Description

My Political Journey 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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P.J. Patterson, ON, OCC, PC, QC, now retired, was Jamaica's sixth and longest-serving prime minister from 1992 to 2006. In addition to his lifelong political service, he has had an equally distinguished legal career and is the recipient of numerous academic and international honours. On his retirement from politics, he founded Heiconsults, an international consulting firm, and has remained active in public life in the national, regional and international arenas.

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W. Adolphe Roberts (1886-1962) was a prolific writer poet, novelist, journalist, historian. As a political activist he also laid the groundwork for Jamaican independence. Finally published, 52 years after his death, his autobiography, These Many Years, offers a representative Caribbean life: rural upbringing, precocious talent, travel to the USA, literary success, adventures across the world, involvement in politics, return to Jamaica.

In New York Roberts worked as a journalist and editor. However, in the mid-1930s, he made contact with Jamaican activists in Harlem and launched the Jamaica Progressive League, pioneering the movement for self-government. Moving back to Jamaica, Roberts decided against a political career, dedicating himself to studying the region and writing books such as The Caribbean: The Story of Our Sea of Destiny and Six Great Jamaicans: Biographical Sketches.

Roberts zestful account of his literary life, his open recollection of his many lovers, and his frank assessment of his political friends and enemies, including Norman Manley and Alexander Bustamante, make These Many Years a vital source for the Jamaican national story.

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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, the State Department Records in the United State of America 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' role in Trinidadian and Caribbean politics. The manuscript focuses on Williams' entry into politics and his tenure as prime minister from 1956 until his death in 1981. Ryan also provides an interesting analysis of Williams' seminal work Capitalism and Slavery and his role as a scholar.The book is a distillation of research and writings that have spanned two decades. The author brings a unique perspective to the work as both a scholar and one who has studied, criticized and been active in Trinidad politics as chairman of the Public Utilities Commission, Trinidad and Tobago.

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Few have combined the music with a message in such a radical way as the Jamaican born superstar. The best of Marley's work conveys elements of his social background and religious and political experience. To fully appreciate his legacy, it is vital to explore his songs, with their attendant themes, stories, nuances and characters. This book is the first comprehensive, biographical examination of the huge output of material unleashed on a succession of superb singles and albums delivered by Bob Marley & The Wailers. It looks at the background, circumstances and significance of each song from the early 1960s right up until Marley's untimely death in May 1981.

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This succinct account the life of Nobel laureate Derek Walcott focuses on his development as poet, playwright and man of the theatre: director, producer, teacher. Friends and colleagues who figured in his career are recalled. The importance of his native St Lucia and family influences in the shaping of his creativity and his view of the world are highlighted, as these evolved in synergy with his receptivity to the poetry and theatre of the wider world. In this evolution, the tensions and complex nuances of the concept home are seen as an informing factor. The story points to Walcotts seminal contribution to the emergence of Caribbean literature, with his response to the regions colonial history as a central factor.