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James A. Michener
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Caribbean Paperback – December 25, 1990

by James A. Michener (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,385 ratings
See all formats and editions
In this acclaimed classic novel, James A. Michener sweeps readers off to the Caribbean, bringing to life the eternal allure and tumultuous history of this glittering string of islands. From the 1310 conquest of the Arawaks by cannibals to the decline of the Mayan empire, from Columbus’s arrival to buccaneer Henry Morgan’s notorious reign, from the bloody slave revolt on Haiti to the rise of Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Caribbean packs seven hundred dramatic years into a tale teeming with revolution and romance, authentic characters and thunderous destinies. Through absorbing, magnificent prose, Michener captures the essence of the islands in all of their awe-inspiring scope and wonder.
 
Praise for Caribbean
 
“Michener is a master.”—Boston Herald
 
“A grand epic . . . [James A. Michener] sympathizes with the struggles of the region’s most oppressed, and succeeds in presenting the Caribbean in its rich diversity.”—The Plain Dealer
 
“Remarkable and praiseworthy . . . utterly engaging.”—The Washington Post Book World
 
“Even American tourists familiar with some of the serene islands will find themselves enlightened. . . . In Caribbean, there appears to be a strong aura of truth behind the storytelling.”—The New York Times
Previous page
  1. Print length
    832 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Fawcett Crest
  4. Publication date
    December 25, 1990
  5. Dimensions
    4 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0449217493
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0449217498
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Caribbean islands, which have seen pirates, bloody slave revolts and the Cuban revolution, are chronicled in this blend of fiction and history. "While the pace is sometimes achingly slow, the dialogue stilted and the characterization skimpy, Michener laces the whole with fiery Caribbean drama," PW remarked.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Michener is a master.”—Boston Herald
 
“A grand epic . . . [James A. Michener] sympathizes with the struggles of the region’s most oppressed, and succeeds in presenting the Caribbean in its rich diversity.”—The Plain Dealer
 
“Remarkable and praiseworthy . . . utterly engaging.”—The Washington Post Book World
 
“Even American tourists familiar with some of the serene islands will find themselves enlightened. . . . In Caribbean, there appears to be a strong aura of truth behind the storytelling.”—The New York Times

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fawcett Crest (December 25, 1990)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 832 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0449217493
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0449217498
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,385 ratings

About the author

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James A. Michener

James A. Michener

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James Albert Michener (/ˈmɪtʃnər/; February 3, 1907 - October 16, 1997) was an American author of more than 40 books, the majority of which were fictional, lengthy family sagas covering the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales and incorporating solid history. Michener was known for the popularity of his works; he had numerous bestsellers and works selected for Book of the Month Club. He was also known for his meticulous research behind the books.

Michener's novels include Tales of the South Pacific for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1948, Hawaii, The Drifters, Centennial, The Source, The Fires of Spring, Chesapeake, Caribbean, Caravans, Alaska, Texas and Poland. His non-fiction works include Iberia, about his travels in Spain and Portugal; his memoir titled The World Is My Home, and Sports in America. Return to Paradise combines fictional short stories with Michener's factual descriptions of the Pacific areas where they take place.

His first book was adapted as the popular Broadway musical South Pacific by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, and later as a film by the same name, adding to his financial success.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo byRobert Wilson [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
2,385 global ratings
Very very dirty book.
5 Stars
Very very dirty book.
Bought a new expensive book. Sent a very dirty book.Turned out the publisher wanted the book cover to look dirty.Amazon replaced the book at my request lighting fast.Sorry I put them through the processes.This is an awesome book. I read it the first time on a trip to St. Thomas. I LOVED it so much I bought all of Mitchners books sight unseen. Loved nearly all of them.Given away a dozen copies of Caribbean over the years.One of the few books I have read more than twice.
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Top reviews from the United States

