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The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subtitle: Or, General Survey of the Antient and Modern State of the Island: With Reflections on Its Situation Settlements, Inhabitants, Climate, Products, Commerce, Laws, and Government ...; Volume: 3; Original Publisher: T. Lowndes; Publication date: 1774; Subjects: Slavery; Natural history; Jamaica; History / Caribbean ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent information, sometimes a bit dull
This book is a real eye opener for the Jamaica tourist who cares at all about Jamaica. The history of tourism described in this book has many, many parallels to modern Jamaican tourism (white tourists were complaining about hustlers in the 1800s...prostitutes popped up almost immediately upon tourism's start).

However, it sometimes has the feel of a dissertation, and can be a bit dry at times. I also wished it had gone a little further with modern tourism and spent a little less time with the beginnings.

Overall, for the "Jamaicaholic", this is well worth reading.

Excellent
Very good.There should be more books written like this.People need to see the real effects of mass tourism.They really need to understand that their tourism dollars DO NOT "trickle down" to the poor people in countries like Jamaica.If you do go to Jamaica, do the right thing, stay out of the all-inclusives, go green,go to small "ma and pa" style accomodations, help the Jamaican people get out of the debt and extreme poverty that the World Trade Organization and the USA have forced them into. ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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The Secret Alliances Between History's Most Notorious Buccaneers and Colonial America

Was classical piracy an earlier version of state-sponsored terrorism?

Here's the story of how almost every well-known buccaneer of the “Golden Age of Piracy” enjoyed active sponsorship from England's governors in the American colonies- setting a pattern of official disobedience to the Crown that would ultimately contribute to the American push for independence. Relying on rare primary sources discovered in government archives in England, the Carolinas, Rhode Island, Jamaica, and elsewhere, Burgess combines true tales of derring-do with groundbreaking research in this fascinating history.

Customer Reviews (5)

Unfortunate
As a pirate historian, I found this book very disappointing.After completing extensive historical reach in the area including history conference papers and a thesis, I found many fallacies in this work and questionable sources.The lack of footnotes makes the work even more suspect.

Burgess neglects to explain his method and why he picks and chooses sources.Further, Burgess's definition of piracy is not accurate for the time or the "pirates" that he uses as examples.Many of his examples were simply smugglers or even privateers.He tried to approach the topic from a strictly legal view without considering the needs, expectations, and reality for the time.For example, on page 251, he "investigates" Lord Hamilton of Jamaica.Making his readers believe that Hamilton hired many pirates!In reality, Hamilton needed protection for the people of Jamaica from the Spanish Coast Guard because the "new" British king George I would not send the navy-he was cutting costs- so Hamilton hired privateers to patrol the island.Further, Burgess neglects to explain that Hamilton tried and hanged many pirates including Calico Jack because of the privateers that patrolled Jamaica.Even Woods Roger was a privateer, which if we apply Burgesses strict definition, would have been a pirate!

I would not recommend this book.If you are interested in accurate books about piracy, read on of Marcus Rediker's many books or Peter Leeson's The Invisible Hook.

OK for the non-historian if one reads the reviews.
This book could have been much shorter and better organized. The basic history is revealing but then the errors pointed out by another reviewer are also revealing.There seems to be a trend thee day to find some obscure topic and then write a layman's book about it that is padded to three times the necessary length to make it a book instead of an article.This book is a case in point.It's neither a historians text nor a layman's tale.

