Many of us at some point have visited one of the many idyllic islands in the Caribbean to enjoy a nice getaway; to soak up the sun and dip our feet into the warm white sands. We swam in the warm waters of the turquoise-blue Caribbean Ocean and have downed a glass of cold rum. Maybe sipped on a fancy drink that had a little umbrella resting on the glass rim. We enjoyed our new tans and flew back home feeling rested and already counting down the days for our next vacation.

Then author Carrie Gibson demolished that dreamy, sublime picture of the Caribbean and replaced it with a scene of constant destruction, exploitation, war, slavery and racism that permeated the region for centuries. Once Christopher Columbus landed on the shores of San Salvador, in present-day Bahamas, the world changed forever.

The Spanish, British, French, Dutch and Danish had a continual tug-of-war with the islands. When the rest of Europe saw how prosperous Spain was becoming after the “discovery” of the New World, other countries jumped in on the action and began sending their own ships to collect their share of the riches and splendor. Soon tobacco, sugar, coffee, and rum began to satiate the appetite of the deprived masses of North America and Europe. The hunger and thirst for these vices were first supplied by the blood, sweat and tears of the indigenous and once their population dwindled from disease and brutality African slaves were shipped in.

Gibson details the politics and history of the region like Castro’s Cuba or the tumultuous relationship of Haiti/Dominican Republic. She does a great job at stuffing such a heavy and numerous history into 400 or so pages. The book also offers an extensive bibliography, notes and index section and Gibson does a great job at listing her sources. There are also about 20 or so full color pictures that wonderfully add to the narrative.

I recommend this book to those who are interested in the turbulent and explosive history of the Caribbean. The term “paradise” is a façade and when we can look beyond the fog made by the cruise ships and the all-inclusive resorts then one can view the unfortunate poverty and crime that the tourists don’t see. ( )

An excellent idea, and a history that more people should know about, but the execution is a bit lacking. Gibson is a little scattered with her history, and there's no real cohesive story here, just names and dates. Not /bad/, just could have been better. ( )

An interesting read on an area of the world whose history I know very little about. As with books covering vast amounts of time and geography, at times it was a little dry, because of this it took me quite a time to finish it and I read other books in between.

Definitely a good starting point for anyone who wants a little more background on the region. The book is also thought provoking in a number of ways, from historical exploitation of slaves and resources right up to the difficult modern day relationship with tourism.

Don't expect a thrill ride, but do expect to be educated. ( )

Educational but not very entertaining. ( )

The title to this history might be more accurately styled "Empires' Crossroads". There were many powers involved with exploitation in the Caribbean.
This is a good running history of the area beginning with Columbus' four voyages. History is so often a litany of horrors. The dispiriting story of violence and greed never lets up. It starts with the tobacco/sugar drug demand in Europe, supported by the purchase of hundreds of thousands of slaves in Africa. It continues today with IMF loans, the cruise and tourist industry, and the destruction of local food production.
What spoils the book is the woeful editing. There is an acknowledgement that an editor had a hand in the book's production, but the number of clumsy sentences that plague the book is irritating. It spoils the whole enterprise.