DoinWhatComesNaturally
5.0 out of 5 stars long, but beautiful
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2023
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I enjoyed the stories about the islands, and the author’s attempts to carry the generations through the narrative. Beautifully and colorfully written!
One person found this helpful
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William R. MacCrea
4.0 out of 5 stars "Caribbean".....Something of a Time Capsule
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2013
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My interest in reading this novel by Michener was spurred by a former shipmate who served on a U.S. Naval Destroyer Escort with me in the Caribbean area a half century ago. As a matter of fact, much of my three and a half years on that ship I was called upon to plot courses and speeds through the Windward and Seaward Passages, stopping often at other major islands such as Cuba to take on fuel, pick up mail, etc. We were very much taken by the music and the day to day lives of the various peoples there. My last visit to the area was a year ago, as a matter of fact, when I traveled to the Island of Saba ( now an over-sea part of the Netherlands) with a grandson who is a geologist and a scuba-diver. I was interested to find out what the author of this novel had to say.
The story lines are good, helping to "flesh out" the earlier histories through various family representatives of early characters and dynasties in the work. I found this to be a clever means by which the changes could be seen to have taken place over the centuries. I confess that I can not understand why Mr.Michener felt that it was necessary to "invent" an Island in his "All Saints",for even if it might show how a former French island could have become British, there is ample evidence of this in so many other instances. I admit that it provided the author with a means by which he could use the persona of an American Newspaper reporter to act as something of an alter-ego, but the author manages usually in such works to find ways in which to do this anyway and without further "invention". Perhaps the reference to a Pre-World War II British Governor General who was decidedly pro-Nazi served to save the author from making reference to the late Duke of Windsor (A.K.A. the King Edward VIII who had abdicated to marry an American divorcee' ) sent as Governor General to Nassau. I do not know. In fact, I was a bit disappointed that the author had not made reference to this.
Mr.Michener makes some rather interesting observations regarding the various types of government under the flags of different European governments, zeroing in on mainly the Spanish, the French and the English, and while some of these evaluations might be written off as conjecture or generalizations, I felt that he had labeled them rather much as I would have done.His observations of Haiti, painful as they are to read, I found to be quite as I found them to be. Haiti was a Hell Hole fifty years ago ,when they still had some of their forests and today I cannot begin to imagine the poverty of that land. Yet, mention is made quite well in the person of Therese, a Haitian woman who is articulate, poised and well-read, and of what a superior human being she is. I too have met some Haitians who have come out of that pitiful land who are indeed quite spectacular. I had wondered for years how that could be possible. The author does not answer the question, nor does he attempt to do so, yet one comes away with the feeling: "There is always hope!". The same can be said of the assessment of Cuba, both before and since the revolution. As I recall, life under Batista was pretty difficult for Cubans, life under Castro might be grim, but one is left to wonder whether the Cuban exiles in Florida are not standing in the way of any real change between the governmental relations between the U.S. and Castro's Cuba.
The Caribbean is a lot of ground ( and sea!) to cover : ethnically, historically and governmentally. It can only be approached in a limited way. We who would try to describe the region are not unlike the ten blind men in the Aesop fable, who go forth to meet with an elephant and then to describe its nature. Each individual may see a part, but never the whole. I would have to say that I think the author sees at least several parts of that whole
57 people found this helpful
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nikki
5.0 out of 5 stars Mitchner's Caribbean
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2024
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Great book!
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Jason Holloway
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, in-depth .. top-notch michener
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2000
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If you have read and like michener, this is a classic (my personal favorite). If you have not, classic michener means that he takes a very in-depth, well researched area and wraps a novel around it. In Carribean, he looks at the evolution from the Mayan times to the modern, covering the cultures, the facts and the myths. What makes it fun is the way he wraps his exhaustive research of the facts into the regions myths and a set of characters. This makes the novels fun and interesting, because even though the people are ficticious, one identifies more with the stories of people than a textbook approach to the facts.
The chapters, dealing with different historical periods, focus on various sub-regions as they wane and wax in power and importance. It particularly appealed to my interest in history and frankly may be tiresome to those who do not have the same passion for history (ie, if you don't like historical accounts, you may not like this book!)
Oh, yes, there are pirates, human sacrefice, and you learn where the term barbeque comes from...you may not want to know that!
63 people found this helpful
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R. J. Koerner
3.0 out of 5 stars Happy but disappointed
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2024
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I love Michener and read this book because of my recent visits to the Caribbean, to Puerto Rico. In the past, I have visited St. John in the U.S.V.I. I found this book disjointed. I was shocked by the invention of an island that I kept researching until I finally figured it out. Nonetheless, I learned a lot of history. It was still worth it.
One person found this helpful
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T. Bagley
4.0 out of 5 stars Second read
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2023
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Maybe 30 yrs between, have been to much of the Carib. Sometimes on cruse ships, the worst way.
Some on small sail boats chartered local captained by self & wife usually 2 weeks some 3. Better way.
Best would be wandering in on boat.
Enjoy,
2 people found this helpful
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cmcbrooks
5.0 out of 5 stars Island by island, colonial influences
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023
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Broad canvas of the Caribbean islands brought into colonial conquests - by Spanish, English, French. Thinking about colonialism. The power of mercantile trade - sugar from the islands even dominated European politics.

