Caribbean Books

If you need to read about Puerto Rico or are doing research, this should be your first stop. This book is the most comprehensive and well documented book ever written on the legal situation of Puerto Rico. Anybody who has anything to do with the island needs to read this book first.

THIS IS AN ENGAGING AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO PRESENT THE ETHIOLOGY OF A DILEMA THAT HAS BEEN OUT OF FOCUS FOR ONE HUNDRED YEARS. THE EDITORS HAVE CHOSEN A VARIED SPECTRUM OF VIEWS, AND IT IS THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT LENSES THAT THE ISSUE SHOULD BE DISCUSSED.

I have just finished reading this book and I truly enjoyed it! This book is certaintly not your traditional guidebook that leads the reader to places that only offer comfort to travelers, but rather it is an account of his impressions of traveling written with humor, passion, and a wonderful sense of history. He visits some of the most magnificent cities in the world such as Rome, Florence, Naples, Capri, Athens, Istanbul, Monaco, Barcelona, and Vienna. His descriptions of these cities are vivid and written with an appreciation of the culture of the land. I found myself laughing on several occasions at many of the humorous events the author experienced as he and his wife travel through different parts of the world. This is an excellent book for people who plan on traveling or have already traveled to these parts of the world and want to relive the experience. It is also a great book for those who want to travel without leaving home!

This travel book by Art Zavarella was so different from the usual, hum drum travel books I've seen giving advice and facts for travelers. The author takes us on his personal journeys throughout Europe and the Caribbean with often funny and always real life situations as he and his wife travel. He offers a ton of historical, interesting and unusual facts and stories regarding the different destinations that no other travel book or tour guide could give. I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking of traveling in the near future or just interested in learning a lot about the beautiful, fascinating places Mr. Zavarella describes so well in this book.

One of the latest books dedicating the oceanic art world (in this case even including a little bit of Indonesian tribal art), originating from a private US collection now on hold and show in the Museum of fine Arts in Boston, MA.

The collection of Bertha and William Teel shows not only Oceanic but also African art in general.
This book covers a very good part of their Oceanic art collection from areas like Indonesia (Nias, Sumatra, Borneo, Timor), Melanesia / Papua (Asmat, Korvar, Sentani, Keram, Yuat, Biwat, Korewori, Papua Gulf), Melanesia / Islands (Trobriand, Tami, New Britain, New Ireland, New Caledonia,Admiraltity, Witu, Solomon, Banks), Micronesia (Kiribati, Matty, Marshall) and Polynesia (Fiji, Austral, Rapanui, Marquesas, Aotearoa).

The pieces are very well photographed and described (esp. worth mentioning are detailed information about pedigree/history, aquired from and when and bibliography). Mentioning when and of whom they once have been aquired is something pretty new in art books and i personally like a lot.

As some pieces have a very good (means special or very interesting) pedigree, the preface of the book shows a deeper insight into this early periods when collecting begun; like Johan Cesar Godeffroy, London Missionary society or Richard Parkinson just to mention a few.

Overall a very informative book for the novice of Oceanic (tribal) art with lots of good pictures and informative stories as well as the collector/dealer who knows about as it has new pieces not too much known or published untill now and deeper insight into early collecting periods.Art of the Senses: African Masterpieces from the Teel Collection.

Oceania is a region of the Pacific Ocean that ranges from New Guinea to New Zealand, and from Easter Island to Hawaii. The native populations have created a unique tradition with their sculptures, pots and paintings that are now acknowledged for their artistic values. Compiled, organized, and edited by Christraud Geary (Curator of African and Oceanic Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), From The South Seas: Oceanic Art In The Teel Collection showcases some 80 Oceanic works of art, each of which is superbly illustrated through full-color photography with an accompanying text describing the object's form and function. An informative introduction by Michael Gunn (Associate Curator for Oceanic Arts, Saint Louis Art Museum) places these showcase works within their historical and cultural context. Curator Geary discusses provenance and survey scholarship to a simply beautiful presentation of Oceanic artifacts. From The South Seas is a prized and highly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library Art History reference collections.

Very very good resource of information, made me feel a lot more comfortable with my hotel choice and what part of the island I am staying on. Very excited to go on my trip and see if they were right.

