Spanning five centuries of the slave trade and West Indian politics, this is the first "beginner's guide" to the history of the English-speaking West Indies.

Striking a balance between the common perceptions of "greedy" African chiefs -- selling their kith and kin for beads and trinkets, -- the "heroism" of early antislavery campaigners such as William Wiberforce, and the role played by the Pan-African movement, the author assesses the role of blacks themselves in achieving the abolition of slavery.

The fierce war waged against the colonists is portrayed here, along with the courage of the rebels and the various guerrilla movements that led their people to independence. This volume goes beyond existing histories of the Caribbean to explore how the impact of slavery has been reflected in West Indian popular culture in the twentieth century.