Caribbean Books

Ably edited for a contemporary readership by Karen Robert, New Year In Cuba: Mary Gardner Lowell's Travel Diary, 1831-1832 recounts the journey of a twenty-nine year old wife, her young son, and her husband on a journey to the island nation of Cuba. Mary Gardner Lowell's astute observations are peppered with gossip, humor, criticism, scandal, and stories of arrogance and danger. New Year In Cuba is highly recommended as being an engaging and vivid transport through time and space in a yesteryear travelogue adventure.

I first read this journal in its original format: a handwritten, early-19th-century document now kept in the archives at the Massachusetts Historical Society. I loved it on the first reading--Lowell is an articulate, insightful writer who recorded this journey for her friends and family back home in Boston. (Just as we take snapshots of a trip, 19th-century travelers wrote journals.) Now we can all read it without making a trip to the research library in Boston.

A well-educated, well-read woman, Lowell drew on a wealth of knowledge and considerable skill as a writer, but she was also somewhat more irreverent than she should have been, according to the conventions of the time. She took note of the local gossip, the scandalous histories of some of her hosts, and the harsh treatment of slaves on the sugar plantations. It makes for an engrossing read.

Professor Robert's introduction provides the historical context for the journal, covering the Boston background as well as the Cuban information.

The leader of the U.S. trained and equipped National Guard Anastasio Somoza Garcia seized power in Nicaragua in 1936. He was an S.O.B., but he was our S.O.B. as Franklin Roosevelt immortally said privately in 1939 when Somoza visited him in Washington D.C. Somoza wanted the National Guard officers and enlisted men to enrich themselves in mafia-style rackets such as prostitution, according to Walker, so they would be dependent on him for their self-enrichment and would thus constitute a force immune from popular discontent. Somoza Garcia's son Luis succeeded him after his assassination in 1956. Luis set up a lot of bureaucracies supposedly devoted to social services and economic planning, but these were in reality mainly used as a vehicle to funnel U.S. aid money to the Somoza family and its cronies. Walker cites the particularly blatant case of how the government used U.S. aid money after an earthquake in December 1972 completely destroyed Managua.

Anastasio Somoza Debayle Jr. took over as president from his brother in 1967. Anastasio Jr. reinstated a "state of siege" and sent the National Guard into the Countryside, where the (FSLN) Sandinistas were involved in stimulating peasant activism, after a December 1974 successful hostage taking operation by the Sandinistas. The Guard proceeded to rape and kill and pillage thousands. Many American Catholic clerical and lay workers witnessed these actions and the U.S. congress was moved to hold hearings.

In 1977, President Carter suspended military aid to Somoza in order to force him to relax somewhat his censorship of the press, thinking that the U.S. could afford for Somoza to do so without the status quo in Nicaragua being disrupted. However, in early 1978, after increasing massacres of civilians in the tens of thousands by the National Guard Carter resumed economic and military aid to Somoza. The uprising had begun in early 1978 after the assassination of newspaper editor Pedro Joaquin Chamarro. The Carter administration, in conjunction with the Organization of American States, eventually tried to enforce its policy of "Somocismo sin Somoza"....

Walker describes how the Carter administration refused to send arms to the Sandinistas and looked the other way as the military oligarchy in Honduras allowed remnants of the National Guard, helped by trainers from the Argentine neonazi military regime, to organize the force which would become the Contras. ....

The Reaganites refused to sell arms to the Sandinistas, cut off all aid, and successfully pressured the French to end an arms deal with the Sandinistas in 1981. Increasingly, the Sandinistas were forced to rely on Soviet block arms. Walker notes that the rifles, AK-47's and tanks that the Nicaraguans received from the Soviet block were small in number and often old and decrepit. Clearly the Sandinistas were seeking military aid from the Soviet Block because the Reaganites had launched a full scale proxy terrorist war against them. The Contras deliberately attacked civilian infrastructure and murdered teachers, doctors and engineers. The attacks on oil storage and port facilities by the Contras in 1983 and 84' caused Venezuela and Mexico to suspend oil shipments--Nicaragua was then forced to turn to the Soviet block for its petroleum needs. The FSLN managed to maintain fairly extensive economic and political relations with Western Europe and capitalist countries in the third world but the U.S. media preferred to ignore this.

In the early 80's, Walker notes the Sandinistas achieved some remarkable successes. Nicaragua's infant mortality rate was reduced from 121 per 1000 in 1978 to 90 per 1000 in 1983. The Kissinger Commission report of 1984 blamed the Sandinistas because it said that Nicaragua's GDP was reduced by 38 percent from 1977 to 1983. This was deceptive, Walker notes, because that statistic had in it the last two and a half years of the rule of Somoza when the country was largely destroyed. In the years 1980-83, Walker notes, the Nicaraguan economy actually grew by an average of 7 percent, while the rest of Central America's economies declined by 14 percent.