The Bahamas are generally mistreated by guide book companies. The Open Road Guidebook is almost four times shorter then that on Tahiti, while the Rough guide is much shorter then that on Jamaica. Guidebooks tend to treat the Bahamas as a place where you rest, drink & dive. Very little background info and almost nothing about the Out Islands. Lonely Planet had by far the best book, but then with the new format in 2005 came a very poor and short edition, so LP has definitely lost that title. Now IMHO Frommer's is the best. Closely followed by Fodor's. They have the normal info for package tour guys, but they also have some interesting background reading. And all of it is in good proportions, unlike the Insight Guide which has a stunning amount of background reading but very little practical info.

Ian describes in detail the most romatic inns, hotels and getaways available in the Caribbean. He writes the information you REALLY want to know before you travel...location of the room, the activities not to miss, what to expect and special details which set apart his book from all the rest. I read this book cover to cover and marked all the places I wanted to travel based on his recommendation. After I traveled to the first location on my honeymoon (it was everything I pictured it to be, based on his description) I then put it to the test and traveled once again to a location I read about in the book. Again, I was impressed at the detail he was able to capture within the pages.

I plan to travel to each of the resorts he rates highly and would recommend to any reader that enjoys the Caribbean to pick up this book and you won't be disappointed. In fact, even if you don't step foot out of the privacy of your our home, after reading this book, you will feel as if you have traveled to some of the most amazing Hideaways in the Caribbean.

Keown's detailed and forthright travel guide is must-read for anyone looking for an off-the-beaten-track, romantic beach vacation. We each read Keown's descriptions of the various resorts cover to cover and dog-eared the possibilities - then compared notes. Truthfully, any of the resorts he reviewed would have fit the bill, but his thorough evaluation of four areas (dining, sports, rates and the hard-to-capture "atmosphere" category) allowed us to find the right fit for our vacation. He tells you which islands to pick depending on your budget, mood and individual needs, then takes you through virtually every consideration you'll need to select the right resort, down to island taxes, transports, tipping, and room service availability. His pet peeves are the same as ours - no huge hotels, no convention centers, and no cruise ships! Thanks to Keown, we were able to find the perfect romantic Caribbean hideaway for our honeymoon. We loved it so much we're buying the 9th edition for our next vacation.

"Frommer's Jamaica & Barbados" is an outstanding guide to the finest (and most affortable) shops, sites, hotels, and restaurants on the two islands. Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince also give us candid, in-depth "Best Of's" at the beginning of the book. If, for instance, you're an avid tennis player, the Best Tennis Facility in Barbados is at the Sandy Lane Hotel. And one of the Best Honeymoon Resorts is, ironically, Half Moon Golf, Tennis & Beach Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Other fine sections include: "Fast Facts: Jamaica/Barbados," "Calendar of Events," and "Planning a Trip to Jamaica/Barbados." The authors do a first-rate job of giving you the low-down on Jamaica without scarring you off ("There's no denying that it's plagued by crime and drugs...But many visitors are unaffected; they are escourted from the airport to their hotel grounds and venture out only on...organized tours"). If you're planning a trip to either of these two lovely islands, don't plan it without the aid of this top-notch guidebook.

The 2nd edition of this travel guide was useful, informative and well read when we travelled to Jamaica in 1994. We are planning on going back and will be purchasing Frommer's Guide to Jamaica and Barbados (3rd ed.). The guide was well segmented and easy to use. Reviews were right on and the extremely accurate price guides helped us plan for everything. The historical information made for interesting reading and the people and local culture were exactly as described! This is a well done and very user-friendly travel guide. It's also a bargain at Amazon.com!

This is a brilliant collection of poetry that focuses in the nausea, fear and repression the author and many of his fellow Cubans have experienced under the 41 year dictatorship of the Castro regime. This book made history and set a precedent when it was awarded the UNEAC's (Union of Cuban writer's) Julian del Casal prize which resulted in the publication of it. A publication that ,soon after, was taken out of the shelves resulting in Padilla's imprisonment. Out of the Game (Fuera del Juego) and the historical consequences of it, are a clear reflection of the reality of Cuba's political situation. Writers from the left, such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Mario Vargas Llosa and Susan Sontag (plus many others)signed a letter accusing Castro's dictatorial state and breaking their former alliance with their ideal Cuban utopia. Mr. Padilla will be coming this year of 2000 to give a lecture to USC, those interested in the event can contact me for more information.

