Caliban and the Yankees: Trinidad and the United States Occupation [Paperback]

Harvey R. Neptune (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 2007

In a compelling story of the installation and operation of U.S. bases in the Caribbean colony of Trinidad during World War II, Harvey Neptune examines how the people of this British island contended with the colossal force of American empire-building.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book on Trinidad and Tobago's historical development fills the gaps and seeks to correct the narrative in Eric William's History of the People of Trinidad and Tobago. . . . Perhaps the most significant contribution the book makes is that it puts William's epic battle for Chaguaramus into context, and it challenges his interpretation of that pivotal interlude in Trinidad's history."
-New West Indian Guide

"Creatively researched, daringly interpreted, and beautifully written. . . . Offers an original, unexpected, and nuanced story. . . . Will be placed alongside important cultural histories of US imperialism and should be widely read both among and beyond its natural audience in Caribbean history."
-Caribbean Studies

"Energetically employs the new perspectives that have influenced international relations scholarship in recent years."
-- Latin American Research Review

"An important book in the international history of the Caribbean."
--Estudios Interdisciplanarios de America Latina y El Caribe

"[A] detailed and perceptive account of the important cultural and political awakenings that Trinidad experienced in the 1930s and 1940s."
-- Journal of Latin American Studies

"[A] delightful cultural history."
-- American Historical Review

"A refreshing, original, and important work on a formative though largely forgotten episode in the history of two nations. . . . Enthusiastically recommended. . . . Essential."
-- CHOICE

"Engaging. . . . Caliban and the Yankees should be read by a wide audience for its erudition, lively prose, and deft unearthing of the cultural complexities that can develop when U.S. foreign troops step on friendly foreign ground."
-- Journal of American History

Rich in detail, persuasive in its arguments, and balanced in tone, this is a major contribution to the historiography of Trinidad and Tobago.
--Colin A. Palmer, Princeton University

This richly textured study of the forgotten American occupation of Trinidad during World War II packs a powerful wallop. . . .Caliban and the Yankees brims with new ideas for studying the American Century as it was lived in the interstices of empire.
--Gil Joseph, Yale University

It is a well-researched and original work which takes the cultural studies approach to its subject.

Bridget Brereton, University of the West Indies

From the Inside Flap

In a compelling story of the installation and operation of U.S. bases in the Caribbean colony of Trinidad during World War II, Harvey Neptune examines how the people of this British island contended with the colossal force of American empire-building at a critical time in the island's history. He explores the military-based economy, relationships between U.S. servicemen and Trinidadian women, and the influence of American culture on local music (especially calypso), fashion, labor practices, and everyday racial politics. Neptune also places this history of Trinidad's modern times into a wider Caribbean and Latin American perspective, highlighting how Caribbean peoples sometimes wield "America" and "American ways" as part of their localized struggles.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (March 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807857882
• ISBN-13: 978-0807857885
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #934,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > History > Americas > Caribbean & West Indies > Trinidad and Tobago

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Caliban breaks the mold, March 21, 2007

By 

Name Sake (Brooklyn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caliban and the Yankees: Trinidad and the United States Occupation (Paperback)

I confess I've never been one to pick up an 'academic' history book in hopes of getting a pleasurable read, however this book breaks the scholarly mold. Though I find Neptune to be heady and thoroughly introspective, his writing lacks, and thankfully so, the jargon and esotericism that can keep me from connecting with a book. 'Caliban and the Yankees' brings up some great and interesting points about revolution and forced me to revisit my image of the revolutionist--here, the disenfranchised people finally get recognition for an often overlooked branch of intelligence that can not be studied in the universities or acquired through a privileged upbringing.
The US occupation in Trinidad, as told by Neptune, becomes a salacious tale of race and class relations, the construction of a national identity and the people who took it upon themselves to reshape and define the culture of its land for the history of its future.
Not only a solid read, but a good one.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally Sweet!, July 11, 2007

By 

Mango Juice "Mango Juice" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caliban and the Yankees: Trinidad and the United States Occupation (Paperback)

This text was very well written. To this reader who was also reared on Lamming and Naipaul and the rest, there is nothing more gratifying than a beautiful sentence, and Neptune gives us lots of those. Lovely. The spicy tale of the Yanks in the Windies is, as Neptune insists, sometimes glossed over as a Williams-inspired legacy floats on in our various discussions. But indeed, none of what happened during or after the Americans populated Chaguaramas en masse is as cut-and-dry as your average old-time calypso would have you believe. Neptune pieces together a refreshing new narrative that thrusts agency back into women's fingers, exposes the clandestine operations of white hegemony's champions and re-weaves the threads of Trinidadian nationalism. All the while, he delights us with clever, modern usage of the contemporary language rapport during the occupational shenanigans subtly and tastefully. It is a lovely read for anyone, and West Indians in particular will probably be quite tickled throughout. The "Coda" was quite a teaser, particularly the last couple of paragraphs. Neptune opens a world of conversational possibilities for his future books, which you'll be eagerly anticipating after putting this one down.

Peace!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Sleepy Read, October 7, 2011

By 

Eileen (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Caliban and the Yankees: Trinidad and the United States Occupation (Paperback)

I'm an American who grew up in Trinidad and even I could not get into this book. Thought it would be neat since this was around my parents' time and a cultural experience for me relating with both sides....but man. What a snooze! The language was so dense it took forever to get to the point. It's sectioned into categories of interest but to say simply - it was REALLY boring. At least for me. Just could not relate.