In spite of some mild repression (not comparable to U.S. backed terror in Guatemala and El Salvador) in response to the country being under U.S. backed terrorist attack, reactionary newspapers like La Prensa were allowed to violently attack the government and receive funding from the CIA. The CIA instigated protests by the Nicaraguan opposition which attempted to provoke the Sandinistas into repressive actions, Walker quotes House Speaker Jim Wright revealing in January 1988. Meanwhile, in U.S. client states Guatemala and El Salvador newspaper offices were being blown up by the military backed death squads, and newspaper editors were left disemboweled by the side of the road. In 1984, the Sandinistas had an election which was judged free and fair by a wide variety observer delegations, including from the British parliament and House of Lords, Danish and Irish Parliaments, etc. Disruption of opposition rallies by Sandinista "turbas" only occurred about 5 times out of 250 instances according to election analysts. Walker quotes a statistic to the effect that 46 of the 48 top Contra officers had been officers in Somoza's National Guard--I think he got this from Edgar Chamarro, the former Contra spokesman.

The U.S. escalated its economic strangulation and terror attacks on Nicaragua and the latter was eventually forced to devote the majority of its budget to defense. In 1990, the Sandinistas held an election, as the 1987 constitution had mandated them to do and the Nicaraguan electorate, under the threat of continued U.S. funding of Contra terrorists if the Sandinistas won, voted in the UNO. The U.S. had achieved its goal of restoring the old Somoza era social order within Nicaragua. Walker gives an extensive discussion of the post-1990 social order. Nicaragua ranked 61st on the UN Human Development Index in 1990; it ranked 116th by 2000.
Walker gives an instructive look at how the miserable rural proletariat of Nicaragua was created by the late 19th century.

This is written in a remarkably even-handed register when you consider the outrageous (imperial?) actions of the US over the years, regarding Nicaragua. I also found the explanation of dependent economies (where most of the effort goes into goods for export rather than goods for the common good!) very enlightening. It challenged my basic beliefs of what government does and should do for, with, and by its citizenry. If you want a concise history of Nicaragua that includes treatment of all the factions involved over the years, this is it! The author has appended an extensive bibliography of English-language sources and additional reading materials that appears very thorough and helpful to going deeper into this country.

This book,originally wrtitten in Dutch,is an exciting history of the only modern slave revolution. It is not a polemic for or against the Haitian people and makes no apologies for the atrocities committed by the French, Haitians, English and others who participated in the revolution. Rather is explains the motivations and thinking that led to the horrible bloodshed that is associated with the revolution.

The book conveys the politics and values of the time in a way that makes it fasinating reading, without making Toussaint or Dessaline cult heroes, or the French devils. It does, however, succeed in bringing the main characters to life, which adds greatly to the enjoyment of the book.

This book was informative for me in that it brought a much deeper insight and understanding of the country and its people. This little island was so ravaged by France, England and America that it is no wonder that even today it remains one of the poorest, most disadvantaged countries in the world. There is evidence of remarkable research and documentation. The characters are well developed in personalities, beliefs and motives. The most outstanding character in the book is Toussaint Loverture, the slave who rose up with intelligence, courage and military expertise to inspire the fight for freedom from slavery. The dynamics between him and other military leaders represent fascinating reading. The switching of sides for personal gain was complex and the unbelieveable treachery against Loverture was devastating. Yet, in the face of overwhelming opposition he remained strong in persevering freedom for his people until the very end. He died a noble death and his principles should live on in the hearts of not only Haitians, but all the racially disadvantaged people in the world. An excellent historical novel!

To look at and experience the island of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, who would know that such a tranquil place has such a violent history? This is an account of the slave rebellion of 1733-1734, a true story told in fiction form through the eyes of Dr. Cornelius Bodger. Denmark had claimed the island in the early part of the 18th century and dedicated it to the cultivation of crops, most notably sugar. But in 1733, a new breed of slave was brought to work the fields: not a breed born into slavery in Africa, but abducted African royalty instead, a proud race that refused to submit to a life of bondage and toil.Thus is it was that a rebellion was fomented by these enslaved African royals and their followers with the intention that the island be converted into their form of government and run under such auspices. For six bloody months, rebels squared off against planters, and a good deal of the island's population perished.Oddly enough, the rebellion didn't end on a bombastic note; it was quietly and in stages put down, and with the deaths of the rebel leaders, the island slowly returned to normalcy.After having read this book, should you visit St. John, you'll probably find it hard to believe that this pretty little island was once hell in paradise.

This book should be made of glass rather than paper. I read through this book and saw the lives, the greed, the desperation, and the joy of people long since dead. "Night of the Silent Drums" brings the history of the bloody 1733 St. Jan, Dansk Vestindia slave revolt to the present. The Virgin Islands' drought that year was the only thing dry about this book. And it succeeds without couching our preconceived notions of slavery or slaves, plantations or masters, by telling the truth as well as the facts. This work is gratefully and substantially more than ink on paper. When you pick up this one you will become more of a witness than a reader

This book is great it contains great photos and is printed on high quality paper.The photos depict Life in T&T and give a realistic view of the country.

This is an excellent book .The photos really depict the Beauty of Trinidad And Tobago,The book is printed on high quality paper and the buyer gets value for money.

