Michener is truly a master educator, and his work "Caribbean" does not disappoint.

He has the remarkable ability to immerse the reader in a complex web of historical intrigue.

Who else but Michener could possibly write the "complete" 500-year history of Western Europe and the North Atlantic in just 1000 pages?

I am particularly fond of the way he can identify key issues and present captivating stories that are firmly rooted in historical facts.

This leaves the reader with the distinct impression that he is a true master of the relationships between the Western European naval powers in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Moreover, he delves into the ethical and moral issues surrounding slavery and national greed that played a significant role in the creation of the modern Caribbean nations.

"Caribbean" is highly recommended, along with his other outstanding books.

It offers a fascinating and enlightening exploration of a rich and complex historical period.

The Grenada era for me is associated with the 1983 US military operation under Reagan. For those who may not remember, it was a traditional and successful attempt to export democracy following a Marxist-leaning coup too close to the shores of the Stars and Stripes. Moreover, it's ironic to claim that the US simply intended to support the military action of a multinational force composed of Caribbean Basin countries (Jamaica: 150 men, Barbados: 50 men, other countries: 300 men) by sending 7,000 marines accompanied by warships and aviation.

There was a film made about it (I think it was terrible) with Clint Eastwood that circulated on VHS in our homes for a while. And as soon as I realized that finding an author of Grenada for my literary world tour would be an impossible task. Since a script wasn't available, I turned to the only possible choice, and here I am explaining the time wasted with "Caribbean" by James A. Michener.

The narrative structure isn't even that bad: a series of sixteen stories that, in chronological order, lead the reader through Caribbean history up to our days, among fictions and real historical characters, such as Christopher Columbus, Drake, Nelson, Toussaint Louverture. The geographical journey thus becomes a journey in time, with some problems bordering on the unbearable: storylines that in most cases verge on absolute banality, dialogues bordering on the most cheesy 90s TV series and, above all, a series of characters that respond to the cry of "stereotype!" echoing it like a continuous echo (stereotype - stereotype - stereotype...). Only the last and more "contemporary" stories are slightly more readable - the one set in Haiti almost fifty years ago is the best on the list - but it's really not enough to reach adequacy.

I console myself thinking that every journey has exciting stages and others that are forgettable: let's trust in Guatemala, the next stop of the tour!

What can I say about a sprawling Michener novel? It's not an easy task to summarize the plot as there are at least 20 of them.

He starts by narrating the conflict between the peaceful Arawak Indians and the more warlike Caribs who wiped them out. Then he proceeds to tell the stories of various Caribbean islands and their colonization by the Spanish, the French, the English, and the Danes (I was unaware that the Danes had Caribbean colonies). Where possible, he follows family lines through centuries of history. He attempts to tie the story lines together at the end using the framing device of an educational cruise. It's an ambitious endeavor, and not a simple one, considering the Caribbean is not a homogeneous entity but consists of multiple geographies, languages, and cultures. Yet, it mostly succeeds. Because that's the essence of Michener's work.

In one of his stories, Michener describes his character, a scholar, as having trouble deciding whether to major in literature, history, or sociology in college. I thought to myself, well, that could very well be Michener himself. The literature lies in the storytelling. I suspect that Michener's novels may not be regarded as great literature in the traditional sense, but he has the ability to paint a vivid picture, capture your interest, and keep you turning the pages to discover what will happen next. And if that isn't enough literature, he also makes references to the great artists and writers of the time period he is描绘. His interest in history is palpable. There are battles, politics, and regime changes.

Moreover, there is sociology. Some of the sociological phenomena he describes include the role of the ball game in Arawak society, the Spanish emphasis on family loyalty and how it led to nepotism and corruption and failed to promote stable systems of government, the phenomenon of zombies in Haiti, a complex system of race on the English island of All Saints based on fine divisions of skin color, and about Rastafarianism exported from Jamaica.

I mentioned that Michener ties all these ideas together at the end with an educational cruise that visits the various islands and retells their histories and cultures. But there is another unifying theme, and that is the croton plant, which grows in different colors, sizes, and shapes, yet is always beautiful. In diversity, there is beauty. Just like the diverse islands and peoples of the Caribbean.

