GRENADA

Upbeat portrait of a tiny, quiet country that briefly became an international battleground. Grenada is the only spice exporter in the Western Hemisphere, but, like several Caribbean countries, its main industry is tourism; it was the construction of a fine new airport that cemented relations with Cuba and provoked US intervention. As justification for that incursion, the author mentions several atrocities committed in the name of Grenada's Marxist government and downplays the US military response--GIs only ""led"" Caribbean soldiers in the invasion (in fact, nearby countries lent hardly more than a token force)--emphasizing instead the subsequent political reform and the flood of foreign aid. Otherwise, this is above average as a ""country"" book: physical and historical facts are organized and summarized in a way that will please report-writers; the work of prominent writers and artists is actually described (albeit briefly), not just mentioned; and the author makes general observations on food preparation and other special customs. A section of handsome color plates aside, the illustrations are dark, and the combination of lightweight typeface and blindingly white paper promotes eyestrain. Buy this to supplement Raymond Carroll's Caribbean: Issues in U.S. Relations (1984).