A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbados

"Ligon's True and Exact History is perhaps the most important document regarding English colonization efforts in the 17th-century Caribbean. The book offers a wealth of information about the natural world--Barbados's climate, flora, and fauna--as well as social and economic conditions on the island in the late 1640s. Scholars have long used the text as a source for tracing the development of sugar and slavery, in particular. Although previously available in a facsimile edition, Kupperman's is the first modern, edited version of the text, and it is a most welcome publication. Kupperman, one of the foremost scholars of the 17th-century Atlantic world, has written an excellent introduction that outlines what is known about Ligon and provides context on issues ranging from early modern ideas about the environment, to conditions in Barbados during the tobacco era, to the rise of sugar and the island's place in England's emerging empire. Throughout, Kupperman provides detailed, useful notes that make the text accessible to students and others. . . . This is a first-rate example of historical editing. Highly recommended." --M. Mulcahy, Loyola College in Maryland, in CHOICE

A foundational text for the history and literature of the early Caribbean and the early Americas. Kupperman's expert Introduction and annotations . . . make this important text come alive for scholarly and undergraduate audiences alike. In all aspects, this edition is a model of historical and textual scholarship. --Ralph Robert Bauer, University of Maryland

Scholars, students, and general readers will applaud and greatly appreciate the context Kupperman provides in her highly informative, insightful Introduction and notes. This volume offers readers the opportunity to explore Ligon's world and times, when sugar and black slavery were dramatically and aggressively transforming Caribbean society and contributing to English economic, maritime, and imperial strength. --David Barry Gaspar, Duke University