Too bad this book is out of print and I can't have my own copy. I found this book most entertaining. At times I was moved to anger. As a fellow West Indian I can identify with alot of the plot and some of the characters. Well done!

This novel should make interesting reading for all West Indians. Brings back memories of life as it was in the 1960's. One can truly relate to the characters in the book, in fact they could have been your neighbours. Well done Mr. Foster.

I found this guide pleasant to look through, but not half as helpful as Best Dives of the Caribbean by Hunter Publishing, which gives a lot more detail on the dive sites, places for kids to snorkel, hotels and everything I need to plan a vacation.

July 2001 I dove several of the sites reviewed by ms Ryan and Mr Savage
and found their profiles of the dives to be very accurate and
helpful.I hope she and Brian Savage will do a "complete
DG of the Bahamas,I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Whilst I have no personal vested interest in this book, I cannot let the appalling "One Star" review by the "anonymous" reader from Danbury CT go unchallenged. This is a rogue review that should be ignored.

There are a good number of competent Scuba Divers (and some that are not!) who seem to think they can write a book on whatever aspect of diving they have personally experienced. As a result, far too many Diving books of poor quality are available today. It is imperative, therefore, that any "review" is confined to the actual content of the final product and is both honest and accurate. This is a "Duty of Care" towards the prospective purchaser.

It is very sad to see an excellent piece of work by two Authors who, incidentally, are completely unknown to me, rubbished by an appalling review based on the simple fact that the reviewer preferred another book. That, is NOT a good reason for any review. Trying to compare a family saloon car to a tractor is simply not possible - because their roles are not interchangeable.

The Complete Diving Guide to the Caribbean (Vol. 1) is not about the "best" dive sites within the entire Caribbean (although those within the catchment area of this book are included), it is exactly what it claims to be - a complete diving guide to 7 Caribbean countries.

I am not familiar with "Best Dives of the Caribbean" so I have no comment to make. I do, however, posses an extensive library on the subject of Scuba Diving, Ships, the Sea and related topics and I have to say that any person giving The Complete Diving Guide to the Caribbean (Vol. 1) a "One Star" rating simply understands neither the product they seek to review nor their obligations in doing so.

In conclusion, may I suggest any prospective purchaser reads all the other "5 Star" ratings given to this book so as not to be influenced by a rogue review to which someone prefers not to add their name.

Sincerely

NM

This book was terrible. It didn't list very many resources (e.g. hotels, restaurants, etc.) for places other than a few big cities. Also, the description of some of the places was so off from reality. I was very unsatisfied with the book in terms of its helpfulness in finding accomodations. The author spent more time on the history of the island than explaining essentials in traveling around it. I DON'T recommend it.

We really enjoyed ourselves in Barbados usiing this guide. Barbados is very compact, and the only town is the capitol city of Bridgetown which is OK but not the best place to hang out in. Thanks to this book we were able to travel to the east coast and visit the small village of Bathsheba, discover the natural areas to the north, and really appreciate what we were seeing. Also, the guide lists small bed and breakfasts and local restaurants. The websites listed were useful as well as the information we found on the publisher's website. We really recommend that you check out some of the natural areas such as Barclay's Park and Welchmans Gully. You should make your reservations before you go, because everywhere can be reached in a short period of time. Although all of the bus routes are listed in detail, we found it easier to rent a car.

A terrific guide. If you truly want to feel like you know Barbados in every way, this is the book to use to plan a trip, and to consult while you're there. The author obviously knows the island, and island life, intimately. Using this book makes for a fulfilling journey.

While readers share an awareness of the brutality of slavery, few realize that the slave trade of the seventeenth century included Irish men, women, and children who were transport to the cane fields of Barbados. Eventually, uprisings reached across cultures to unite blacks, Irish, and other races in a bid for freedom that was tragically quashed. Based on these historical events, author Kate mcCafferty's debut novel reveals this often forgotten bit of history, exploring a world of indentured servitude perpetrated by the British who kidnapped and enslaved Irish Catholics.

Peter Coote hauls Cot Quashey in for interrogation following the failure of an uprising that resulted in the death of all but this one surviving conspirator. Cot offers to relate the truths surrounding their rebellion in exchange for the freedom to relate her entire life history. As Peter records her story, he finds that he feels impatient and sympathetic in turns. He often exhorts Cot to get on with her tale; a sentiment the reader will likely echo at times.

Cot's almost forgotten memories of Ireland and family quickly give way to the horrors of kidnapping and the long voyage to Barbados, a land as beautiful as paradise, and deceptively dangerous. Initially bought by a kind master, Cot's maturing beauty eventually leaves her mistress feeling threatened. When she catches the eye of her master, Cot eventually betrays her fellow slaves' plan for freedom. Nevertheless, her master gambles Cot away to harsher existence where she learns of the brutalities of slavery that extend far beyond mere physical existence.

