--- product_id: 5804954 title: "A Brief History of the Caribbean: From the Arawak and Carib to the Present" price: "$55.27" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/5804954-a-brief-history-of-the-caribbean-from-the-arawak-carib store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # A Brief History of the Caribbean: From the Arawak and Carib to the Present **Price:** $55.27 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** A Brief History of the Caribbean: From the Arawak and Carib to the Present - **How much does it cost?** $55.27 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/5804954-a-brief-history-of-the-caribbean-from-the-arawak-carib) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description This comprehensive volume takes the reader and student through more than five hundred years of Caribbean history, beginning with Columbus's arrival in the Bahamas in 1492. A Brief History of the Caribbean traces the people and events that have marked this constantly shifting region, encompassing everything from economic booms and busts to epidemics, wars, and revolutions, and bringing to life such important figures as Sir Francis Drake, Blackbeard, Toussaint Louverture, Fidel Castro, the Duvaliers, and Jean-Bertrand Aristide. This superbly written history, revised and updated, with new chapters that reflect the islands' most recent social, economic, and political developments, is a work of impeccable scholarship. Featuring maps, charts, tables, and photographs, it remains the ideal guide to the region and its people. Review: A Good In-Depth History - Even though the title is called "A Brief History..." it's really much in-depth of the area. Remember the Caribbean is made of many, many islands and Dr. Rogozinski covers them all. He starts well back when just the Indigenous People were around and their encounter with Columbus. Speaking of whom, is the reason WHY I picked this book up. I do have some family history from the Caribbean, and I have much from Europe, but I have a present day conflict with those people who despoil Columbus and his legacy. This was the main reason I got this book. And it didn't disappoint. I learned so much about the islands and those who came and staked a claim (Spain Conquistadors), just because they could. I learned how they applied Spanish Laws & Mandates that people knew in Europe, but had no clue of in the New World. I learned how they changed hands, why they changed hands, who lost and who won the islands, and why they have the flavor they have now. I learned of the natives, the conquerors, the pirates, the settlers, the unreformed and escapees. I learned about world markets and what was valued and when. That the islands were once full of wonderful greenery that were cleared for sugar cane. And the coup d'tats that happened on several islands in modern times. The book goes from that early time of 1492, just short of touching on 1992. That's 500 years. That's not brief. I got a nice hardcover version. There are maps in the back so you can follow actions and get a sense of the lands, tables for stats, photos and footnotes. As well as suggested further reading. Despite all that, Dr. Rogozinski writes in way that the reading is not difficult. Highly recommend this if the subject interests you. Review: Scholarly and Accessible - This is a densely documented chronicle that will be of interest to the general reader for its explanation of how the distinct Caribbean island cultures developed from their popular discovery in 1492 to the present. More serious students of the subject will find a veritable library of reference material in the appendix of suggested readings. Visitors to the region will have a better understanding of the similarities and differences of these island communities based on the historical specifics of their political and social history. Today the importance of tourism, offshore banking, "assembly" factories, and indeed the drug trade are evident. But in the beginning it was a lust for gold that mesmerized Spanish explorers. The "Black Legend" that was Spanish settlement brought inhumanity and disease and wiped-out the idigenous peoples. The envy of the English, French, and Dutch helped launch the age of buccaneers who acted more and sometimes less on their behalf to steal Spanish plunder. With a greater European commitment sugar plantations took hold requiring the cheapest form of labor - slavery. Dutch business acumen in international trade, specifically in the crucial areas of lending, insurance, and marketing, enabled them to establish the infrastructure of an industry. The gradual abolition of slavery began in Great Britain, and here organized religion gets credit for bringing credible pressure on the government. Rogozinski's commentary on current issues in the Caribbean basin is just as helpful, as say, in the matter of Cuba. There is little to explain Fidel Castro's early, consistent, deep-rooted enmity towards the United States in these pages. What does seem clear is that U.S. foreign policy towards Cuba was inconsistent and stumbled dreadfully from the Bay of Pigs fiasco to total disorientation during the Jimmy Carter administration: "The Carter administration approved of some marxist [sic] regimes in the 'Third World' countries and supported some groups claiming to be revolutionary. Andrew Young, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., praised Cuban intervention in Angola. George McGovern and Frank Church, influential Democrat senators, traveled to Cuba and extolled Castro's regime" Rogozinski's history of the region suggests that Cuba's totalitarian regime is an aberration destined to change with Castro's eventual passing. Forceful, charistmatic leaders are common in Caribbean politics. But ideology, atheism, political repression, and a centrally controlled economy are not. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #825,069 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #62 in Haiti Caribbean & West Indies History #395 in Colonialism & Post-Colonialism #428 in Caribbean & Latin American Politics | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 107 Reviews | ## Images ![A Brief History of the Caribbean: From the Arawak and Carib to the Present - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/813GfJTOmvL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Good In-Depth History *by T***A on September 22, 2021* Even though the title is called "A Brief History..." it's really much in-depth of the area. Remember the Caribbean is made of many, many islands and Dr. Rogozinski covers them all. He starts well back when just the Indigenous People were around and their encounter with Columbus. Speaking of whom, is the reason WHY I picked this book up. I do have some family history from the Caribbean, and I have much from Europe, but I have a present day conflict with those people who despoil Columbus and his legacy. This was the main reason I got this book. And it didn't disappoint. I learned so much about the islands and those who came and staked a claim (Spain Conquistadors), just because they could. I learned how they applied Spanish Laws & Mandates that people knew in Europe, but had no clue of in the New World. I learned how they changed hands, why they changed hands, who lost and who won the islands, and why they have the flavor they have now. I learned of the natives, the conquerors, the pirates, the settlers, the unreformed and escapees. I learned about world markets and what was valued and when. That the islands were once full of wonderful greenery that were cleared for sugar cane. And the coup d'tats that happened on several islands in modern times. The book goes from that early time of 1492, just short of touching on 1992. That's 500 years. That's not brief. I got a nice hardcover version. There are maps in the back so you can follow actions and get a sense of the lands, tables for stats, photos and footnotes. As well as suggested further reading. Despite all that, Dr. Rogozinski writes in way that the reading is not difficult. Highly recommend this if the subject interests you. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Scholarly and Accessible *by D***B on March 11, 2003* This is a densely documented chronicle that will be of interest to the general reader for its explanation of how the distinct Caribbean island cultures developed from their popular discovery in 1492 to the present. More serious students of the subject will find a veritable library of reference material in the appendix of suggested readings. Visitors to the region will have a better understanding of the similarities and differences of these island communities based on the historical specifics of their political and social history. Today the importance of tourism, offshore banking, "assembly" factories, and indeed the drug trade are evident. But in the beginning it was a lust for gold that mesmerized Spanish explorers. The "Black Legend" that was Spanish settlement brought inhumanity and disease and wiped-out the idigenous peoples. The envy of the English, French, and Dutch helped launch the age of buccaneers who acted more and sometimes less on their behalf to steal Spanish plunder. With a greater European commitment sugar plantations took hold requiring the cheapest form of labor - slavery. Dutch business acumen in international trade, specifically in the crucial areas of lending, insurance, and marketing, enabled them to establish the infrastructure of an industry. The gradual abolition of slavery began in Great Britain, and here organized religion gets credit for bringing credible pressure on the government. Rogozinski's commentary on current issues in the Caribbean basin is just as helpful, as say, in the matter of Cuba. There is little to explain Fidel Castro's early, consistent, deep-rooted enmity towards the United States in these pages. What does seem clear is that U.S. foreign policy towards Cuba was inconsistent and stumbled dreadfully from the Bay of Pigs fiasco to total disorientation during the Jimmy Carter administration: "The Carter administration approved of some marxist [sic] regimes in the 'Third World' countries and supported some groups claiming to be revolutionary. Andrew Young, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., praised Cuban intervention in Angola. George McGovern and Frank Church, influential Democrat senators, traveled to Cuba and extolled Castro's regime" Rogozinski's history of the region suggests that Cuba's totalitarian regime is an aberration destined to change with Castro's eventual passing. Forceful, charistmatic leaders are common in Caribbean politics. But ideology, atheism, political repression, and a centrally controlled economy are not. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ IT IS WHAT ITS TITLE SAYS IT IS... *by J***O on February 13, 2011* This is a well-written and fast-paced history of the Caribbean. It does it's job admirably well. It begins with a topographical overview of the islands - what type of islands they are, what their climate and soil is like. It then takes the reader on a trip through time, beginning with the Native American peoples, through Columbus's discovery of the islands (yes, I wrote "discovery" - the concept of which is dealt with in a sidebar), to colonization. Now, any history of the Caribbean is going to deal primarily with three things: sugar, slavery, and piracy. Of these three, piracy is the most fun to read about. Of course, there is the perfunctory disdain of the role of the tourist in the Caribbean, which may or may not be true (it all depends on the tourist). The book is supplemented with useful charts, maps, and pictures from the islands. If there is any fault with the book, it's just that it is an overview book. It is prone to the dangers of the genre - it deals with its subjects in broad strokes in order to tell THE ENTIRE STORY. Rogozinski is honest in pointing this out. Many of the really fun history books focus on a particular incident in history and focus on it in great detail. Personally, I was less interested in the coverage of recent politics on the islands. (Although the sections on Haiti and Cuba were fascinating.) I love the Caribbean and I love learning about it. This is a fine place to start. ## Frequently Bought Together - A Brief History of the Caribbean: From the Arawak and Carib to the Present - Empire's Crossroads: A History of the Caribbean from Columbus to the Present Day - The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/5804954-a-brief-history-of-the-caribbean-from-the-arawak-carib](https://www.desertcart.us/products/5804954-a-brief-history-of-the-caribbean-from-the-arawak-carib) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-07-11*