Full of unexpected and detailed stories about Cuba in the world today...Yugoslavia could have withstood NATO bombings in the 1990s if army officers had used underground tunnels and the system of reserves put in place during World War II to allow the population to sustain itself, one of the Chinese-Cuban generals interviewed in this book says. He explains that Cuba's defense relies on such a system of reserves (not only food but also pencils and paper to keep schools open!): to give the rest of the world time to come to Cuba's aid and organize solidarity in the event of a military attack. So he spearheaded a wildly successful program in Cuba to develop urban agriculture and increase domestic food production. A part of this effort: convincing Cubans to eat veggies...the generals went to Angola to help fight the South African invasion in the 80s, one lost a leg there; one went to Venezuela on the recommendation of the UN to help them develop a food production program like the Cubans'...they all talk about what it was like growing up Chinese under the Batista dictatorship...Who would have guessed that the number of Chinese who moved to Cuba in the mid1800s was roughly the same as the number who moved to the US? An easy read, and you just never know what the next chapter will talk about. (By the way, I have discovered that regardless of the information on availability from Amazon posted with this title, it can always be obtained from the Pathfinder Z store listed at the top of the page under "new and used".)

Si usted está en todo serio sobre cambio social fundamental en este siglo, LEA ESTE LIBRO: Aunque este libro toma la forma de entrevistas con tres generales cubanos de las fuerzas armadas revolucionarias de orígenes chinos - sí, hay chinos en Cuba, propotionatemente la inmigración allí era muchas veces mayor que a los EE.UU.; ellos tres sí, son generales de las fuerzas armadas revolucionarias y líderes de la revolution;no, no es cierto que cada uno de orígenes chinos huyeron de la revolución -- la mejor parte es que usted consigue un vasto, cuadro del amplio-alcance de la revolución cubano desde la guerra contra la dictadura de Batista a través de la invasión imperial de Playa Giron (procurada, de todas formas, vencido de los esfuerzos del pueblo cubano); el crisis octubre de 1962 llamada "crisis de cohetes"; el papel de Cuba en defender Angola desde el entonces-racista-apartheid Suráfrica, avanzada la revolución democrática a través de África del sur; la crisis económica del temprano a los años 90; a la ayuda de la solidaridad de Cuba a Venezuela en los dientes de las amenazas del imperio contra ambos países, y la corriente "revolución en la revolución" actual llamada en Cuba como "la batalla de ideas." ¡Todo el esto contada de nuevo por los combatientes que PARTICIPARON en estos acontecimientos! La revolución cubano "no está sosteniendo fuera de" ni "está sobreviviendo simplemente"; esta en marcha avanzanda incluso si el futuro es uno de lucha en medio de dificultades... el pueblo cubano, su gobierno y revolución ESTÁN GANANDO. Están vencidos al imperio yanquí cada día. ¡Descubra las razones porqué -- lea este libro! . , este titulo no está disponible en amazon ( dice " not available on amazon") pero siempre se puede comprar de booksfrompathfinder"; imprime el frase "new and used" encima de la pagina al lado del titulo del libro.

Queridos Leectores:

Este libro expone el caso sobre la corrupción que existe en el sistema bancario estadounidense, enfocándose en Citibank, y sobre los casos de IBM-Banco Nacion de Argentina, capos de la droga, y depósitos de provenencia dudosa de funcionarios públicos de varios paises. Les recomiendo esta leectura.

Todo intento - tal como este buen trabajo de investigacion - de desenmascarar la corrupcion de grandes corporaciones y la de funcionarios de gobiernos, merece ser bien recibido y difundido.

This is a great book with excellent color photography!!! Nice variety of photos, focusing on architecture, people and natural scenery. Good historical background given.

A fascinating photo essay on the Old City of San Juan, Puerto Rico, this coffee-table view book makes a wonderful addition to anyone's library. The authors and photographers did a wonderful job capturing the essence of the Old City's Spanish-influenced architecture, which were all inspired by the Santa Cruz District of Seville, Spain (Seville was the capital of trade between Spain and her colonies due to it's location). The cobblestone streets, religious buildings, and fascinating faces that bring this treasure to life are all here. Truly it gave me memories of my beloved homeland and a longing in my heart to return soon.

Whether you buy it for yourself or as a gift, the book's great price and format (it's a paperback) are great reasons to purchase it. Once you buy it , I'm sure you will be longing plan a trip to the island and walk through time.

If you want to read great articles, look at some great photos and illustrations and learn about the current state of our understanding of the civilizations that became what we call the Olmec, then this book is for you. It is simply fascinating stuff for anyone seriously interested in understanding these people.

A very beautiful and professional presentation. I am an archaeologist and the imaging and text made it a very enjoyable experience.

REaly enjoy the subject matter. I am Cuban and really related to the story. Very funny and very emotional for me. I WISH THE AUTHOR ALL THE BEST WITH THE SALE OF HIS BOOK.

Con este libro "vivi" una parte de Cuba que habia olvidado. Muy bueno....