West Indies

In its formative years, America, birthplace of a revolution, wrestled with a volatile dilemma. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and many other founding fathers clashed. What was to be the new republic's strategy toward a revolution roiling just off its shores? From 1790 to 1810, the disagreement reverberated far beyond Caribbean waters and American coastal ports. War between France and Britain, the great powers of the time, raged on the seas and in Europe.

Celebrating a decade of Columbia Global Reports, the Forerunners series revives groundbreaking works of investigative journalism and incisive analysis published a century before CGR’s founding. These texts, once forgotten or underexplored, reflect CGR’s core mission: fearless reporting, global perspective, and intellectual rigor. Each selection remains strikingly relevant today, offering historical insights that challenge contemporary perspectives and reaffirm the power of journalism to shape the world.

William Synesius, entrepreneur et investisseur accompli, t'ouvre les portes de son succès. De salarié frustré à la possession de plus de 50 biens immobiliers, il partage ses stratégies infaillibles pour investir judicieusement aux Antilles et en France hexagonale.

During his life and even after his death, Captain William Kidd’s name was known around England and the American colonies. He was infamous for the very crime for which he was hanged, piracy. This book by Rebecca Simon dives into the details of the two-year manhunt for Captain Kidd and the events that ensued afterward. Captain Kidd was hanged in 1701, and from that sprung a massive hunt for all pirates led by the British during a period known as the Golden Age of Piracy. Ironically, public executions only led to pirates’ growth in popularity and interest.

In The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Porwancher debunks a string of myths about the origins of this founding father to arrive at a startling conclusion: Hamilton, in all likelihood, was born and raised Jewish. For more than two centuries, his youth in the Caribbean has remained shrouded in mystery. Hamilton himself wanted it that way, and most biographers have simply assumed he had a Christian boyhood. With a detective's persistence and a historian's rigor, Porwancher upends that assumption.

Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was the most feared pirate of the Golden Age—a towering figure who struck terror into the hearts of sailors from the Caribbean to the Carolinas. Most biographies seem to start and stop with that statement, but there was much more to the life of Blackbeard than that, and much more to learn about the man behind history’s most fearsome pirate legend.

When Thomas Harding discovered that his mother's family had made money from the slave plantations worked by people of African descent, what began as an interrogation into the choices of his ancestors soon became a quest to learn more about Britain's role in slavery. It was a history that he knew surprisingly little about. In White Debt, Harding vividly brings to life the story of the uprising by enslaved people that took place in the British colony of Demerara (now Guyana) in the Caribbean in 1823.

Life in Jamaica changed rapidly with the arrival of the Spanish, beginning a torturous history of European colonization that only resulted in Jamaica’s independence in 1962. Imperialism not only affected indigenous people, but also gave rise to modern nationalist movements and famous advocates like Marcus Garvey. Modern Jamaica: The History of the Caribbean Island from Christopher Columbus to Today chronicles how the island’s history progressed, from Columbus’ historic voyages to the modern era. You will learn about Jamaica like never before.

Adéntrate en el corazón de la extraordinaria historia de Puerto Rico en "¡Boricua! La historia y el futuro de Puerto Rico", por Donald Elton. Desde la rica y a menudo olvidada civilización indígena taína, pasando por la brutal conquista española, hasta las complejas relaciones con Estados Unidos, este apasionante libro ofrece un retrato matizado de un pueblo cuya identidad ha sido forjada por la resistencia y la resiliencia.

Based on actual events spanning forty years, this story is about the relentless struggle of a family’s search for freedom, the Great Seven Fidel Castro’s inner circle, and an epic adventure driven by a passionate love relationship set in pre- and post-Revolutionary Cuba. The love story is the main impetus of this chronicle. Pepe, the only survivor of the inner circle to escape several assassination attempts, is forced to leave his family and his fiancée (Alicia) in Cuba. Alicia, who is carrying his unborn child, conceals her pregnancy to ensure Pepe’s immediate departure to safety.

The history of African Americans has been complicated and controversial. While some will fight against racism, others deny the severity of it throughout the ages. Whether or not the issue is as serious as it used to be is a separate topic for debate. You will learn more about slavery, the rise of the cotton market in the Southern states, the abolitionism of slavery, segregation, and individuals like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X who have made a significant impact on the common perspective on these issues. Many things have changed over the past two centuries. Let’s find out what.

Journey into the heart of Puerto Rico's extraordinary history in "Boricua! The History and Future of Puerto Rico," by Donald Elton. From the rich, often overlooked story of the indigenous Taíno civilization, through the brutal conquest by Spain and complex dynamics with the United States, this riveting book paints a nuanced portrait of a people whose identity has been shaped by resilience and resistance.

Dive into the untold story of the Taíno people, the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico. "Echoes of the Taíno" transports listeners to an era before colonization, where rich traditions, spirituality, and resilient culture thrived in the heart of the Caribbean. Through vivid storytelling, this book unravels the profound connection between the Taíno people and the lush, breathtaking island of Borikén.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the images of two men came to dominate the iconography of left-wing movements: Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. The story of the revolution these two men led in Cuba became a fable that drove and encouraged other revolutionary movements around the world. The Cuban Revolution is certainly astonishing. Beginning with fewer than 100 armed men, the Fidelistas took on a government that had a well-equipped army, air force, and navy. On paper, the handful of rebels stood no chance.

Uncover the untold story of the Taíno, the first people of the Caribbean, in this riveting exploration of history, culture, and resilience. From their ancient migrations through South America to their thriving societies across the islands, this book brings to life the rich legacy of the Taíno people. Delve into the vibrant daily lives of the Taíno, their spiritual beliefs rooted in the natural world, and their mastery of sustainable living.

Gérard Salomon was born Haitian by his father and Dominican by his mother on March 21, 1954, in Cap-Haitian. His father was a non-commissioned officer in the Armed Forces of Haiti, who had a high sense of military duty. His childhood was strongly marked by the military values that his father was able to instill in him. Military service and sociology were a passion.

Dos manuscritos completos en 1 libro: Historia del Caribe y La edad de oro de la piratería.

Rum is undergoing a global renaissance. In bars and distilleries across the world, rum is being defined as a dynamic, complex, and versatile drink. New to the scene of connoisseurship, rum is a spirit of possibilities, inviting imaginative bartenders and mixologists to leave their marks on this burgeoning movement. In The New Rum, award-winning drinks author Bryce T. Bauer charts the historical and cultural journey of the spirit of the Americas from its origins in the Caribbean, to its long-held status as a cheap vacation drink, to today’s inspiring craft revival.

Tras los embates producidos por la heroica Revolución Francesa en el siglo XVII, en la Isla caribeña de la Española, el territorio que abarca el actual estado de Haití, sufrió profundos cambios a causa de la explotación europea y los deseos de libertad del pueblo haitiano.

The Story of Las Carpetas plunges readers into the hidden yet pervasive history of Puerto Rico’s surveillance era, a period where the government maintained secret "files" or "carpetas" on thousands of citizens. These files meticulously recorded personal, political, and cultural lives, leading to deep societal rifts and a legacy of fear and mistrust. Alex Alicea brings this dark chapter to life, beginning with a powerful narrative of María Rodriguez opening her file in 1987—a moment that forever altered her understanding of herself and her country.