**"A Comprehensive Look at 'Caribbean' by James Michener"**

James Michener's "Caribbean" offers a detailed exploration of the region's history. The book, though not as long as some of his other novels, packs a punch with its 669 pages divided into 16 chapters.

From the peaceful Arawaks and their conquest by the Caribs to the complex history of various Caribbean islands, Michener covers a wide range of themes. We learn about the codependency of secular and religious governments, the rise and fall of empires, and the movement of people and goods.

The book also delves into the relationship between different ethnic groups, such as the African slaves and the whites in Jamaica. It exposes the harsh realities of slavery and the subsequent struggles for freedom and equality.

One of the interesting aspects of "Caribbean" is Michener's examination of the role of different countries in the region. He shows how Spain, England, France, and other powers vied for control and influence.

Moreover, the book raises thought-provoking questions about population replacement, statecraft, and the nature of history. It makes us wonder about the forces that shape our world and the choices we make.

Overall, "Caribbean" is a captivating read that offers valuable insights into the rich and diverse history of the Caribbean. It is a must-read for anyone interested in history, culture, and the human experience.

Verdict: A very time-consuming read, however strongly recommended.

An Absolutely Amazing Book! The Epitome of Historical Fiction at Its Finest.


When delving into the works of Michener, I always have a plethora of applications and other reference materials at my disposal. I find myself referring to these references quite often, and in every single instance, Michener proves to be completely accurate. One could perhaps debate whether it is more historical or fictional, but without a doubt, the historical aspect takes the lead by a significant margin. I am truly in awe of how skillfully he elucidates a crystal-clear view of the past through engaging dialogue, fascinating customs, and concise historical snippets.


I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish. This remarkable book has undeniably rekindled a dormant passion within me to visit Barbados, experience the vibrant carnival in Trinidad, and savor the wonders of Jamaica. This book, this captivating journey, has been a truly fabulous trip back to my past travels, vividly reminding me of the vastness and splendor of the Spanish lake, as well as the contrasting yet beautifully complementing landscapes. Well done, James! Thank you for this literary masterpiece.

I read some of James Michener´s books decades ago. At that time, the CVA (Centro Venezolano-Americana) and the IVB (Instituto Venezolano Británico) still had excellent lending libraries in Caracas. Alas, both of them are now long gone. I remember liking the books, but to be honest, I don´t even remember which ones I managed to get my hands on.

"Caribbean" (1989) is a historical novel in the sense found for example in Britannica. It has as its setting a period of history and attempts to convey the spirit, manners, and social conditions of a past age with realistic detail and fidelity to historical fact. The work may contain a mixture of fictional and historical characters. Michener´s book is ambitious as it tries to span the social, political and economical history of the Caribbean from pre-Columbus times to the late 1980s. Each chapter is a story set in a different period and, with a few exceptions, a different island. Sometimes descendants of a character pop up in later chapters, providing some much-needed threads to stitch the succession of stories into the tapestry of the region.

At over 600 hundred pages, it is a long book. I suspect every reader will find some chapters better or more interesting than others. As a novel, I found it very unsatisfactory. As fictionalized history, it fares better. Michener must be thanked for his very helpful preface entitled "Fact and fiction", which I kept skipping back to. In it, he succinctly points out what events and characters were real. I believe that Michener is successful in motivating the reader to read more about the region.

The book does not cover the whole Caribbean, but rather focuses on some of the islands. It pays particular attention to Jamaica, Haiti, Barbados, Guadaloupe and Trinidad. Michener attempts to strike a balance between the influence and presence of England, Spain and France in the region. However, in the end, the feeling is that the former British West Indies are covered in much more detail than the former French and Spanish colonies. Panama, Cartagena (Colombia), Maracaibo and the salt flats of Cumaná (Venezuela) are mentioned only as the target of pirates, buccaneers and privateers. Mexico is mentioned only in connection to the decline of Mayan civilization. Even the ex-Spanish colonies of Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are given very small roles. The only chapter on Cuba takes place in the 1980s and is loosely centered on the impact Cuban emigration was having on Miami and La Habana.