A great book of poetry that perforates the fake texture of Cuba's opressive system. Padilla dedicated one of the poems from this book to Yanis Ritzos, the Greek poet that was jailed because of his leftist stand. In contrast, Padilla was later arrested for his criticism of an imperfect revolution which he hoped to improve. This is a crucial book in the inmortalization of history and its mistakes which if forgotten or ignored..are bound to repeat again.

"Fully Empowered" is an outstanding volume of poetry by Pablo Neruda of Chile. The book has been translated into English by Alastair Reid, and is presented in a bilingual format, with the Spanish originals and English versions on facing pages.

Overall, I found Neruda's voice in this book to echo that of United States poet Walt Whitman (who could be seen as one of Neruda's 19th century poetic "ancestors"). Neruda's attentive poetic eye looks at both humanity and nature with reverence and compassion. His voice is often very tender. Like Whitman did in his work, Neruda often writes in the first person in this book.

Some of the most memorable selections in this book include "To Don Asterio Alarcon, Clocksmith of Valparaiso," in which Neruda finds dignity and transcendence in the work of the title figure; "Thistle," in which he celebrates "the blue thistle of Chile"; and "The People," a passionate tribute to all the working people of the world.

In "Summary," Neruda writes, ". . . my life was always / singing its way between joy and obligation." "Fully Empowered" marvelously embodies both Neruda's sense of moral duty and the joy that proceeds from his life's work.

This bilingual collection of Nerudas poetry is an outstanding selection. Neruda is the great one of Latin American poetry. New Directions has for years provided us with quality bilingual collections of great world poets. Plenos Poderes (Fully Empowered) is another classic. Neruda continuously made impassioned pleas for his people. He was a great lover of his land and his people. He was a true revolutionary poet in the vein of Lorca. This collection was published in 1962 (nine years before he was justly awarded the Nobel Prize.) Here Neruda states his mission in a poem like The Poets Obligation: He will give voice to those who have no voice. He will speak for the downtrodden. The imagery of the sea is scintillating. The poem Fully Empowered also backs this stand. But amid the political stuff there are some beautiful lyric poems as well. To Sorrow is a gorgeous poem. Short pieces like It is Born reflect a deeply sensitive poet. This is classic Neruda. Viva Pablo Neruda!

Dr. Pelayo has more insight into this great author than practically anyone else on the planet. Recommended.

The book allowed me to understand the complexity of the plot in One Hundred Years of Solitude. It also provided me with enough historical background information for understanding the short stories within the book. My favorite, however, was the chapter on Love in the Time of Cholera. I fully recommend this book for the reader of Garcia Marquez who lacks the background knowledge on Latin American issues.

This book was both humorous and touching, I read the Duppy and the Lunatic also! this guy is great!!!!!. I can relate to all the character in his books, I know at least one of each character!!!!

"The Lunatic" was my first introduction to the biting wit and uniquely Jamaican sense of humour of Mr. Winkler. His hilarious and bitingly accurate portrayals of the many facets of rural Jamaican life made me an instant Winkler fan, and understandably, raised my expectations and anticipation for his next offering. "The Great Yacht Race" did not dissapoint. Mr.Winkler's tale centers around the lives of five prominent members of Montego Bay's society,and the tragicomic events leading up to the annual regatta - the highpoint of their social lives. The picture Mr. Winkler paints of Pre-independence Jamaica is rich with detail, such as a discussion between the white Jamaican Hotel manager O'Hara and a group of tourists, during which O'Hara casually states that in Jamaica, "Class is more important than colour. If you're the right class, your colour doesn't really matter." (Winkler, P.200) "The Great Yacht Race" is a well written and very entertaining narrative of Jamaican life that will have you laughing out loud, and perhaps make you a bit sad as well. It lived up to my expectations after reading the "Lunatic", and I eagerly await future offerings from Anthony Winkler.