Product Description
This text traces the origin and development of this island from its volcanic formation to 1994. The author interweaves the island's history with geography, ecology, folklore and social custom to inform the reader about both Dominica and Caribbean history as a whole. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

"Isle of beauty, isle of splendor..."
Here is a very interesting history of a Caribbean island most people in the U.S. may not know much about. It's written by a native Dominican, Lennox Honychurch, who has himself participated in some of the events of his country in the last 30-40 years, particularly in the country's politics. And, despite that, he does a remarkable job of keeping the whole narrative very objective, even when a tragic portion of that history involves his own family. I also found the history of Britain and France fighting over the island between the 7 Years War and the Napoleonic Wars very exciting as well. Also, Mr. Honychurch mixes in enough ethnography and social observation to give anyone an idea of the general character of the people, even if they have never visited the island. However, I do have one or two critiques. First, about two-thirds of the way through the book, Mr. Honychurch switches from a purely chronological structure to a purely thematic structure then switches back within the last 30-40 pages. Not that I can think of a better way to do it, considering some of the things he had to cover, but it is a little jarring to have that kind of a structural switch. And second, while I applaud Mr. Honeychurch's overall objectivity, there were a few occasions where his own views seemed to sneak in, especially in political events that he must have been able to observe. Overall, a fine history of the island that would be good for research material if someone was doing a historical case study of the Eastern Caribbean.

The Dominica Story
I had started this book on a trip to Dominica but had to leave it behind and could not wait to get a copy of my own to read.The copy is in great condition and was received very quickly.I'd buy again from this source.

Comprehensive,enlightening and smart
I've read Lennox Honychurch's Book THE DOMINICA STORY and it is the most comprehensive book you will ever get on the history of the island of Dominica. From the arrival of the Caribs and Awaraks on their flimsy conoe to the arrival of Christopher Colombus and the Europian invasion on the island.The early politics on the islan is disected and put together as you turn the pages revealing the rich history of the "nature island of the caribbean".

Comprehensive,enlightening and smart
I've read Lennox Honychurch's Book THE DOMINICA STORY and it is the most comprehensive book you will ever get on the history of the island of Dominica. From the arrival of the Caribs and Awaraks on their flimsy conoe to the arrival of Christopher Colombus and the Europian invasion on the island.The early politics on the islan is disected and put together as you turn the pages revealing the rich history of the "nature island of the caribbean". ... Read more

Product Description
Patrick Baker's post modern approach uses ideas from chaos theory and world systems theory to interpret the prehistory and history of Dominica. During its prehistory, Dominica served as an occasional stepping-stone for small-scale, independent foraging and horticultural peoples migrating up the Antillean arc to the larger islands in the north. Dominica's discovery by Europeans brought it into a social and economic constellation that was constructed and orchestrated largely from the metropolitan centre. "Centring the Periphery" is the story of the struggle of the Dominican people to create and order a world that is controlled from outside. The concept of "centring" is used to mean "ordering the world", and Baker links this to ideas in chaos theory, which views order and disorder as mutually generative phenomena rather than static antinomies. Thus strategies to control disorder and create and maintain order may suddenly precipitate change. Baker's application of these theories to an island nation that has received little detailed attention in the past makes this an original work, as does his holistic, post modern perspective.In addition to presenting a sensitive historical analysis, he confronts the dilemma of meaning in peripheral situations and the experience of dependency in the world system. "Centring the Periphery" is germane to understanding the majority of the world's people and makes a significant contribution to the study of society in developing nations. This book is intended for students and researchers in Caribbean studies. ... Read more

Product Description
Joseph Sturge (1793-1859) and his co-author, Thomas Harvey (1812-1884), were Quaker philanthropists concerned with the treatment of former slaves. Both men had reservations about the 'apprenticeship' system introduced by the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act, and between 1836 and 1837 they visited the West Indies to assess the usefulness of the system in action. Their book was first published in 1838, and a second, revised edition (reissued here) came out in the same year. It contains Sturge and Harvey's observations on the failures of apprenticeship. Organised by island and presented in the form of a diary, this detailed account of the lives and living conditions of former slaves illustrates the inherent flaws in the apprenticeship system. This volume proved very influential in the campaign to abolish the system, and provides valuable first-hand information on the contemporary social conditions in the West Indies, and attitudes to former slaves. ... Read more

Product Description
The story of how a criminal Shangri-La almost happened

In 1981, a small but heavily armed force of misfits from the United States and Canada set off on an unlikely mission: to invade the impoverished Caribbean island of Dominica, overthrow its government in a coup d'etat, and install a new bought-off prime minister. For two years, the gangleaders recruited manpower, wooed investors, forged links with the mob, stockpiled weapons, and planned their assault. They called it Operation Red Dog. They were going to make millions. All that stood in their way were two federal agents from Louisiana on the biggest case of their lives. Bayou of Pigs tells a remarkable story of foreign military intervention, revolutionary politics, greed, treachery, stupidity, deceit, and one of the most outlandish crimes ever attempted: the theft of a nation.

Stewart Bell (Toronto, ON) is the author of Cold Terror (978-0-470-84056-6). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Delightful Romp
This is not Cuba, guys!It is such a delight to get a book like this.We tend tyo think that criminals are smart after watching far too much TV.Thos book takes us to the real criminals, who make mistake after mistake - thankfully... ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of History, published by University of Saskatchewan on December 1, 1994. The length of the article is 873 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Centring the Periphery: Chaos, Order, and the Ethnohistory of Dominica. (book reviews)
Author: Rosemarie M. McNairn
Publication: Canadian Journal of History (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1994
Publisher: University of Saskatchewan
Volume: v29Issue: n3Page: p605(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This book analyzes the formation of the Dominican state and explores the development of state-society relations since the late nineteenth century. Emelio Betances argues that initial state expansion occurred between 1886 and 1924, as governments opened the economy to foreign capital, entered the international credit system, and extended the role of the military. During this period, however, the social and economic base of national elites was not strengthened, creating an imbalance in state-society relations that provided the structural framework for the emergence of the Trujillo dictatorship. The author also explores the impact of foreign intervention and socioeconomic change on the process of state and class formation since 1961. ... Read more