A historical novel is sometimes notable not only for what it includes, but also what it leaves out. Michener says nothing about Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize or the Cayman Islands. It avoids US involvements and interventions in the Caribbean. The Spanish-American war, William Walker´s filibustering interventions, the building of the Panama Canal, the Banana Wars, the US military occupations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and how the Danish Virgin Islands passed into US hands are not mentioned. The US invasion of Grenada and its funding of Contras in Nicaragua are covered in a couple of sentences. Its coverage of Puerto Rico and the Dutch Antilles is minuscule. There is no coverage of Caribbean contribution to the arts, literature or music. Michener even misrepresents the well-known Colombian historian and intellectual Germán Arciniegas as Spanish. As other Goodreads reviewers point out, Michener also invents the (inexistent) island of All Saints.

The economic, social and political importance of sugar is well stressed, except in the last chapter where Michener pushes what appears to be his favoured but naive solution to the economy of the Caribbean - that the US pay a few cents a pound over the international price of sugar. Many of the stories attempt to develop stories that illustrate the evolution of race relations in the Caribbean with mixed results. The last chapters have a very 1980s feel, with rastafarians, student emigration problems, Haiti´s drawn out collapse and even the spectre of future Cuban hegemony in the Caribbean.

All in all, it is a very mixed bag of three star and four star chapters. But it is interesting enough if you either like Michener or use the book as a springboard to more serious books on the region, such as UNESCO´s massive six volume "The General History of the Caribbean", which I hope to read some day.

In order to read this book, you need to set aside a significant amount of time. It's not a book that you can stay up all night to finish - it has almost 700 pages of small print! The chapters are more like a series of vignettes, where well-researched historical figures and events are seamlessly intertwined with fictional characters.

Before you start reading, there is a section called Fact and Fiction, which provides a brief explanation of what is fact and what is fiction for each chapter. This epic book covers the time period from 1300 to 1989 in the history of the Caribbean Islands. It delves into the social, political, and economic history of several of the islands, as well as the battles for colonial occupation between Spain, England, France, and Denmark.

The following is a brief synopsis of most of the chapters to help you remember what this huge book is about:

- 1310 - The warlike, brutal, cannibalistic Carib Indians invade the island of Dominica and begin to wipe out the peaceful, family-oriented Arawak people who love the joy of living.

- 1474-1489 - A Mayan woman named Ix Zubin on the island of Cozumel becomes the first woman astronomer. Her society is being infiltrated by a new religion that thrives on human sacrifices, marking the beginning of the decline of the Mayan Empire and its greatness.

- 1509 - Due to charges brought against Christopher Columbus, the king of Spain dispatches Don Herman Ocampo to Espanola to uncover the truth about how Columbus governed and discharged his duties there on behalf of the king.

- 1567-1597 - Describes the incessant duel between the Spaniard Don Diego Ledesma and the Englishman Sir Francis Drake for the city of Cartagena in the area then known as 'The Spanish Lake'. Besides Drake, we also encounter other pirates and privateers such as John Hawkins.

- 1640's - Barbados, also known as "Little England" - Dutch smugglers, ignoring English laws, bring in needed goods and slaves from Africa for the large sugar plantations, and the rivalry between the Roundheads and the Cavaliers.

-1661-1692 - Details the buccaneer life around Tortuga, including pirates like Henry Morgan who attacked Spanish ships.

1730-1763 - Details life on the sugar plantations, the battle in Parliament to defend the price of sugar (William Pitt), and the great slave rebellion on Jamaica.

- 1777-1793 - Admiral Horatio Nelson and his desperate search for a wealthy wife.

- 1794-1798 - The French revolution spills into Guadeloupe. After slaves gained their freedom, Napoleon decided to re-impose slavery. Victor Hugues brings his portable guillotine to the island and becomes a dictator marked by extreme brutality, excellent statesmanship, and liberal social legislation.

- 1789-1804 - St.-Domingue - the clash between white landowners, black slaves, and the racially mixed who were despised by both the blacks and whites but who needed to choose sides. Profiles Toussaint L'Ouverture who fought for slave independence.

