Biographies/autobio
A Life In Medicine and the Arts
Henry Fraser's entertaining
autobiography starts with tales of a unique childhood growing up at the local
governance centre of a rural parish in Barbados, where most parishioners
visited the offices of his parents at the family home. This rich community
involvement had a profound influence on his life of service. Sir Henry describes
why he chose to study medicine at the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica,
and so became a passionate West Indian. After specialization and PhD studies in
London, he returned to Barbados and helped to build better health care there. He
promoted rational therapeutics regionally and globally, working with PAHO and
WHO, and his research centre and wide-ranging research have greatly benefited the
Caribbean. His passion for teaching, patient care, mentoring and management
shows throughout the book.
Sir Henry has
been described as the Renaissance man of Barbados: in addition to his
remarkable medical career, he has been public orator for Barbados and for the
University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, and an independent senator in the
Barbados Senate (where he discovered the reasons for the syndrome he labelled
Government's Implementation Deficit Disorder or GIDD). His other lifelong
passions have been art, architectural history and heritage preservation, and
writing. His autobiography makes fascinating reading: he is a natural story
teller and, as he often says, "History is his story." The book is replete with
captivating anecdotes and is illustrated with some of his paintings.
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Being Me: A Memoir by Orlando Marville
This book recaps some of the exciting life experiences of a brilliant, courageous member of the human family. R. Orlando Marville, born in a simple, rural Barbadian village, grows into a world traveller and ambassador for his country. In this memoir he shares the highlights of his sojourn in many countries; the thrills and perils of being a diplomat from a Third World country; the triumphs of a trailblazer with new solutions to old problems; a lover of art and music and a lover of life.
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Beyond My Wildest Dreams: A Memoir
In this memoir, the author sets out on a fascinating journey that takes him back to the simple, rural settings of the tiny island of Barbados where he grew up. The narrative transitions to inner city Brooklyn, during the turbulent 1960s when the civil rights movement was seeking to dismantle the ugly practices of racism in the U.S. The author credits his Barbadian upbringing with his successes in athletics and academics. He provides a unique perspective on what it was like to be one of only a handful of black biochemists conducting discovery research in the pharmaceutical industry during the last three decades of the twentieth century.
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Caribbean Life & Culture
SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. Hardback with dust jacket. Colorful jacket. Actually boards are red with gold lettering. Author, Sir Fred Phillips. Heinemann Publishers (Caribbean) Limited. Printed and bound in Great Britain. 1991 edition. Total 252 pages. Pages are clean and without tears, highlights or markings other than the author's statement and signature on the front inside page. Spine is tight and straight with corners sharp. "The reflections of one of the Caribbean's most illustrious citizens, begins with the colonial period of the fifties when Sir Fred Phillips was intimately involved in the political development of the Caribbean. The book takes us through his career in the civil service, which culminates with his appointment as Governor of the Associated State of St Kitts/Nevis/Anguilla, and on to his success in private practice as a lawyer and Chief Legal Adviser to Cable and Wireless in the Caribbean." Contains black and white photos. Dust jacket has only very minor shelf wear. A nice book and educational and quite interesting. *7BC4
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Coming into Play
On May 21, 2004, playing against New Zealand, Andrew Strauss wrote his name into the record books when he became only the fourth batsman to score a century at Lord's on his Test debut. He made 112 in the first innings and was only denied a historical second hundred when he was run out on 83. England went on to beat New Zealand 3-0 before returning to headquarters to welcome the West Indies, Strauss scoring 137 as the hosts laid the foundations for another whitewash. He then raised the bar again when touring the country of his birth, making three centuries in England's first win in South Africa for 40 years. This sensational start to his international career has ensured that he has been celebrated as a world-class opening batsman, and was voted Wisden's Cricketer of the Year 2005. In THE STORY SO FAR, Andrew Strauss looks back on his early cricketing days and astounding first year in Test cricket, and gives the inside story on what it is like to be part of an incredible England side fighting to overtake Australia as the number one cricketing nation. THE STORY SO FAR includes his personal story of how England beat Australia in the 2005 Ashes Series, in which he played a major part.
