Publisher Description

Offering a rare pan-Caribbean perspective on a region that has moved from the very center of the western world to its periphery, The Caribbean: The Genesis of a Fragmented Nationalism journeys through five centuries of economic and social development, emphasizing such topics as the slave-run plantation economy, the changes in political control over the centuries, the impact of the United States, and the effects of Castro's Cuban revolution on the area. Thebook integrates social analysis with political narrative, providing a unique perspective on the problems of nation-building in an area of dense populations, scarce resources, and an explosive political climate.

Author Biography

Franklin W. Knight is the Leonard and Helen R. Stulman Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University.

Table of Contents

Maps and TablesIntroduction to the Second Edition1. The Political Georgaphy of the Pre-Hispanic Caribbean2. Settlements and Colonies3. Patterns of Colonization in the New World4. Imperialism and Slavery5. Social Structure of the Plantation Society6. Imperial Fragmentation and Colonial Social Reconstruction, 1793-18867. Caribbean Nation Building 1: Haiti and the Dominican Republic8. Caribbean Nation Building 2: Cuba, 1868-19899. Caribbean Nation Building 3: Puerto Rico and the Ambivalent Identity10. Caribbean Nation Building 4: The Commonwealth Caribbean11. State and nationalism in the Contemporary CaribbeanChronologyA Selected Guide to the Historical Literature on the CaribbeanTablesIndex

Review

"The Caribbean has attempted to provide a well-balanced and well-written historical account of the Caribbean. This dialogue or conversación will certainly contribute to the enrichment of the educational experience of college students and it will be an important teaching tool for any university professor."- Milargros Denis, Rutgers University"This was a pioneering work in the field but scholarship and the textbook market have evolved to the point that the book is no longer viable in the classroom. The author needs to decide whether he is speaking to other scholars or to undergraduates and rewrite the text accordingly. I would encourage him to chose students as his readership and to write a new version of this classic that will ensure his impact on the field for years to come."- John Garrigus,University of Texas at Arlington"The current edition is an excellent overview. Its greatest strength lies in its breadth and scope; very few synthetic histories exist of the Caribbean area." - Anne Eller, New York University"The second edition is really the most comprehensive scholarship on Caribbean History to date. It is very useful to undergraduate students as well as professors who are interested in the history, sociology, economics, and politics of the Caribbean regionEL This book has the potential to be one of the best history text of the Caribbean for college students to use."- Lamarsh Roopnarine, University of St. Croix"The strength of the book is and always will be in Knight's exceptional ability to synthesize the main arguments in each of the historical periods he presents per chapter. The insistence on writing a Caribbean history textbook derived from the local perspective, from local histories, is critical and should continue to be the primary goal. The weakness is that it does not incorporate the rich and highly textured scholarship on the Caribbean that has erupted inthe discipline." - Solsiree Del Moral, Penn State University

Promotional

A sophisticated, comprehensive overview of the Caribbean

Long Description

Offering a rare pan-Caribbean perspective on a region that has moved from the very center of the western world to its periphery, The Caribbean: The Genesis of a Fragmented Nationalism journeys through five centuries of economic and social development, emphasizing such topics as the slave-run plantation economy, the changes in political control over the centuries, the impact of the United States, and the effects of Castro's Cuban revolution on the area. The
book integrates social analysis with political narrative, providing a unique perspective on the problems of nation-building in an area of dense populations, scarce resources, and an explosive political climate.

Review Text

"- Milargros Denis, Rutgers University
"- John
Garrigus, University of Texas at Arlington
" - Anne Eller, New York University
"- Lamarsh Roopnarine, University of St. Croix
" - Solsiree Del Moral, Penn State University

Details