Customer Reviews

A Continent Of Islands: Searching For The Caribbean Destiny

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A "Continent of Islands," by Mark Kurlansky was one of my favorite history/anthropology books while in college. The author, who delves into the Caribbean's complex cultures, does a wonderful job blending realities with warm humor. Whethere it is the influx of American culture and goods into the region or the complex nature of racial politics in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Kurlansky awakens the reader's mind with interesting tidbits and case studies. This should a must-read for students or admirers of Latin American & Caribbean culture and society. It should also be read by many here in the United States who want to know a bit more about the recent waves of immigrants from the Caribbean and what is motiviating the mass exoduses from their lovely islands. Indeed, the Caribbean is a "continent of islands," and just reading this book allowed me to discover more about our country's "backyard" even more so than before.

This is not your scholarly tome, an arid recitation of events and facts. For such a fascinating part of the world, the Caribbean has generated very few readable histories that keep a reader's interest. Kurlansky includes a modicum of facts, but the real power of this book is the sweep, and the themes that tie different islands and eras together. I would recommend this book without hesitation to anyone who wants to know something about the Caribbean - or even someone just looking for an entertaining piece of non-fiction. Unlike the single grumpy reviewer, I would have no hesitation using this book in an introductory class on Caribbean culture.

SO few books exist on general Caribbean history this book, despite its many small flaws, is a very good read. Perusing many different subjects without much connection and hopping from island to island(one has to in the Caribbean) this book details many of the issues the Caribbean faces. From large remnants of the salve trade to smaller remnants of the indigenous people(Arawak and Carib) as well as the everlasting sting of colonization this book paints a colorful picture of the many personalities of the islands and their diverse history. Probably the most ignored fact of the book is that while the British dominated islands have become largely successful democracies the former French and Spanish colonies have slumped into depravity. Little analysis is done and the figures presented mostly are not analyzed. Nevertheless this book is more travel journal then history, and popular history at best, so it does its trick. Anyone interested in an introduction to the Caribbean will be happy.

Seth J. Frantzman

This is a study of the culture of the Caribbean, not its history.

This is an interesting read (Cultural anthropology was my favorite subject in college), but don't get this book if you want to learn about the history of the islands. Bits and pieces of history serve as background material for modern events.

Finally, the text is 15 years old, and some sections could use updating.

I read this book by accident - a friend said it might interest me - and I was fascinated to the point of starting a second reading immediately - almost unprecedented with me.

I knew very little about the Carribean region - mostly through "antillais" people leaving in Paris where I spent most of my life. But my vantage point and great part of my interest originate from having lived in underdeveloped countries of South America (Bahia in Brasil and Bolivia) for the last three years and having struggled to make sense of what is underdevelopment, what are the roots of it and what could be done about it, how it relates to history, culture, race, economics, etc. This is exactly what MK is trying to do about the Carribean.

He does not pretend to have an answer to these many questions, least of all a simple one. No one serious and seriously informed could pretend to do that. What he deserves full marks for is attacking the question from all possible angles, seeing how they are often relevant to each other - for example that economics cannot ignore culture more than culture can ignore economics, because the devil is always in the detail.

Above all the book is well written, densely packed with first hand experience and information, often full of humour. MK is certainly rather more liberal than conservative, cannot refrain from a bit more sympathy for the Cuban regime than is befitting a good American patriot. That will certainly be enough (or was, the book is already 16 years old) for some to disregard what he says but they will be wrong - as they always are. He has sympathies, yes, but they are are not obstrusive, do not follow any partisan line. To a large extent this book is the sum of the experiences and reflexions of a thinking witness over many years. It should not be ignored and it reads well.

A very poorly written muddle of a confused account of random events of Caribbean history and social issues. The Author continually seems to get confused between what is the indigenous population and what is the current population of the Caribbean islands. He refers to the resistance of the indigenous population and then goes on to discuss a slave rebellion a century later as if they were all one and the same. In one section he describes the peaceful, docile natives fighting fiercely (a contradiction of terms in itself) but fails to inform the reader that the Arawaks and the Caribs were two entirely different peoples living in the Caribbean. While the Arawaks were indeed peaceful and docile the Caribs were anything but! He also seems to miss the point that the Caribs were in the midst of their own very bloody conquest of the Caribbean when the Spanish arrived on the scene.
He creates a confusing picture of what are issues and what were issues. He freely wanders through the centuries leaving the reader wondering whether he is addressing today's issues or one's of long ago. The only theme of connectivity is the Caribbean. His statistics are more self-serving than objective.
If you are looking for a book of jumbled social issues that provides no useful information on the Caribbean then I heartily recommend this book.

This seller provided an absolutely accurate description of "A Continent of Islands: Searching for the Caribbean Destiny" on the Amazon site I selected. The transaction was seamless and I received the the book safe and sound as it was packed well with care. I highly recommend this seller. Thank you!

"An in-depth study of the social history and politics of the Caribbean by a far-ranging journalist, excellent reading for travelers to the region. Organized as a series of independent essays with titles such as "Color-Coded Nations," the book is an insightful and frank look at the culture, music and religion of the Caribbean islands -- and the prospects for the future."
Gracefully written with wonderful detail. Not just for those interested in sociology and geography; also a fine reference for writers who want to add some local color and dialect to their novels.

Kurlansky illuminates inquisitive minds with a refreshing look at the Caribbean. Delving beyond the surface of the islands, he captures very real portraits of the people and highlights their culture, problems, triumphs and humanity. Kurlansky treats all of the islands from Cuba to Trinidad with intellectual sensibility and equality, which contrasts several other authors myopic focus on a few selected islands and exclusion of subtle cultural points. For those people looking for information about the cultural similarities and differences of the Caribbean people and the challenges they face now and in the future, Kurlansky's "A Continent of Islands: Searching for the Caribbean Destiny" is an excellent choice. It is an enlightning book for Caribbeans and curious people, alike.