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....

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

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....

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....

Finding and identifying a pirate ship is the hardest thing to do under the sea. But two men—John Chatterton and John Mattera—are willing to risk everything to find the Golden Fleece, the ship of the infamous pirate Joseph Bannister....

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....

By the mid 1980s, the criminal underworld in the United States had become an ethnic polyglot; one of the most powerful illicit organizations was none other than the Cuban mob....

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

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....

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....

Placing the West's failure to acknowledge the most successful slave revolt in history alongside denials of the Holocaust and the debate over the Alamo, Michel-Rolph Trouillot offers a stunning meditation on how power operates in the making and recording of history....

Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky presents an insider's view of Havana: the elegant, tattered city he has come to know over more than 30 years....

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

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

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....

In October 1962, when the United States confronted the Soviet Union over its installation of missiles in Cuba, few people shared the behind-the-scenes story as it is told here by the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy....

In response to the American administration's attempt to isolate Cuba, Fidel Castro delivered a series of speeches designed to radicalize Latin American society....

Here is the story of political prisoners finally freed in December 2014, after being held captive by the United States since the late 1990s....

The history of the Caribbean is an exciting ride, but few outside of the region know much about it in depth beyond Columbus’s discovery. This audiobook will lead you through the history of the region, which witnessed some of the world’s most important events....

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....

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....

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....

A delicious, multilayered tale of a legendary sandwich....

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

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 ...

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

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.

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 ...

Because of the way pirates are portrayed in the movies or on tv, we often think of them as colorful characters. In reality pirates were criminals, many of them were vicious and violent and caused fear over the oceans of the world, at the mention of their name. The definition of piracy is an act of violence and robbery at sea. The image of an eye patch wearing, rum drinking guy with a hook hand or a peg leg is a real image of many pirates. Pirates were initially found in the straits of the Mediterranean and the English channel. Their victims were easy to find because they were traveling ...

In the early 16th century, Spanish adventurers swarmed over the islands of the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Portuguese explorers and merchants pushed into the Indian Ocean and beyond to the Spice Islands of the South Pacific. The names of the leaders of these overseas conquests are well known: Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando de Soto, Afonso de Albuquerque, and Ferdinand Magellan. This audiobook explores the details of their incredible lives in service of their monarchs and personal wealth.