- 1865-66 - Martial law in Jamaica where people of a darker skin were terrorized, big debates in London on rule and slavery, murderous martial-law enforcers, Hobbs and Ramsay, and the rantings of Thomas Carlyle who was a strong believer in the British right to rule. Clash between the Catholics (Church of England) and Baptists.

- 1938 -Details the social order, caste system, and the rigid delineations of whites, blacks, light skinned browns, and dark skinned browns on the fictional island of All Saints. \\"...every human relationship is a matter of race...\\"

- 1970-1986 - In 1845 after slavery was outlawed, landowners imported Indian peasants to Trinidad to do menial jobs that blacks refused to do. The fictional character of Ranjit Banarjee is a scholar who travels to Miami for an advanced education and gets in serious trouble.

- Details the life of a Rastafarian, his confusing and mystifying religion, and its influence on the fictional island of All Saints by using a fictional character named Ras-Negus Grimble.

-1938 - Newspaper reporter, Millard McKay travels to the fictional island of All Saints to write a series of articles comparing All Saints to Canada. While there he falls in love with the area. We also learn about the significance of cricket which is the other main religion of the Caribbean.

- 1984 - Details the Cuban revolution and life in Havana as well as life in Miami and the influence the Cuban refugees have there.

- 1989 - the story is summed up in a unique way. The book concludes on a cruise ship where advanced college students are enrolled in a seminar called 'Cruise-and-Muse' where the author brings descendants of past characters together in different ways to reflect on the past and future of the Caribbean Islands.

The main concern of some reviewers is the fictional island of All Saints that Michener created. They feel he had so many real islands to choose from, why would he make one up. This doesn't bother me as long as I know it's fictional. He probably made it a compilation of many small islands that he didn't get to in the book. In the back of the book, Michener has included a list of books to encourage those readers who want to explore more history and information on the area. His book is the way I like to get my history - a much less boring option if you're not a history buff. A book well worth reading.

Having been engaged in some traveling throughout the Caribbean for work purposes, I had a strong desire to acquire more knowledge about this area. Being a devoted Michener fan, I was well aware that I could gain a profound understanding of its history through his book on the region.

Although it is classified as historical fiction, Michener incorporates a substantial amount of facts and real events into his stories, and "Caribbean" is no exception. By creating fictional characters who interact with real historical figures and participate in real historical events, he manages to bring the history to life and makes the learning process enjoyable and engaging.

In his typical style, Michener's narrative commences from the dawn of mankind in the area and progresses to the near-present day, at the time of writing, which in this case is the 1980s and early 1990s. The story encompasses a wide range of topics, including the natives who were the first inhabitants of the islands and lands, Columbus and the European explorers, settlers, and colonists. It also delves into various aspects such as gold, silver, rum, sugar, pirates, slavery, and revolutions, just to name a few.

Finally finished reading “Caribbean” by James A. Michener!

This is a book that I started reading when I was actually sailing the Caribbean Sea last October. However, during this period, I was preoccupied with the publication of my own novel, “Life Is But A Dream,” and the month spent in Australia for the production of my play “Postnuptials.” Surprisingly, this left me with no time to read.

This book is also a huge one, with 806 pages of teeny-tiny text, truly an epic. But I have a passion for epics! And I really relished this book! Although I didn't breeze through it as quickly as I did with Michener's “Hawaii” – another epic – it provided an enthralling education on the history of the Caribbean.

I have to give credit to Michener for the extensive research he did while writing this novel. It commences with the peaceful Arawak Indians and the warrior/cannibal Carib Indians (from which the name Caribbean is derived). From there, it covers the Maya empire and their decline from greatness. Then comes the arrival of the white man – Christopher Columbus – and all the other renowned explorers, captains, pirates, buccaneers, and slave ships that followed over the next several hundred years (and chapters in the book).

The constant battles over these islands for colonial occupation by the Spanish, English, French, and Dutch, with the islands falling into the hands of one or the other, some for short periods and others for longer durations, were unceasing. He delves deeply into the valuable economic trade commodity of sugar, which later replaced that of the Spanish galleons filled with silver and gold brought over from Peru (and transported by mule train from Panama City to Porto Bello on the Gulf side). The great sugar plantations and the brutality endured by the slaves over four hundred years are described in harrowing detail.

