A Concise History of the Caribbean

by B. W. Higman

Overview

A Concise History of the Caribbean presents a general history of the Caribbean islands from the beginning of human settlement about seven thousand years ago to the present. It narrates processes of early human migration, the disastrous consequences of European colonization, the development of slavery and the slave trade, the extraordinary profits earned by the plantation economy, the great revolution in Haiti, movements toward political independence, the Cuban Revolution, and the diaspora of Caribbean people. Written in a lively and accessible style yet current with the most recent research, the book provides a compelling narrative of Caribbean history essential for students and visitors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521043489
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/13/2010
Series:	Cambridge Concise Histories
Pages:	374
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

B. W. Higman is the William Keith Hancock Professor of History at the Australian National University. He is the author of ten books on Caribbean history, archaeology and geography, including Slave Population and Economy in Jamaica, 1807–1834 (1976, Cambridge University Press, awarded the Bancroft Prize), Plantation Jamaica 1750–1850: Capital and Control in a Colonial Economy (2005) and Jamaican Food: History, Biology, Culture (2008). Higman is Professor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, Jamaica.

Table of Contents

1. A history of islands
2. Ancient archipelago, 7200 BC–AD 1492
3. Columbian cataclysm, 1492–1630
4. Plantation peoples, 1630–1770
5. Rebels and revolutionaries, 1770–1870
6. Democrats and dictators, 1870–1945
7. The Caribbean since 1945
8. Canoe, caravel, container ship.

Editorial Reviews

'Anyone embarking on a history of the Caribbean is faced with a complexity of problems. What, for a start, do you mean by the Caribbean? And how do you provide a chronological and analytical narrative that embraces widely divergent geographies, nationalities, and peoples over, say, a millennium? If any single historian is qualified to tackle the topic, [B. W.] Higman is surely the best … A Concise History of the Caribbean is a rare book – an important study for all students of the Caribbean, but with a resonance that goes well beyond the Caribbean itself.' James Walvin, New West Indian Guide

'Higman's is the most up-to-date and comprehensive study of the history of the Caribbean from the Tainos to the contemporary period. Authoritative, thoughtful and meticulously researched, it is essential reading for all scholars of Caribbean history.' Patrick Bryan, English Historical Review

From the Publisher