Dr Tony Martin has released his 14th book namely, Caribbean History from Pre-Colonial Origins to the Present. This book represents the research he has conducted not only during his 30 years of teaching but his years of study as well.
The book covers the span of Caribbean history including the coming of Columbus, the African slave trade, the African resistance, emancipation and the aftermath of emancipation. The longest chapter delves into the immigration of people into the Caribbean including Jews, Lebanese-Syrian, Africans (post-slavery) and the Portuguese. Intra-Caribbean migration is also analysed.
"For many years I have been discontented with existing text books with many just not possessing enough up to date information," says Martin. "The perspectives have just not been Caribbean focused enough," he added. His objective with this book was to fill the gaps as he believes that basic things have not been mentioned.
These include information on those who journeyed to the Caribbean prior to Columbus. He cites Plato as an example who mentions a visit to the lost civilisation of Atlantis in 360 BC. The book also documents that the first Indian immigrant arrived in Trinidad in February, 1595, a shocking 243 years before Indian immigration to the Caribbean is said to have occurred.
The book, which represents five years of writing, will act as a text book for undergraduate study but Martin also hopes to reach a wider audience of those interested in Caribbean history. He has likened his research over the decades to that of a detective, having scoured the National Archives of not only Caribbean nations but also the UK, all supported by extensive work in Africa.
Martin is Emeritus Prof of Africana Studies at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, where he taught from 1973 to 2007. Before Wellesley, he taught several institutions including the University of Michigan-Flint, the Cipriani Labour College (Trinidad), and St Mary's College (Trinidad).
He has been a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota, Brandeis University, Brown University, and The Colorado College. He also spent a year as an honorary research fellow at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad. Published by Pearson in the United States, the book is described as, "An up-to-date, comprehensive survey of Caribbean history from pre-colonial times to the present."
