Best Barbados Country History Books of 2025

Once We Were Slaves is a compelling and informative book that follows the extraordinary journey of a multi-racial Jewish family. The book unveils the story of Sarah and Isaac Brandon who began their lives as poor Christian slaves in Barbados but transformed themselves into wealthy Jewish individuals. The author, Leibman, examines family heirlooms and artifacts left behind in different regions to trace their journey and how they became free, wealthy, and white. The book highlights the fluidity of early America's racial boundaries and the multiracial threads of Jewish history. Overall, this book is a must-read for those interested in history, genealogy, and the complexity of race and religion in America.

A Sail of Two Idiots by Renee and Michael is a hilarious and informative guide to sailing for beginners. The book follows the couple's journey from having no boating experience to sailing to the Caribbean. Through their mishaps and adventures, they share valuable lessons on what to do and what not to do when sailing. The book also includes sections on ongoing maintenance and assessments of various Caribbean islands. This how-to guide wrapped in a funny story is a must-read for anyone considering sailing away. Overall, A Sail of Two Idiots is an entertaining and educational read that stands out from other sailing guides.

Dispossessed Lives: Enslaved Women, Violence, and the Archive (Early American Studies) by Marisa J. Fuentes is an interdisciplinary and groundbreaking work that sheds light on the lives of enslaved and free women in Bridgetown, Barbados, during the eighteenth century. Fuentes skillfully uses fragmentary sources and black feminist theory to expose the ongoing effects of white colonial power on these women's lives. The book challenges conventional historical methodologies and knowledge production, making it a must-read for scholars interested in gender, sexuality, slavery, and the urban Caribbean during the U.S. colonial period.

A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbados is a significant book-length English text written about the Caribbean in the seventeenth century. It sheds light on the contested process behind the making of the Caribbean sugar/African slavery complex. Kupperman's expert Introduction and annotations provide context on issues ranging from early modern ideas about the environment, to conditions in Barbados during the tobacco era, to the rise of sugar and the island's place in England's emerging empire. The book is a foundational text for the history and literature of the early Caribbean and the early Americas. Highly recommended.

A History of Barbados is a highly acclaimed general history book that traces the events and ideas that have shaped the collaborative experience of all the islands inhabitants. The book examines the influences of the Amerindians, European colonization, the sugar industry, the African slave trade, emancipation, the civil rights movement, independence in 1966, and nationalism that have shaped contemporary Barbados. In this second edition, Hilary Beckles updates the text to reflect the considerable number of writings recently published on Barbados. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the island's past and present.

Urgent Fury: Grenada 1983 is an in-depth analysis of the military operation led by the United States to remove the military junta that had taken over the Caribbean island of Grenada. The book covers the genesis of the Grenadian Revolution of 1979, the eventual fall of the Gairy Regime, and the establishment of the English-speaking Caribbean’s only Soviet-bloc client state. The author, Sanjay Badri-Maharaj, examines the growth and development of the People’s Revolutionary Armed Forces of Grenada, Cuba’s military and civilian presence, and the fall of Bishop’s government. The book is illustrated throughout with photographs and original color artworks. Overall, this book is a unique and comprehensive account of the events surrounding the Urgent Fury operation.

The First Black Slave Society: Britain's "Barbarity Time" in Barbados, 1636-1876 by Hilary McD. Beckles is a gripping account of the brutal history of Barbados. Beckles explores the systematic barbarism of the British colonial project and how the geography of Barbados was ideally suited to sugar plantations. The book sheds light on the inhumane legacy of plantation society and its impact on modern Barbados, making it essential reading for anyone interested in Atlantic history, slavery, and modern race relations. Overall, this book is a thought-provoking and eye-opening read that offers a unique perspective on the history of Barbados and the legacy of slavery in the Caribbean.

An Empire Divided: The American Revolution and the British Caribbean is a fascinating account of the six wealthy British colonies in the Caribbean during the American Revolution. The author, Andrew Jackson O'Shaughnessy, provides a detailed narrative of the political developments in both the mainland and island colonies, revealing how they moved along parallel tracks until the Stamp Act Crisis of 1765-66. He also debunks the widely held belief that the Caribbean colonists supported the American Revolution. Overall, this book is an excellent contribution to American and Caribbean history, providing a unique perspective on the American Revolution.

Tropical Babylons: Sugar and the Making of the Atlantic World, 1450-1680 is a well-produced book that re-evaluates the idea of the so-called "sugar revolution" in the Atlantic world. It presents a comprehensive comparative study of early Atlantic sugar economies, focusing on areas colonized by Spain and Portugal. The book questions the very idea of a sugar revolution and shows how specific conditions in each colony influenced the way sugar was produced and the impact of that crop on the formation of "tropical Babylons." Overall, this book is an insightful read for those interested in the history of Cuba and the Atlantic world.

The Black Carib Wars by Christopher Taylor is a well-researched history of the Garifuna people's fight for freedom on the island of St. Vincent. The book offers a compelling narrative of the formative years of the Garifuna people, who were descendants of native Carib Indians and West African slaves. Taylor keeps a nice sense of narrative control, with just enough detail, making it an engaging read. The Black Carib Wars is a terrific achievement and a scholarly volume that all subsequent researchers will need to read.