From a Disappointed Reader
Given the author's background and present academic pursuits, as well as the people and institutions he saw fit to thank, I approached this book with high expectations, which were rapidly dashed. The particulars of the discussion are often jumbled, with major characters making suddden appearances in widely-separated chapters. References are made to what one is led to asssume was correspondence from or to individuals such as Phillipse in New York, but I looked in vain for the actual details of such correspondence. A bibliography is non-existent, and the footnotes in the latter chapters are hopelessly botched because of pagination errors; it is only with a great deal of effort that one finds citations, since the pagination listed in the footnotes for the later chapters does not match with the pages of the text, a disturbing sign of poor proofreading, and a lack of sufficient editorial rigor.
Any form of peer review also appears to be missing; the discussion of colonial governments, in assuming that royal governors were paid by the Crown, reflects a misunderstanding of how royally-appointed governors basically had to wheedle and cajole local assemblies for their salaries. The discussion of the prize courts, which describes them as adjuncts or arms of the customs service, reflects a woeful misunderstanding of the operation of the vice-admiralty courts, which were administered by judges appointed by royal governors (witness the fact that Connecticut was included within the jurisdiction of the vice-admiralty appointee of the Governor of New York and Rhode Island fell under the Mass. Governor for purposes of vice-admiralty court appointments).A modicum of reading any of the available texts would have shown these facts.
Furthermore, the Admiralty offices in England kept close tabs on the operations of these courts, for example,receiving complaints from Rhode Island locals when they did not care for the Deputy Judge assigned from Boston and directing judges to report on prize cases disposed of and to check into allegations of misconduct by Rhode Islanders . Given the time described as devoted to this publication and the access to Rhode Island resources in particular as described by the author, these misstatements are inexplicable.

Confirming!
There is so much mention of piracy, not just smuggling, associated with the literature of Colonial and Early America that I have long thought it a primary growth industry of the time. For the first time American piracy is detailed in all its wondrous collusion. Piracy and privateering were intertwined businesses, the former pursued in time of peace, the latter in time of war. But regardless of the label they were exactly the same endeavor, resulting in exactly the same outcomes, the seizing of merchant vessels on the high seas.

In this seminal work Douglass Burgess uncovers the explicit, condoningand quite necessary involvement Britain's Monarchies and Colonial Governors had in the trade. The granting of commissions, knowingly abused, was rampant with Rhoad Island, Pennsylvania, New York, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Carolinas all freely pursuing what turns out to be a global trade. Initially pursued by Queen Elizabeth in the 16th Century, this book details the involvement of subsequent ruling elites as the business goes into and out of favor during the ensuing 200 years. Surprisingly, it is internal competition within the Empire, not the atrocities committed, that finally curtail this 300 year endeavor.

Quite good.

fascinating
I just picked this up and read it in three sittings, which is fast for me. The book takes two very different threads--stories of the famous pirates, and what was going on in the colonies--and weaves them together beautifully. There is an incredible amount of detail, and despite all the history it often reads as much like a novel as a history book.

The pirates are colorful and fun, but Burgess spends more time talking about the people behind them: the governors, the merchants, even English lords that financed them. The style was similar to Robert Massie's, in that there were many threads of different stories that all came together in the end. Burgess makes the case that the so-called "golden age" of piracy was not what most people suppose, but instead a close alliance between the pirates and their colonial sponsors. I have never read another book that makes this argument, though he cites several in his footnotes.

My only complaint is that there are lots of quotations, which can get rather long. I understand that the author wants to let the sources speak for themselves, but I think some editing could have been done here.

Otherwise, it was an incredible book, a fast and easy read, and I would very strongly recommend it to anyone, whether they have an interest in piracy or not. ... Read more

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A multidisciplinary study that reconstructs Jamaica's rise from low to high life expectancy and explains how that was achieved. Jamaica is one of the small number of countries that has attained a life expectancy nearly matching that in the rich lands, such as the US, despite having a much lower level of per capita income. Why this is so is the Jamaica paradox. This book provides an answer, surveying possible explanations at the outset of Jamaica's rapid gains in life expectancy, in the 1920s, and since. Jamaica's approach to reducing mortality emphasized that school children and their parents master lessons about how to manage disease hazards, and led to a successful collaboration between public health authorities and the people. ... Read more

