First Published in 1968. This is Volume I of three of the chronological history of the West Indies and is a register of events relating to the West Indies, arranged in the only manner suited to the subject, for the plan comprehends the whole of the Columbian islands, and as they belong to different European powers, and some even of those which are subject to the same crown, have little or no connexion with each other, there is no other natural or convenient order wherein their history can be composed, than that which a chronological series offers.

From a New York Times bestselling author, a gripping account of the slave rebellion that led to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. For five horrific weeks after Christmas in 1831, Jamaica was convulsed by an uprising of its enslaved people. What started as a peaceful labor strike quickly turned into a full-blown revolt, leaving hundreds of plantation houses in smoking ruins. By the time British troops had put down the rebels, more than a thousand Jamaicans lay dead from summary executions and extrajudicial murder. While the rebels lost their military gamble, their sacrifice accelerated the larger struggle for freedom in the British Atlantic. The daring and suffering of the Jamaicans galvanized public opinion throughout the empire, triggering a decisive turn against slavery. For centuries bondage had fed Britain’s appetite for sugar. Within two years of the Christmas rebellion, slavery was formally abolished. Island on Fire is a dramatic day-by-day account of this transformative uprising. A skillful storyteller, Tom Zoellner goes back to the primary sources to tell the intimate story of the men and women who rose up and tasted liberty for a few brief weeks. He provides the first full portrait of the rebellion's enigmatic leader, Samuel Sharpe, and gives us a poignant glimpse of the struggles and dreams of the many Jamaicans who died for liberty.

The various manifestations of coerced labour between the opening up of the Atlantic world and the formal creation of Haiti.

These colourful tales from the West Indies and Guyana are full of wonderful characters, including Mr Snake, Monkey, Mancrow the bird of darkness, and, of course, Anasi the spider and his old adversary, Tiger.

An updated edition of the acclaimed field guide to the spectacular birds of the West Indies Birds of the West Indies is the first field guide that covers and depicts all birds known to occur in the region, including infrequently occurring and introduced forms. Now fully updated and expanded, this stunningly illustrated book features detailed accounts of more than 600 species, describing identification field marks, range, status, voice, and habitat. There are more than 100 beautiful color plates that depict plumages of all species—including those believed to have recently become extinct—as well as distribution maps, a color code for endemic birds, and an incisive introduction that discusses avifaunal changes in the West Indies in the past fifteen years and the importance of conservation. Covers more than 60 new species, including vagrants, introductions, and taxonomic splits Updates the status of every species Features illustrations for all new species and improved artwork for warblers and flycatchers Color codes endemic species confined to one or just a few islands Includes many new and enhanced maps Provides bird weights for each species Compact and easy to use in the field

Traces the rise and fall of Caribbean sugar dynasties, discussing the Britain's dependence on colony wealth, the role of slavery in sugar plantation culture, and the North American colonial opposition to sugar policy in London.

Volume 32 in the North Carolina Studies in the Romance Languages and Literatures series.

This book covers the changing preference of growing sugar rather than tobacco which had been the leading crop in the trans-Atlantic colonies. The Sugar Islands were Antigua, Barbados, St. Christopher, Dominica, and Cuba through Trinidad. Jamaica has been by far the major producer of sugar, but The Lesser Antilles had the advantage of a shorter sea trip to deliver produce and rum to the European Markets during the 18th and 19th Centuries.