French West Indies Books

A Cruising Guide To The Windward Islands: Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Carriacou, Grenada, Barbados

Stephen J. Pavlidis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Fantastic Guide-The Real Deal 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

Before purchasing this book, I did a bit of research on the different guides available. One had a lot of advertisements, but was popular. It was more like a Frommers travel book. This one was written by the guy who actually used equipment relied upon by chartmakers for local depth soundings. You could tell by his "local" hints that he really took the time and effort to give you the insider's view. From recomming "Mr.Fantastic" (a local boat vendor who sold us delicious lobster), to recommendations on local restaurants at each of our island stops along the way, this book was fantastic. The black and white pages made it all the more authentic as not being overly commercialized. In each port he gave highly reliable waypoints which I fed into my Garmin GPS, and everything worked like clockwork. His depth soundings in the anchorages were highly reliable as well. Our crew of 6 sailors, all passionate for adventure in the Windward Islands, raved about this book. Other books were aboard, but this one quickly became the one that we relied upon. It was concise and to the point, and we really enjoyed using it. Accolades to Mr. Pavlidis. This is a winner!!

Editorial Review:

With 80 sketch charts this is the most comprehensive guide covering The Windward Islands. The Windward Islands Guide contains GPS waypoints, approaches and routes, anchorages, dive sites, an extensive appendix, photos and a bibliography. As with all of Steve's guides it contains sections on history, marina services, and much more useful info.

Martinique, Guadeloupe, Dominica & St. Lucia (Martinique Guadeloupe Dominica & St Lucia)

Lynne M. Sullivan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Feeling "alive" is commonly used to describe the state when you are energized, excited, full of life! And that's exactly what these books inspire -- a feeling of eagerness to explore and discover. Alive! Guides are a refreshing change from the "same-old" guidebooks. They are written for the savvy traveler who is looking for quality and value in accommodations and dining, with a selection of activities to fill the days and nights. Each book's introduction covers the basic travel information, including climate, when to go, what to pack, history, package tours, geography and -- for overseas destinations -- currency concerns and health issues. Daytime pursuits are detailed in the "Sunup to Sundown" section, which cover the best beaches, walking tours, driving excursions, nature trips and sightseeing. Shopping plays a big part, with tips on how to barter in island crafts markets and where to find the best deals. And if you're looking for some fun when the stars come out, turn to the "After Dark" section, where you'll find descriptions of the best discos, cigar bars, theaters, movies, nightclubs and happy hours!

St. Barth: French West Indies (A Concepts Book)

Charles Didcott, Christine Didcott

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Beautiful pictures... great coffee table book! 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Although it would be almost impossible for a picture book about St. Bart's to not be pretty. The island is without a doubt the most breathtakingly beautiful place I've ever been. I went on a Windjammer Barefoot cruise around the Caribbean last summer. St. Bart's was the second island where our ship stopped. I was having dinner with some new friends that night, and believe it or not, we had the good fortune to miss the "launch" back to the ship from the island.

Yes, we were pretty freaked out at first, but then we checked into a great hotel with an incredible view of the Gustavia harbor. To my delight, in this book is a picture of the harbor that must have been taken from somewhere near that hotel, because it's almost the same picture I took from the terrace of our suite. The hotel was called the Carl Gustaf, and it was REALLY expensive but I thought worth it!

The next day, we chartered a flight from St. Bart's to Nevis and caught up with our ship. This book also has some great aerial shots of the island, which remind me of that flight.

If you've been to St. Bart's and loved it, you'll love this book!

Editorial Review:

St. Barthelemy, affectionately known as "St. Barth" or "St. Barts," is a small island in the French West Indies. It occupies only 8.3 square miles and is distinctly different from most of the Caribbean islands. St. Barth's interesting history of first Spanish then Swedish then French sovereignty has given St. Barth a unique, now predominantly French, culture. St. Barth's natural beauty and absence of high-rises, casinos, or crowded beaches make it a haven for vacationers and a popular destination of the rich and famous (David Letterman, Mikhail Barishnikov, Martha Stewart, Princess Di, among others, frequent or have houses there). This beautiful book depicts in photographs and words the heart and soul of the island.

Martinique to Trinidad (Street's Cruising Guide to the Eastern Caribbean)

Donald M. Street

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Somewhat informative, but disappointing 2 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This book is well organized and written, but I was never sure how up-to-date the information was. The book was first written back in the 1960's and was last published in 2001. The author does not ease my concerns because in several places in the book he says this is the way it was in the early 1970's, or I went back in 1984 to update this information. It reminds me of listening to my father reminisce about the good old days-pleasent stories, but not always relevant to the way things are today. Also, there are few pictures contained in the book and none of them are in color. This adds to the feel that the book was written in the 1960's and it certainly does not create excitement or motivate anyone to go to the Windward Islands. In summary, the positives are: detailed information on navigation, sailing routes, areas with tricky currents, waves, etc. The negatives: limited and/or outdated information on navigation hazards, buoy locations, places to get provisions, restaurants, hotels, shops etc. This is a pricey book and I would expect it not to be outdated and dull. It appears that the book is slipping from a cruising guide to an autobiography by Mr. Street. I would skip this one.

Editorial Review:

Street’s Guides are the result of his forty-four years of Caribbean experience— his first guide to the Virgin Islands (1964) has been expanded over the years to cover the entire eastern Caribbean. These guides give the mariner all the information needed to safely cruise the area, not only piloting information but also interesting background information on people, places and history.