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Dub reggae and the techniques associated with it have, since the late-1980s, been used widely by producers of dance and ambient music. However, the term was originally applied to a remixing technique pioneered in Jamaica as far back as 1967. Recording engineers produced reggae tracks on which the efforts of the producer were often more evident than those of the musicians these heavily engineered tracks were termed versions. The techniques used to produce versions quickly evolved into what is now known as dub. The term, in this sense, arrived in 1972 and was largely the result of experiments by the recording engineer Osbourne Ruddock/King Tubby. Over the decades, not only has dub evolved, but it has done so especially in the UK. Indeed, much contemporary music, from hip hop to trance and from ambient soundscapes to experimental electronica and drum 'n bass is indebted to the remix culture principally informed by dub techniques. However, while obviously an important genre, its significance is rarely understood or acknowledged. Part One of the book examines the Jamaican background, necessary for understanding the cultural significance of dub, and Part Two analyses its musical, cultural and political importance for both African-Caribbean and, particularly, white communities in the United Kingdom during the late-1970s and early 1980s. Particular attention is given to the subcultures surrounding the genre, especially its relationship with Rastafarian culture the history and central beliefs of which are related to reggae and examined. There is also analysis of its cultural and musicological influence on punk and post-punk, the principal political music in late-1970s Britain. Finally, moving into the period of the decline of post-punk and, indeed, British dub in the early 1980s, there will be an examination of what can be understood as the postmodern turn in dub. In summary, the book is a confluence of several lines of thought. Firstly, it provides a cultural and musical history of dub from its early days in Jamaica to the decline of post-punk in early-1980s Britain. Secondly, it examines the religio-political ideas it carried and traces these through to the ideologies informing the subcultures of the late-1970s and, finally, to their transformation and, arguably, neutralisation in the postmodern pastiche of post-punk dub. Thirdly, with reference to these lines of thought, it looks at dubs and roots reggaes contribution to race relations in 1970s Britain. Finally, it analyses the aesthetic and arguably spiritual significance of dub, looking at, for example, its foregrounding of bass and reverb. ... Read more

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Reggae is the heart of the island of Jamaica, and has shaped its culture, religion, dress, and language. From its beginnings in traditional African folk songs, to its metamorphosis into a vehicle for messages of Rastafarianism and social and political protest, reggae is truly a music of the people. Influencing the sounds of artists worldwide, it captures the universal desire for peace, change, and a better world. In the tradition of One Nation Under a Groove: Rap Music and Its Roots, James Haskins brings teens another funky, accesible, and comprehensive history of a people and their music. ... Read more

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For more than two centuries after the Dutch settled its meandering shores, Jamaica Bay was little more than a watery expanse broken by small islands and a handful of mills. Rapid growth after the Civil War transformed the bay into a microcosm of a developing nation, as meadows gave way to houses and factories, and giant steamers and locomotives appeared. Plans to create the world's largest deepwater port here were never realized, yet Jamaica Bay did emerge as a hub for aviation; the first successful transatlantic flight departed over the bay-followed by millions of flights that have taken off from John F. Kennedy International Airport ever since. Through historic photographs, Jamaica Bay illustrates the bay's transformation into a shellfishing haven, a recreational playground with hotels and casinos, and now the focus of a longterm environmental rehabilitation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great pick up !
First saw the book at a friends house,knew I had to buy it after the first couple pages.Growing up 15 minutes from the bay,this book & the pictures in it really hit home.Seeing really old pictures & maps of your neighborhood is so cool !! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An authoritative account
This is a comprehensive, detailed, and scholarly account of `folk medicine' or `ethnomedicine' in Jamaica, largely from the perspective of medical anthropology. Payne-Jackson is an American anthropologist and Alleyne a Jamaican linguist. They demonstrate an extensive knowledge of the published literature on the subject and, in addition, have done extensive field research. The book effectively covers herbal, spiritual, and magical causes and treatments for illnesses and misfortunes. Jamaicans still utilize a large number of herbal treatments, along with magical oils, incense, and powders. In most cases, their folk medicine is intimately tied to religious beliefs and practices. Traditional healers are still common in the population. Even though the medical profession and government institutions ignore the folk sector, the authors argue that folk medicine is increasing in popularity, partly because of the difficulty of accessing and affording mainstream medicine but also because of the faith people hold in it. The book is well-organized, clear and easy to follow. It is also definitely the best source of information on the topic.

