The Caribbean: A Brief History - Softcover

Gad Heuman's short study of Caribbean history and culture from the Columbian conquest to the present day is easily the best brief introduction to this fascinating region. This new second edition is most welcome. It adds significant new sections on indigenous Caribbean societies and on culture and politics in the modern Caribbean as well as astute updates on traditional topics like plantation, slavery and decolonization. Highly recommended. -- Trevor Burnard, Professor of History and Head of School, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, University of Melbourne, Australia Gad Heuman has managed to compress the varied and often tortured history of the Caribbean into a taut and engaging single volume. It is a story which confidently ranges from indigenous settlement, through slavery and colonial independence, to the present-day cultures of the region. The Caribbean is a major achievement: a book which has grand narrative sweep, mastery of complex evidence and offers a bold confrontation with painful human evidence. Any reader keen to know about the historical- and contemporary Caribbean, should start with this important book. -- James Walvin, Professor of History Emeritus, University of York, UK A clearly written introduction to the study of Caribbean history that updates and incorporates judicious revisions to the 2006 edition. This eminently accessible new volume will replicate and build on the previous edition's success with students like mine, ensuring adoption as required reading for relevant courses. -- Roderick A. McDonald, Professor of History, Rider University, USA Such an historical synthesis would be an intimidating enough task for many a historian. For it to be accomplished in a mere 200 pages, with a literary as much as analytical verve that makes for a compelling read, is testament to Gad Heuman's skills of historical interpretation and explanation. -- Daniel Whittall * Latin American Review of Books *

Gad Heuman provides a comprehensive introduction the history of the Caribbean, from its earliest inhabitants to contemporary political and cultural developments. Topics covered include:

- The Amerindians
- Sugary and Slavery
- Race, Racism and Equality
- The Aftermath of Emancipation
- The Revolutionary Caribbean
- Cultures of the Caribbean

This new edition is fully revised and updated, with new material on the pre-Columbian era and the Hispanic Caribbean. It takes account not only of the political and social struggles that have shaped the Caribbean, but also provides a sense of the development of the region's culture. The Caribbean: A Brief History is ideal for students and those seeking a clear and readable introduction to Caribbean history.