoyed the tips on kitchen behaviors that are very helpful in taking the `work' out of the cooking experience. Even the most experienced chef can learn from these tips that range from planning the meal to easy cleanup habits. Ramona's psychotherapist perspective also provides a very interesting insight into the role food plays in our moods and emotional behaviors. In her own words, "The affirmation of love, life, creativity, self-expression, and having lots of fun in the process, that's what cooking is all about!" This is not only a cookbook I will want to keep handy in my kitchen, but also a reflection of Cuba that I will want to read and enjoy over and over again.