A concise yet comprehensive history of the Caribbean's long and fascinating history, from pre-contact civilisations to the present day

Intended for travellers, but of inestimable value to anyone looking for an overview of the Caribbean, this brief yet comprehensive history is focused on the past few centuries. It includes the states on the Caribbean's continental shores, as the history of the region does not make much sense without factoring in their ambitions, notably those of the United States.

From looking at pre-contact civilisations, such as the Maya, in Central America, Black moves on to the arrival of Europeans from the late fifteenth century, when the region's history becomes one of exploration, conquest and settlement. He charts the rise of slave economies, cultivating sugar and coffee, and the Caribbean's place in the Atlantic oceanic world.

Black examines the successful eighteenth-century rebellion against European power in Haiti and the transformation of the region through the incorporation of Louisiana, Florida and Texas into the United States; also the impact of Bolivar's rebellion in Spanish America, and the end of slavery in the Btish Caribbean.

The focus in the first half of the twentieth century is on the impact of growing US power and fresh tensions and conflict brought by the Cold War, a period which also saw the rise of a formidable leisure industry. Finally, he assesses the Caribbean today and the region's future prospects.