Author Kate McCafferty uses an unorthodox narrative style to relate her tale that some readers may find distracting. Cot orally relates her life history in a first person narrative. While such a style lends a sense of immediacy to the tone of the book, it also slows the pace, leaving readers as impatient as Peter. Nevertheless, McCaffrety captures the drama of this fictional heroine's life with rich nuance and historical accuracy. Even readers familiar with slavery tales will find Cot's story differs widely from traditional slavery narratives. Indeed, Cot's tale provides fascinating insight into this footnote of history, coming highly recommended.

This book is interesting because it tends to broaden an issue that has been narrowly covered. The history of slavery of course crosses all racial and ethnic boundaries. In America that story has been suppressed. The afrocentric view of American scholarship has created a polarized and fractured society in which the issue of slavery has been crafted into solely a racial issue in which an endless cycle of guilt and hate and rage continues. In the real world, oppression and challenges have faced all groups depending on time and place. This book reveals the universality of issues such as this and for that reason is highly recommended.

The history of slavery of course crosses all racial and ethnic boundaries. In America that story has been suppressed. The afrocentric view of American scholarship has created a polarized and fractured society in which the issue of slavery has been crafted into solely a racial issue in which an endless cycle of guilt and hate and rage.In the real world, oppression and challenging have faced all groups depending on time and place. This book reveals the universality of issues such as this and for that reason is highly recommended.

Excellent ethnography of the the changes that have been occurring in Barbados since the arrival of Europeans and Africans. The Gmelches take students to the island for a semester every other year so they can learn how to do ethnographic research in cultural anthropology. They are placed in Bajian homes and live there for ten weeks. The book is well informed by the students' perspectives. They help us all see what this island is like and what the life of the islanders has become in the light of tourism development on the island. The Gmelches write well and the book is easy to read and very informative. I have made the book a required text in one of my university, introductory anthropology courses.

The Gmelch's have, for many years, taken mostly white, middle-class, students from the USA to spend a college term living in rural St. Lucy Parish, Barbados. "The Parish Behind God's Back" presents a highly readable, appreciative, ethnographic account of contemporary village life gleaned from the Gmelch's own field work and that of their students. This book makes a very strong case for the value of study abroad schemes as it lets readers understand much about the process by which students gain insights into themselves and their own cultures while learning to live among strangers.

This book is an enjoyable read and highly informative. I have adopted it as a mandatory reading for my university course "Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean."

All I really really knew of the music of the english speaking caribbean was Bob Marley and reggae, since I knew very little of the music scene in the small caribbean island of Barbados I read this book with must interest, It is clear that the author was trying to please a number of individuals. It pays attention to academic discussion, it also tries to explain basic realities of Caribbean culture and experience to the uninitiated like myself. I found the exercise of reading this book very enriching. It is books live this one which fill gaps of knowledge in the constructon of Caribbean culture.

I have always found Insight Guides to provide an excellent 'taste' of the peoples, cuisine, history, folklore, customs, music and arts and other aspects of a country's culture. The Barbados book is no exception. While it does list places to see, hotels, restaurant recommendations, etc. like other guidebooks, 90% of this book is filled with insightful writing and wonderful photography from a variety of contributors both Bajan and visitors to Barbados.

My finace and I are planning our Weddingmoon in Antigua. This book is packed with useful infomation and facts about the island. It tells you everything from island customs, what local cusine to expect, what to pack, interest points, the best beaches and much more. I would recommend it to anyone traveling, or considering to travel to Antigua. It will definetly accompany us on our trip!

I bought this because the book touted itself as a way to find those out of the way places that the usual travel books don't tell you about.

I have read this book, and I learned nothing new -- no restaurants, accommodations, attractions, etc. that I hadn't known about already. So in this regard it was a disappointment.

However, it is a good basic primer about things Barbadian. There are, however, some good, detailed maps. It is also a "pocket" book, small in size, so you could easily bring it with you to Barbados and use as a reference.

However, I also read Harry P.'s book on Barbados. It is much more thorough and also pretty portable. In my opinion, if you need one book on Barbados, this one probably wouldn't be it.

We bought this book on the recommendation of our friends who traveled to Barbados with a previous edition. However, when we compared it with the book our friends had, we found it was quite different and not nearly as detailed and comprehensive. Searching on Amazon, we found that the author of the previous edition, Harry S. Pariser, had a new guide Explore Barbados. We bought that book and really found it useful. This is not a bad book, but we don't understand why it is called a "new edition!"