From: schmidt@auvax1.adelphi.edu
Subject: Trini history, etc. books
Organization: Adelphi University, Garden City NY
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 05:29:21 GMT

For those who may be interested in reading about the (fascinating, IMHO)
history of Trinidad and Tobago, here is a bibliography.  Additions, and similar
lists for other parts of the Caribbean are welcome, as are any comments by
others who have read these.

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Any history book by Michael Anthony-- I own the following:

Profile Trinidad

The Making of Port Of Spain

Towns and Villages of T&T

Glimpses of T&T

(I believe all on Circle Press)

His books are very readable, but not always the "scholarly" approach.

_History of the People of T&T_   by Eric Williams

(Publisher - "Andre Deutsch")

(I've recently seen a copy of a book by him on the history of the Caribbean
Region, don't remember the exact title.

_Trinidad Sweet_ by Adrian Curtis Bird, more of a travelogue, but has some
interesting history of the areas he writes about.  Published by "Inprint".

_Cote Ce Cote La_ by John Mendes, College Press

_Trinidad & Tobago Dialect (Plus)_ by Dr. Martin Haynes  (no publisher printed
on book)

Both of these are "Dialect" dictonaries, and besides being fun to read, both by
us "foreigners" and Trinis, they contain much useful information on T&T culture 
and history, particularly Carnival and folk stories and sayings.

_Voices from the Hills_ by Ancil Anthony Neil (Publisher??)

(A history of steelband, particularly the "Desperados")

_Some Trinidad Yesterdays_ by P.E.T. O'Connor  (Publisher - Inprint)

_A Photograph Album of Trinidad at the Turn of the Century_ by Gerald Besson
(publisher - Pariah Press)

_Trinidad Carnival, A Reprint of the Caribbean Quarterly_ (also Pariah Press)

(Pariah Press lists about 18 history titles, many of them reprints of old
books, one of which, _Free Mulatto_ by JB Philippe, looks particularly
interesting.  Guess I'll have to make the rounds of the bookstores if I go to
Carnival again next year!

One piece of historical fiction I own is _Pitch Lake_ by Alfred Mendes
(Publisher - New Beacon Books)

Two very interesting CDs/records are _Calypso Pioneers 1912-1937_ and _Calypso
Breakaway 1927-1941_, both on Rounder Records.  If nothing else, you'll be
surprised at how old calypso melodies (the music, not the lyrics) get recycled,
even up to the present, particularly the one used for the "extempo"
competition at Carnival. There are a couple of other cd's of old calypso
available as well.

On a totally different subject, another book I found to be very interesting is
_How Africa Counts_ by Zaslavsky. (publisher- Lawrence Hill & Co.)  Nothing
directly to do with the Caribbean, but most fascinating.

Most of the Trini books I bought there, except for the Eric Williams one, which
I found at an African Street Fair.  I don't know if you will find any of them
here, perhaps in some of the Washington DC ethnic/liberal bookstores. 
Otherwise you might be able to get some by mailorder direct from Trinidad, or
have a friend bring them back for you.  My copies are almost all paperback, and
cost $10-15 US each, as I recall.  Some of them are available from the Trinidad
Government printers, as well as private bookstores.

John

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John H. Schmidt, P.E.              |Internet: schmidt@auvax1.adelphi.edu
Technical Director, WBAU           |Phone--Days     (212)456-4218              
Adelphi University                 |       Evenings (516)877-6400 
Garden City, New York 11530        |Fax-------------(212)456-2424
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-- 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John H. Schmidt, P.E.              |Internet: schmidt@auvax1.adelphi.edu
Technical Director, WBAU           |Phone--Days     (212)456-4218
Adelphi University                 |       Evenings (516)877-6400
Garden City, New York 11530        |Fax-------------(212)456-2424
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean