Caribbean & West Indies

An epic, sweeping history of Cuba and its complex ties to the United States—from before the arrival of Columbus to the present day—written by one of the world’s leading historians of Cuba....

Bestselling author Max Hastings offers a welcome re-evaluation of one of the most gripping and tense international events in modern history—the Cuban Missile Crisis—providing a people-focused narrative that explores the attitudes and conduct....

Henry Morgan challenged the greatest empire on earth with a ragtag bunch of renegades and brought it to its knees. This is the real story of the pirates of the Caribbean....

This audiobook narrated by Tony Chiroldes traces the multifaceted history of Puerto Rico from pre-Columbian times to today.

As a spy prepared to give away America’s biggest secrets after the 9/11 attacks, an FBI agent raced to catch her....

On January 12, 2010, the deadliest earthquake in the history of the Western Hemisphere struck the nation least prepared to handle one....

In October 1962, at the height of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union appeared to be sliding inexorably toward a nuclear conflict....

The first definitive account of this legendary fighting force and its extraordinary leader, Theodore Roosevelt....

In Aid State, Jake Johnston, researcher and writer at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, reveals how US and European capitalist goals re-enslaved Haiti under the guise of helping it....

Tom Gjelten fuses the story of the Bacardi family and their famous rum business with Cuba's tumultuous experience over the last 150 years....

First published in 1993, The Ultimate Cigar Book has become a classic in its field, and is generally credited with having helped launch the current cigar-smoking craze. Now we present an audio edition of the beloved fourth edition....

How did a simple commodity, once the prized monopoly of kings and princes, become an essential ingredient in the lives of millions, before mutating yet again into the cause of a global health epidemic? Find out....

In 1609, two years after its English founding, colonists struggled to stay alive in a tiny fort at Jamestown. John Smith fought to keep order. When he left, desperate colonists ate lizards, rats, and human flesh. Meanwhile, the Virginia-bound Sea Venture was shipwrecked on Bermuda....

A new interpretation of the life of the Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture....

Salsa is one of the most popular types of music listened to and danced to in the United States....

As Rouse discusses the Tainos' contributions to the Spaniards-from Indian corn, tobacco, and rubber balls to art, artifacts, and new words-we realize that their effect on Western civilization, brief through their contact, was an important and lasting one.

The Spanish Conquest: What really happened? If you like to use your drive time for education by audiobook, consider this audiobook for widening and deepening your view of an event you studied briefly in school - the Spanish conquest of the Americas....

A crucial, clear-eyed accounting of Puerto Rico's 122 years as a colony of the US....

La isla oculta no es otro libro más sobre Cuba, un país que forma parte de nuestro imaginario colectivo desde su Revolución, sino una colección de crónicas.

Secret operations, corruption, crime, and a city teeming with spies: Covert City examines why Miami was as crucial to winning the Cold War as Washington DC or Moscow....

The U.S.-backed military invasion of Cuba in 1961 remains one of the most ill-fated blunders in American history, with echoes of the event reverberating even today....

In Empire’s Crossroads, British American historian Carrie Gibson traces the story of the coveted area from the northern rim of South America up to Cuba....

Historian and journalist Tony Perrottet chronicles the events of the Cuban Revolution and the figures at the center of the guerrilla uprising: Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and the scrappy band of rebel men and women who followed them....

In The Bay of Pigs, Howard Jones provides a concise, incisive, and dramatic account of the disastrous attempt to overthrow Castro in April 1961....

The story of Cuba is a tale of courage and sacrifice, of horrific oppression and inspiring vision. It is a story about exploitation and hope, about a tiny island that rose to global importance....

Uncover the allure and depth of the Caribbean paradise known as Jamaica with the riveting eBook, Unearthing Jamaica. This immersive literary journey lifts Jamaica's vibrant history, values, and lifestyle, offering readers an unparalleled insider's perspective. From the deep-rooted origins of the Arawaks, this narrative unfolds the majestic, often tumultuous saga of this fascinating nation. Relive Columbus's arrival, the Spanish Occupation, and heady tales of golden age piracy. Delve deeper to experience the birth, growth, and impact of Reggae, the voice of the island. Indulge in an ...

