In emphasis on history and organization by chronology and country this complements Wilfred Cartey's earlier topical study (510, J-182); both score equally on identification with their subject. The most valuable aspect of Sir Philip's history is the inside-out view of events: to the Islander the most significant date Us the first of August, 1834, the day on which all slaves in British possessions were emancipated. Progress toward full citizenship was slight, however, until a hundred years later when disturbances led to constitutional changes and eventual, self-government. Confining himself primarily to the English-speaking islands, the author details early settlement, rivalry among the European powers (resulting in insularity and separatism), the Concurrent ascendancy of piracy and planting, and the later exploitation of land and labor to raise sugar With dire consequences for both. In separate Chapters, he describes the contemporary situation in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Windwards, the Leewards and the Virgin Islands, and the Dutch and French islands. The section on animals and plants will come in handy for you-know-what, and so will the discussion of education and employment. Whereas the Cartey is infused with cultural and ethnic insights, this is an admirably lucid--and enlightened--presentation of the factual framework.