Ever since Christopher Columbus stepped off the "Santa Maria" and announced that he had arrived in the Orient, the Caribbean has been a stage for projected fantasies and competition between world powers. In "Empire s Crossroads," historian Carrie Gibson offers a vivid, panoramic view of this complex region and its rich, important history.
That fateful landing in 1492 soon launched a savage competition for West Indian territory that would last centuries. Gibson compellingly traces the ups and downs of European imperial expansion including the first cash crops, failed settlements, and...