Valuable Information for Herbalists
"Jamaica Folk Medicine: A Source of Healing" is a very informative book on Jamaica's folk medicine traditions.A variety of styles and practices are explored including Jamaican bush doctors, balm yard healers, kumina, obeah, myal and mother healers."Jamaica Folk Medicine" is an in-depth study by two Ph.D's with input from their students, in short, it is built on solid scholarship.The book highlights Jamaican healing methods but also discusses its connections to other forms of healing in the African diaspora and elsewhere.The only thing readers might have to get past is the dry writing style--once you get past the lackluster presentation, there is much to learn.This is the type of book you will want on your book shelf rather than taking it out of the library--readers interested in this topic, will return to this dense book again and again. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1884.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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This comparative study uncovers the differences and similarities in the experiences of Black women enslaved in colonial Canada and Jamaica, and demonstrates how differences in the exploitation of women's productive and reproductive labor caused slavery to falter in Canada and excel in the Caribbean. The research suggests that while the majority of Black women enslaved in early Canada were domestics, the majority of Jamaican women were field laborers, often performing some of the most labor-intensive work on the sugar plantations. While the efforts of the planter class to increase the number of children born to Jamaican women were not completely successful, reproduction seems to have been less of a concern in Canada where many Black women were often sold or freed because there was "no use for them." The Canadian slave context seems to have allowed a broader range of material comfort as well. Despite obvious labor differences, Black women in Canada and Jamaica rejected their chattel status and condition, and resisted slavery similarly. This study is unique in its desire and ability to place Black Canadian slave women at the center of research, and then contextualize it with a Caribbean model. ... Read more

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Obi; or, The History of Three-Fingered Jack By William EarleEdited by Srinivas Aravamudan

"Three-Fingered Jack," the protagonist of this 1800 novel, is based on the escaped slave and Jamaican folk hero Jack Mansong, who was believed to have gained his strength from the Afro-Caribbean religion of obeah, or "obi." His story, told in an inventive mix of styles, is a rousing and sympathetic account of an individual's attempt to combat slavery while defending family honour. Historically significant for its portrayal of a slave rebellion and of the practice of obeah, Obi is also a fast-paced and lively novel, blending religion, politics, and romance.

This Broadview edition includes a critical introduction and a selection of contemporary documents, including historical and literary treatments of obeah and accounts of an eighteenth-century slave rebellion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A classic that passes the test of time with flying colors
Obi or, The History of Three-Fingered Jack is a new edition of a novel originally published in the 1800's. Based on the escaped slave and Jamaican folk hero jack Mansong, who was believed to have found strength in the Afro- Caribbean religion of obeah, or "obi", Obi or, The History of Three-Fingered Jack is a dramatic saga of his struggle to survive, resist slavery, and defend his family's honor. A mix of religion, politics, romance, and social critique, Obi or, The History of Three-Fingered Jack is as compelling a read today as it was over a century ago. The Broadview edition features a critical introduction and a selection of modern documents including historical and literary writings concerning obeah and accounts of an eighteenth-century slave rebellion. A classic that passes the test of time with flying colors.
... Read more

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This book is suitable for children of ages 9-14. The motto on Jamaica's coat of arms, "Out of Many, One People," reflects the diversity of cultures that is Jamaica today. "Jamaica: The People" follows the island's history from colony to independence and beyond. Fabulous images and special spreads on food and life in a Maroon village show a side of Jamaica not depicted in tourist pamphlets. The other topics include: The Taino people - Jamaica's first inhabitants; The slave trade and the plantation system; Pirates of the Caribbean; Rebellion and resistance to slavery and oppression; Jamaican heroes such as Paul Bogle ,Nanny, Marcus Garvey and Alexander Bustamante; Jamaican influence abroad and Jamaican foods made famous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Jamaica the People
Very brief, only 32 pages. Geared more towards children, although for those looking for information on the cultures and the people, this is helpful. ... Read more

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The complex story of the rise and fall of the colored class in Jamaican politics is examined in this important contribution to the history of the Caribbean. ... Read more