A Concise History of the Caribbean

A compelling account of Caribbean history from colonization to slavery and revolution, through the tumult of hurricanes and climate change.

B. W. Higman (Author)

9781108480987, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 27 May 2021

476 pages
22.2 x 14.3 x 3.1 cm, 0.69 kg

'Higman's is the most up-to-date and comprehensive study of the history of the Caribbean from the Tainos to the contemporary period. Authoritative, thoughtful and meticulously researched, it is essential reading for all scholars of Caribbean history.' Patrick Bryan, English Historical Review

A Concise History of the Caribbean offers a comprehensive interpretation of the history of the Caribbean islands from the beginning of human settlement to the present. It narrates processes of early human migration, the disastrous consequences of European colonisation, the development of slavery and the slave trade, the extraordinary profits earned by the plantation economy, the great revolution in Haiti, movements towards political independence, the Cuban Revolution, and the diaspora of Caribbean people. In this second edition, Higman covers the political, social, and environmental developments of the last decade, offering sections on insular politics, Cuban communism, earthquakes, hurricanes, climate change, resource ecologies, epidemics, identity and reparations. Written in a lively and accessible style, and current with the most recent research, the book provides a compelling narrative of Caribbean history essential for students and visitors.

1. A history of islands
2. Ancient archipelago, 7200 BP-AD 1492
3. Columbian cataclysm, 1492-1630
4. Plantation peoples, 1630-1770
5. Rebels and revolutionaries, 1770-1870
6. Democrats and dictators, 1870-1940
7.Decolonization and diasporas, 1940-2000
8. A changing climate, 2000-2020.

Subject Areas: Slavery & abolition of slavery [HBTS], National liberation & independence, post-colonialism [HBTR], Colonialism & imperialism [HBTQ], History of the Americas [HBJK], General & world history [HBG]