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Day-O!!! Irving Burgie: An Autobiography
Irving Burgie's autobiography is set amid a wider social tapestry that depicts the plight, joys and foibles of one black family growing up in pre-war Brooklyn and the broader black struggle leading up to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1940s. This pre-war time was followed by his army experiences as a soldier in an all-black battalion in the China-Burma-India Theatre in World War II, where he first developed a serious interest in music, and studying in general. After the war, Burgie went to school under the GI Bill and a few years later he made a meteoric rise to the top echelons of the music business as the songwriter who composed the songs "Day-O," "Jamaica Farewell," "Island in the Sun," and "Mary's Boy Child" and some thirty-five songs for Harry Belafonte, and "The Seine" and "El Matador" for the Kingston Trio.
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Day-O!!!: The Autobiography of Irving Burgie
Irving Burgie's autobiography is set amid a wider social tapestry that depicts the plight, joys and foibles of one black family growing up in pre-war Brooklyn and the broader black struggle leading up to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1940s. This pre-war time was followed by his army experiences as a soldier in an all-black battalion in the China-Burma-India Theatre in World War II, where he first developed a serious interest in music, and studying in general. After the war, Burgie went to school under the GI Bill and a few years later he made a meteoric rise to the top echelons of the music business as the songwriter who composed the songs "Day-O," "Jamaica Farewell," "Island in the Sun," and "Mary's Boy Child" and some thirty-five songs for Harry Belafonte, and "The Seine" and "El Matador" for the Kingston Trio. The story of his growing up in Brooklyn, his army career, and his involvement in the Civil Rights movement, his marriage and family and the black struggle to achieve equality is graphically depicted. Irving Burgie's memoir is an inspiring and novel account of one of the most significant eras in American history. It makes you feel proud to be an American.
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Diary of a Prime Minister
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Edward Seaga and the Challenges of Modern Jamaica/H/C
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Edward Seaga: My Life and Leadership hard road to travel -1980-2008
Edward Phillip George Seaga is one of the most outstanding Jamaican politicians - with a reputation for creativity, controversy and courage. This autobiography offers a fresh insight into the emergence of modern Jamaica, a journey characterized by idealism and intrigue, conflict and triumph.
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Eric Williams: The Myth and the Man
Eric Williams: The Myth and the Man seeks to illuminate the political career of one of the Caribbean's most elusive figures: Eric Williams, the first prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Selwyn Ryan uses a wide array of primary sources, letters, interviews, material from the Public Records Office in the United Kingdom, State Department records in the United States, and the Eric Williams Memorial Collection in Trinidad and Tobago, and demonstrates a strong mastery of secondary sources to provide a sophisticated political analysis of Williams's role in Trinidad and Caribbean politics.
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Escape from the Cocoon: An Evolutionary Metamorphosis
Dr. S. Victor Evelyn's life story guides us through his journey of self-discovery, artistic expression, personal struggle, found and lost love, spiritual awakening, and career development.
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Frank Collymore: A Biography
Frank Collymore: A Biography is the first book-length biography of Frank Collymore, Barbadian educator, poet, editor, stage actor, mentor and tireless promoter of West Indian Literature. Born at Woodville Cottage in Saint Michael in 1893, Collymore became an invaluable contributor to the arts and culture in Barbadian society, with his participation in the theatre group, the Bridgetown Players, his poetry and short stories, and most notable, his founding of the Caribbean literary magazine, Bim. In this witty and endearing account of the life and times of one of Barbados' favourite sons, poet, scholar and long-time friend of Collymore, Edward Baugh, recounts the story of Collymore's rise in the literary world. Drawn from Collymore's letters, journals and interviews with friends, colleagues and the many people whose lives he touched, Frank Collymore: A Biography captures this "Barbadian Man of the Arts" as he will always be remembered: with grace, wit and indomitable charm.