Next I want to think about the colonial legacy as left on my country, the United States.

Michener does an amazing job covering this region and the arc of history underlying the present reality. As he does with all his books.
2 people found this helpful
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David Muirhead
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2023
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Great stories of pirates, settlers, European aristocracy and the gruesome life of slavery. Will recommend to all friends and family this book!
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Roger Humbke
5.0 out of 5 stars Preparing for a trip by reading related Historical Fiction/NonFiction
Reviewed in Canada on November 24, 2022
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I am reading "The Caribbean" by James Michener for the second time and enjoying it even more because my wife and I leave for a 14-day cruise of the Southern Caribbean on Dec. 4, 2022. We have found that if I research and read great Historical fiction before or on the trip, we will enjoy the journey at least twice as much.

It started four years ago when my three daughters celebrated my 75th (April 2018) by taking me on a 7-day Alaskan cruise. I read "Alaska" by Michener for the 3rd time and had such an engaging cruise that now I search for a great author of historical fiction/nonfiction before taking a trip of more than a week.

In May 2018, my wife and I planned a 14-day stay in New York. This time I read "New York"
by Edward Rutherfurd and also did a 3D jigsaw puzzle of New York City. We had a fabulous time exploring New York physically and experiencing its history.
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Roger Humbke
5.0 out of 5 stars Preparing for a trip by reading related Historical Fiction/NonFiction
Reviewed in Canada on November 24, 2022
I am reading "The Caribbean" by James Michener for the second time and enjoying it even more because my wife and I leave for a 14-day cruise of the Southern Caribbean on Dec. 4, 2022. We have found that if I research and read great Historical fiction before or on the trip, we will enjoy the journey at least twice as much.

It started four years ago when my three daughters celebrated my 75th (April 2018) by taking me on a 7-day Alaskan cruise. I read "Alaska" by Michener for the 3rd time and had such an engaging cruise that now I search for a great author of historical fiction/nonfiction before taking a trip of more than a week.

In May 2018, my wife and I planned a 14-day stay in New York. This time I read "New York"
by Edward Rutherfurd and also did a 3D jigsaw puzzle of New York City. We had a fabulous time exploring New York physically and experiencing its history.
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One person found this helpful
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Sangar
5.0 out of 5 stars Best description of all the Caribbean Islands so far.
Reviewed in France on June 7, 2021
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like it!
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Mlou
5.0 out of 5 stars buena compra
Reviewed in Spain on August 25, 2020
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envío perfecto. En óptimas condiciones. Súper rápido
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Simon and Jacqui
5.0 out of 5 stars The beauty of the Caribbean is found in this wonderful book. Michener is brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2020
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Quite simply, James Michener is an author of supreme brilliance. His ability to capture the essence of time and place in history simply transforms you into the lives of ordinary people during extraordinary times. Like his other masterpieces, I was transformed. And like his other works, I was sad when I got to the last page
One person found this helpful
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Leonardo Rosi
5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC!
Reviewed in Italy on September 12, 2018
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Good!
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