Drawing on archeological and ethno-historical evidence, Irving Rouse sketches a picture of the Tainos-the first people Columbus encountered when he arrived in the Americas-as they existed during the time of Columbus, contrasting their customs with those of their neighbors. He then moves backward in time to the ancestors of the Tainos-two successive groups who settled the West Indies and who are known to archeologists as the Saladoid peoples and the Ostionoid peoples.

Embracing Rastafarianism: A Guide To The Spirituality, Roots, Revelations, and Global Influence Of Rastafari From Jamaica To The World Discover the profound world of Rastafari in "Embracing Rastafarianism," a comprehensive and immersive exploration of a movement that has captivated hearts and minds around the globe. From its roots in colonial Jamaica to its spread across continents, this book delves deep into the spiritual, cultural, and social dimensions of a movement defined by resistance, unity, and the quest for spiritual liberation. Why You Should Buy This Book: ✅ Deep Understanding:...

The Cuban Missile Crisis was perhaps the most dramatic and dangerous period of the Cold War. What's less well known is that the city of Miami, mere miles away, was a pivotal, though less well known, part of Cold War history. With its population of Communist exiles from Cuba, its strategic value for military operations, and its lax business laws, Miami was an ideal environment for espionage. Covert City tells the history of how the entire city of Miami was constructed in the image of the US-Cuba rivalry.

Spurred by a deep religious conviction, a lust for gold and the riches of the Orient, the Genoise explorer Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain to find a trade route to China. In his first voyage starting in 1492 he found little gold and did not reach China. What he did find was lush islands filled with friendly natives and vast new lands to explore and conquer. The next three voyages would transform this world-class navigator and explorer into a failure as a colonial governor and administrator. The Spanish colonists that were planted into the New World proved to be brutal masters of ...

The twelve entries in The Golden Age of Piracy discuss why pirates thrived in the seas of the New World, how pirates operated their plundering ventures, how governments battled piracy, and when and why piracy declined. Separating Hollywood myth from historical fact, these essays bring the real pirates of the Caribbean to life with a level of rigor and insight rarely applied to the subject.

In a music world that was rougher than rough, where men took monikers of royalty and machismo like Duke and King and Lord; where boastful ringleaders fired guns into the air after descending a throne carried by their legions of followers, bandoliers crisscrossing their chests, ermine on their shoulders; where violent gangs stormed dances to “mash up,” breaking sound system equipment and smashing bottles of beer on brick walls, how was a little girl with a sweet song in her soul to have a chance? Some Jamaican women found a way. They endured harassment and received little or no pay to ...

The reader of this book will get an intimate glimpse into the lives of Brindley and Patricia Benn and their family, who loom large in the history of the small South American nation of Guyana. Guyana is about to assume a much larger role on the world stage, because of its vast, newly discovered oil resources. With this book, we hope that Guyanese both young and old will gain a better understanding of their nation's long and arduous struggle for the right to develop into a modern and sovereign nation-state. The reader will learn how neo-colonialism operated during the period following World ...

When Jamaica became independent on August 6, 1962, ska music was playing in yards, dancehalls, and in recording studios as this new nation celebrated. It was a spirited music, full of promise, optimism, and energy and it was the perfect sound to showcase to the world. Now that Jamaica was independent, what better way to demonstrate the culture, beauty, and art of Jamaica than through ska, both as a music and as a dance. The Jamaican government, tourist and business industry, and newly developing music industry made it their mission to bring Jamaican music to the world, through events they ...

Displaced from his oppressive yard, Johnny finds no work for a trombonist in the recording studios of Kingston. A life of crime as a rude boy is an easy way out, but will Johnny join his friends, or will he confront his past to realize his true potential? Set in Kingston, Jamaica, 1966, Johnny Too Bad is an historical fiction set in a record-heat summer when ska transitioned to rocksteady and politics defined the country’s identity. Go inside the musicians’ studios, the Rasta camps, the streets and the tenement yards to witness first-hand life during a time of both creation and ...