Caribbean

Combining fertile soils, vital trade routes, and a coveted strategic location, the islands and surrounding continental lowlands of the Caribbean were one of Europe's earliest and most desirable colonial frontiers. The region was colonized over the course of five centuries by a revolving cast of Spanish, Dutch, French, and English forces, who imported first African slaves and later Asian indentured laborers to help realize the economic promise of sugar, coffee, and tobacco. "The Caribbean: A History of the Region and Its Peoples" offers an authoritative one-volume survey of this complex and fascinating region. This groundbreaking work traces the Caribbean from its pre-Columbian state through European contact and colonialism to the rise of US hegemony and the economic turbulence of the twenty-first century. The volume begins with a discussion of the region's diverse geography and challenging ecology and features an in-depth look at the transatlantic slave trade, including slave culture, resistance, and ultimately emancipation. Later sections treat Caribbean nationalist movements for independence and struggles with dictatorship and socialism, along with intractable problems of poverty, economic stagnation, and migrancy. Written by a distinguished group of contributors, "The Caribbean" is an accessible yet thorough introduction to the region's tumultuous heritage that offers enough nuance to interest scholars across disciplines. In its breadth of coverage and depth of detail, it will be the definitive guide to the region for years to come.

Stephan Palmie is professor of anthropology at the University of Chicago, specializing in Afro-Caribbean cultures. He is the author of Wizards and Scientists: Explorations in Afro-Cuban Modernity and Tradition. Francisco A. Scarano is professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in the Caribbean and Latin America. He is the author of Puerto Rico: Cinco siglos de historia.