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George Price: A Life Revealed-The Authorized Biography
An ascetic and failed priest, a stoic, father of the nation, prime minister and first national hero of the Central American nation of Belize, George Price remains one of the most enigmatic leaders of the 20th century. Nothing in the early years of Price's life gave any indication that he would become the most uncompromising adversary of the British government in the struggle, first for self-government and later for Belizean independence, and in the process dominate Belizean politics for over 40 years. An indifferent scholastic career, failure to complete studies for the priesthood followed by a decade as the right-hand man for one of the colony's most astute businessmen, were less than impressive a track record for a future national leader and political firebrand. Yet for close to 50 years, the story of George Price was inseparable from the story of the modern political development of Belize, involving the birth of nationalistic politics; the formation of political parties; the struggle for independence and the national objective of maintaining the territorial integrity of Belize against claims by Guatemala. Here is the story of a man who never married or raised a family, who never had a romantic liaison with a woman and who up to the time of his death at the age of 92 had remained celibate all his life. Price's first and only lifelong love, his sweetheart, wife and family were Belize and its people. In this even-handed and revealing authorized biography, Godfrey Smith does not attempt to canonize Price nor denigrate his rivals and detractors. Rather, he exposes the contradictions that were a feature of Price's life and career. On the one hand the reader is shown Price as the ardent nationalist and a man of uncommon discipline and tenacity who pursued his vision of an independent Belize with clear-minded focus, courage and determination, yet who by his own admission had secret relations with Guatemala whom most Belizeans regarded as the enemy. On a personal level, Smith paints a picture of Price as one who beneath his pious exterior could often be found to be petty, secretive and vindictive and a man who did not suffer slights lightly. Few political leaders from the Caribbean have recorded their memoirs or, like Price, given access by way of interviews or opened their personal papers to researchers or biographers. As one whose political career spanned both the colonial and post independence eras, the information, experiences and insights George Price has freely given to his biographer will make this work an important contribution to the study of the political personality, the development of political parties and party politics in the Caribbean at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition, the books sheds new light on Price's adversarial relationship with local British governors and officials of the Colonial Office in London, and on the central role that the Guatemalan claim on Belize and Price's controversial affiliations with Guatemala played in both the negotiation and timing of Belizean independence. George Price - A Life Revealed is at once the revealing story of an important and controversial political leader, and at the same time, a history of the anti-colonial struggle and the modern political development of Belize.
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Getting it Write: Winning Caribbean Press Freedom
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Hugh Shearer: A Voice for the People
Hugh Shearer: A Voice for the People chronicles the life and multifaceted career of Hugh Lawson Shearer – Journalist, Trade Unionist, Politician – and his rise to become one of the first leaders of post-independent Jamaica. Shearer was part of the family dynasty which dominated Jamaican politics from 1944 and through the first 25 years of independence, following in the footsteps of Alexander Bustamante, Norman Manley and later to be succeeded by his cousin Michael Manley. But Hugh Shearer was his own man; described by the foreign press as 'handsome and athletic-looking' and as carrying 'the air and properties of a ... successful business executive', Shearer was known for his charm and humility which belied his toughness and skill as a negotiator but which served him well as a trade unionist and later as politician and prime minister. Gains in the areas of salaries, pension rights, shorter single-time working hours, maternity leave and numerous fringe benefits covering health and education for workers are part of the Shearer legacy as a trade unionist. Though presiding over the country during one of its most prosperous periods, Shearer's tenure as Jamaica's third prime minister was not without its challenges locally and internationally. His leadership coincided with the period of worldwide student protest and the aggressive Black Power Movement which he had to confront at home and which he did decisively and with toughness. But it was the same Hugh Shearer who got the United Nations to declare 1968 an International Year of Human Rights and used that forum and others to speak out for Jamaica on behalf of the oppressed peoples of South Africa.
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John Shepherd: The Loyal Cavalier
John Shepherd was one of the leading allrounders in First Class cricket in England in the 1970s and 1980s and a loyal servant of Kent County Cricket Club for seventeen seasons and of Gloucestershire, as player and coach, for seven more. He scored more than 21,000 runs and took over 1800 wickets in "senior" cricket over his long career.
Shepherd, or "Shep" as he was affectionately known, was born in Barbados where his natural talent was spotted and nurtured by one of the "3Ws" - the great Sir Everton Weekes. On Weekes' advice he was brought to England by Kent in 1965 and his successful adaptation to County Cricket brought him not only awards as the leading allrounder in English First-Class cricket (1968) and as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1979) but also Test recognition by the West Indies in 1969 and 1970/1.