In fact, between the nauseating treatment of slaves and prisoners of warring countries, and the indigenous Indians and citizens of the cities and towns overthrown in war and pirate raids, this is what I took away the most from the book – the vast amount of bloodshed from massacres, executions, battles, and torture that prevailed in the West Indies.

Having sailed the Caribbean numerous times and visited nearly every island and the surrounding land masses, I have always been aware, like any tourist, of the incredible beauty and wonderful hospitality that has welcomed me at every port. But I was completely unaware of the dark past of these places (and what civilization on earth doesn't have a dark past?).

Michener takes his book through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (right up to 1989 when his book was published), touching on the histories of practically all the islands – even devoting full chapters to several, such as Jamaica, Barbados, Haiti, Guadeloupe, Trinidad, Cuba, St. John, and the powerful fortress city of Cartagena. So, it was somewhat of a surprise and disappointment that he felt the need to invent a fictional island called All Saints.

Although he populates his book with fictional characters that he interweaves with non-fictional historic characters, which I can fully understand and appreciate for the telling of the many stories throughout the book, I cannot fathom why, with so many diverse islands and countries to choose from in the Caribbean, he would create a fictional island for one full chapter that is repeatedly mentioned afterward until the end.

Nevertheless, aside from this, I enjoyed the book, especially the final chapter, and LOVED the ending!

The Caribbean is an outstanding book that covers a vast time period, stretching from 1300 to 1989.

It commences with the Arawak and Carib Indians, skillfully weaving together history and narrative. It delves into the early European exploration of the Caribbean, the Spanish ascendancy in the 1500s, the exploits of Henry Morgan the pirate, and the power struggles among the Spanish, French, and English.

Via a captivating tale, one can gain knowledge about the sugar plantations, the importation of slaves from Africa (who now predominantly make up the population of the Caribbean), the emergence of Rastafarianism, Haitian voodoo, and even the Cuban Revolution.

Although it consists of over 600 pages, the pages turn rapidly as you become completely engrossed in the book.

It offers a comprehensive and engaging look at the rich and diverse history of the Caribbean region.

I have a profound love for big, expansive, ambitious, and historical novels. Among the authors, I hold a special affection for James Michener.

This particular book was truly remarkable, and I derived great enjoyment from most of it. However, as I delved deeper, it became increasingly laborious and overly "wordy," which posed a challenge for me in completing it.

Nevertheless, being a person of determination, I managed to persevere and finish the book. The first two-thirds of the book were truly wonderful, delving into ancient Indian cultures and the world of pirates. It was difficult not to be captivated by such engaging topics.

However, in my opinion, the book seemed to be approximately 100 pages too long. Moreover, his writing about a non-existent island seemed to drain the excitement from my reading experience.

In conclusion, I would sort of recommend this book, but it definitely wouldn't be among my all-time favorites.

In this remarkable novel, Michener embarks on a captivating journey that takes us through the ages in the magnificent Caribbean.

Although it might be a slight exaggeration to label the Caribbean as a microcosm of the world, there is no denying that it is an incredibly rich, diverse, and utterly fascinating region. Its tropical beauty is truly enchanting, and it is perfectly complemented by its vibrant and interesting people.

The story commences on the island of Dominica, where the Arawaks, a beautiful, gentle, and cultured people, were unfortunately displaced by the fierce and warlike Caribs. From there, it delves into the adventures in the Caribbean of Christopher Columbus, the exploits of great pirate admirals such as Francis Drake, and the intense struggles among the Spanish, French, British, Dutch, and English over these islands. It also explores the cruelty of slavery and the equally savage slave uprisings.

The narrative further details how the turbulence of the English Civil War and the French Revolutions reached these islands, and it progresses right up to the challenges of the present day. This includes a chapter about the Rastafari movement, as well as the tyranny on Cuba under Fidel Castro and the Cuban exile community in Miami. Additionally, the book covers a fictional island called All Saints.

While there are some parts that may seem a bit slow, overall, it is a truly fascinating and highly entertaining read that offers a comprehensive and engaging look at the history and culture of the Caribbean.