Caribbean Style [Hardcover]

Suzanne Slesin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 1985

An exquisitely photographed celebration of the designs and lifestyles of the sun-drenched islands. More than 600 full-color photographs.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Part photo essay, part design survey, Caribbean Style offers cover-to-cover color photos (more than 600 in all) of the landscapes, facades, and interiors of the alluring Antilles, a region "at once showy and down-to-earth." Visit the regal plantation manors, the elegant town houses, the nicely appointed vacation homes, the proudly painted homes of the populace, and the omnipresent gardens of nine beautiful Caribbean islands. The very notion of a unified Caribbean style would seem to be impossible in this realm of separate island worlds, yet the diversity is rooted in a common Creole heritage, resulting in a fascinating vernacular architecture that tells the story of life--both past and present--in the West Indies. --Amy Handy --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

In 600 color photographs, accompanied by brief descriptive text, this book takes us on a tour of the brightly painted, widely varied architectural landscape of the Caribbean Islands. As with Slesin and Stafford Cliff's earlier French Style ( LJ 10/15/82) and English Style ( LJ 12/84), the presentation is more an appreciation of styles than a how-to or a discussion of design principles. The text concentrates on providing reasons for particular architectural features; the need for ventilation and shelter from heat and sun gives rise to the variety of solutions illustrated here. Houses are divided into four typesplantation, town, popular, and contemporaryand examples of each are examined. Morris's foreword and Jack Berthelot and Martine Gaume's introduction help to put the photographs into a historical and stylistic context. Highly recommended. Margaret Jean Owens, Santa Ana P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 290 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (April 27, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517556111
• ISBN-13: 978-0517556115
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #977,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A step beyond the travel magazines, June 28, 1999

By 

hi-biscus (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caribbean Style (Hardcover)

This book is a treasure. It is unique in the sheer coverage it affords an array of islands which are usually represented by a few photos of beaches and lush foliage. Caribbean Style takes the reader inside the refurbished plantations, through the cities, and around the steep mountain sides to the poorer housing of the average islander. To rave over the colors of their shanties [my word] is akin to extolling the cardboard-box hovels of America's urban homeless. But still, this is a fascinating look at the wealthy and the other Caribbean which visitors locked in their tourist enclaves might not see. I particularly liked the architectural section at the end which delineates the housing styles on specific islands. Given the numbers of vacationers going to the smaller islands every year, it amazes me how hard it is to find picture essays on them. For me this book was a treasure trove of rare images and therefore, a must-buy.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pioneer in the tradition of creative art-decoration books, May 20, 2000

By 

www.delalonde.com "www.chateauresidence.com" (Chateau-Bois-Briand, Nantes,Loire-Valley,France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caribbean Style (Hardcover)

When it was first published, this great book stunned every body. I remember our surprise watching the pink cover, the blue pages, the nicely cut pages. As in Marie-France Boyer books illustrated by Eric Morin you found in this series "french style", "english style" and italian style", for the first time, artistic layout, creative photographs, technical architecture drawings and 280 pages full of pictures and precise descriptions. If you plan a trip to Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthelemy, Antigua, Nevis, Montserrat, Barbados, Haiti or Jamaica, buy this book. It is "indemodable". As invitees in Plantation Bologne, one of the best ron maker in Guadeloupe we stayed in the former distillery manager house . All architectural details of this type of houses can be found in this book. If you were lucky enough to spend some time in any of these islands, you will want to buy this book too. It is a standard in its own.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic island style....believe me!, June 1, 2000

By 

Amy Tayler - See all my reviews

This review is from: Caribbean Style (Paperback)

I live in St.Thomas, USVI and wanted to build a doll house for my 3 yr old to have as a rememberance of living on a tropical island. Since St. Thomas is a US Territory it is more Americanized, so I purchased Caribbean Style for a better refference. It is now my doll house bible. Now my daughter will have a authentic reproduction Caribbean house!