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Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey...his name is legend from the America's to Zanzibar. One of the most influential figures of the 20th century, Garvey's powerful message of Black pride remains as relevant today as it was almost a hundred years ago. Across generations and continents, leaders like Malcolm X, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta and musical icon Bob Marley readily acknowledge the influence of Garvey's philosophy on their lives, thoughts and actions. Now the story of Garvey's colourful life, his exploits and his compellign message are captured in text by Suzanne Francis-Brown and in brilliant colour illustrations by Jean Jacques Vaysierres for young readers.
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Mastering the Craft Ten Years of Weekes 1948 - 1958
The second youngest and most dimunitive of the famous 3 Ws- Worrel, Weekes and Walcott-Everton, Weekes was in his day the most punishing batsman in the world, earning him the sobriquet of the "butcher". Some, like the legendary batsman Sir Donald Bradman thought "he was the best batsman ever to come out of the West Indies". The record of his relatviely brief test career (1948-58) speaks for itself during which he created and still holds the West Indian record for scoring five consecutive centuries. But it was the manner in which he made his runs that was remarkable; what one contemporary describes as his "slaughterings" was matched only by his outstanding attribuites of determination, confidence and discipline best exemplified by the fact that he seldom hit the ball in the air
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My Political Journey: Jamaica's Sixth Prime Minister
My Political Journey: Jamaica's Sixth Prime Minister is P.J. Patterson's account of his time as an active and successful participant in the political and social development of Jamaica and the Caribbean from the mid-1950s well into the early 2000s. He was widely regarded as a master political strategist and universally acknowledged as an astute negotiator.
Jamaica is an enigma: its global impact belies its population and geographical size. This story of one of its most exceptional citizens is an enlightening revelation of the island's political and cultural narrative. Patterson was born in 1935, the dawn of a new era in the development of Jamaica and the Caribbean. A previously disenfranchised population would gain a voice through universal adult suffrage and have a say in the direction of the nation's affairs. Within a few decades, an independent nation would emerge to make a significant impact on the global landscape. Patterson is both a product of this new Jamaica and one of its architects, and his is a compelling and intimate account of a dramatic era for the young nation.
P.J. Patterson led his country with distinction, implementing policies and programmes to foster social renewal and the development of a modern Jamaica that was prepared to face the challenges of the new millennium. Throughout his career in the People's National Party, he gained international respect through the pivotal roles he played in the advancement of the causes of the developing countries of the world. My Political Journey recounts his performance at the national, regional and global levels and is a fascinating record of a nation's postcolonial growth.
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Pichón
Revolutionary black nationalist Carlos Moore breaks three decades of silence to challenge Castro's legacy in this controversial, behind-the-scenes memoir that explores the Revolution from a perspective of a "pichon," the racist Cuban term for a black of Haitian or West Indian descent. After more than thirty years in exile, continually under the threat of retribution from the Cuban regime, Moore steps forward to reveal the truth: Fidel's Revolution was a success for white Marxists. But for Cuban blacks, the Revolution was basically business as usual, a cover-up of their ongoing struggle for racial, political, and social enfranchisement. Fidel Castro and his men rose from the ranks of the patriarchal, white Spanish-Cuban elite, and the Revolution did not weaken those ties.
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Riff: The Shake Keane Story
Riff explores the turbulent life of the Caribbean musician and poet Shake Keane (1927-97). A trend-setting but troubled Caribbean icon, he absorbed many of the themes of the 20th century - colonialism, migration and masculinity. Each of them found expression in his work. Born in St Vincent, he migrated to London in the early 1950s where he became an important figure in the free form jazz scene. A return to his birthplace was blighted by politics, and his last decades were spent in self-imposed exile in New York City and Norway.
'The story of Shake Keane has never been more inspiring or relevant to the times in which we live. Born in St Vincent, the trumpeter was an integral part of innovative bands led by Joe Harriott and Michael Garrick in the 1960s, and defied expectations of what a West Indian musician could achieve in post-war Britain. Keane was also an accomplished poet with a sharp wit and strident humour. Philip Nanton's excellent biography creates an engaging portrait of a restless, complex soul'- Kevin Le Gendre
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