“In the beginning was the word and the word came from Street. Since 1964 all other guide authors have followed in Street’s and Iolaire’s wake, avoiding the rocks and shoals Street and Iolaire discovered.”
—Patience Wales, Editor, Sail

The Martinique and Guadeloupe Alive! (Martinique & Guadeloupe Alive)

Lynne M. Sullivan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 1.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

These are the French islands - chic, sophisticated and spectacularly beautiful. Martinique is known as 'the Paris of the Antilles', with haute cuisine and haute couture, not to mention Mont Pelee, the volcano that destroyed the capital city of Saint-Pierre in 1902. Guadeloupe offers incredible variety, from the jagged coast of the wild Atlantic to pristine coves on the Caribbean side, sunny beaches and tropical rainforests. Alive Guides tell you what's hot and what's not, with plenty of suggestions for daytime activity and nighttime fun. Each guide offers hundreds of restaurant and hotel profiles in all price ranges, including the very best places to stay and eat, adventure, nights in the city or budget accommodation. Beyond where to stay and eat, Alive Guides focus on the things that make each destination unique - hiking in the rain forests of St Lucia or diving off the coast of Bonaire. 'Sunup to sundown' sections cover a huge variety of activities and organized excursions, including a thorough listing of the best beaches. Suggested road trips and walking tours are accompanied by town and regional maps. 'After dark' sections give the lowdown on hot nightclubs, romantic bars, high-class casinos, movies and theatre. An A-Z reference at the end provides a comprehensive list of useful contacts, including ATM and bank locations, doctors and medical facilities, tourism offices, religious services and websites.

The Complete Diving Guide: The Caribbean (Vol. 1) Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Grenada, Tobago, Barbados (Complete Diving Guide)

Colleen Ryan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

winston reed 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

July 2001 I dove several of the sites reviewed by ms Ryan and Mr Savage
and found their profiles of the dives to be very accurate and
helpful.I hope she and Brian Savage will do a "complete
DG of the Bahamas,I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Editorial Review:

A comprehensive guide to the southern islands of the Eastern Caribbean island chain, including Dominica, Martinique, St Lusia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Tobago and Barbados. Only an hour's flying time from the better-known islands to the north, they offer sites infrequently dived, dive boats with six or fewer divers, and marine life rarely seen in more heavily dived areas (such as black coral, frogfish, seahorses and manta rays). The guide focuses on information. It contains a description of each island, including apres dive activities, an overview of the diving environment, rules, regulations and safety information, site plans and maps, and fact panels about marine life. The descriptions of the dive facilities are based on interviews with all operators and there are at-a-glance summary tables of the facilities.

AAA Caribbean, Central & South America: Including Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, French West Indies, Grenada, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Martin, Tobago, Trinidad, Virgin Islands: Plus Caribbean And (Bermuda Air Charts, Hamilton Bermuda Inset Map, Old San Juan Puerto Rico Inset Map: International Series 2008, 1206309103107)

AAA Heathrow

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Editorial Review:

AAA Caribbean, Central & South America: Including Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, French West Indies, Grenada, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Martin, Tobago, Trinidad, Virgin Islands: Plus Caribbean And Bermuda Air Charts, Hamilton Bermuda Inset Map, Old San Juan Puerto Rico Inset Map: International Series 2008 (1206309103107) [FOLDED MAP] (Map) by U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism (Photographer), AAA Heathrow (Author, Editor, Illustrator), AAA (Editor), Automobile Association of America (Editor), AAA Publishing (Editor), Touring Club Argentino (Editor), Car Club Do Brasil (Editor), Automovil Club de Chile (Editor), Roush Racing (Illustrator), Automovil Club Argentino (Translator), Automovil Club Boliviano (Translator), Confederacao Brasileira de Automobilismo (Translator), Federacion Chilena de Automovilismo Deportiv (Translator), Touring y Automovil Club de Columbia (Translator), Automovil Club del Ecuador (Translator), Touring y Automovil Club Paraguayo (Translator), Touring y Automovil Club del Peru (Translator), Automovil Club del Uruguay (Translator), Touring y Automovil Club de Venezuela (Translator). Map: 1 pages. Publisher: AAA Publishing; 2008 edition (2008). Language: English. ISBN 1071031074. EAN 9781071031070. MPN 1206309103107.

2008 Country Profile and Guide to Martinique- National Travel Guidebook and Handbook - French West Indies, French Antilles, Mount Pelee Volcano, Agriculture (Two CD-ROM Set)

U.S. Government

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Editorial Review:

Completely updated and revised for this new edition, our unique electronic book on two CD-ROMs has an amazing collection of the finest federal documents and resources about Martinique, providing encyclopedic coverage of all aspects of the country. This disc set provides a truly fantastic reference source, with over one hundred thousand pages reproduced in Adobe Acrobat format! There is complete coverage of newsworthy material about Martinique, including the French West Indies, French Antilles, population, trade, Mount Pelee volcano, U.S. relations, reference resources, agriculture, red palm mite, weather data, and more. This incredible and comprehensive series on the countries of the world contains material from the State Department, Department of Defense, White House, and cabinet agencies including Agriculture, Energy, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. There is complete information about geography, people, government, the economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues. In addition to the nation-specific material, as a bonus we have included reports about every country on the globe, with 271 nations, dependent areas, and other entities identified by the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA World Factbook is considered an invaluable "world encyclopedia" reference book. This incredible two CD-ROM set is packed with over 100,000 pages reproduced using Adobe Acrobat PDF software - allowing direct viewing on Windows and Macintosh systems. The Acrobat cataloging technology adds enormous value and uncommon functionality to this impressive collection of government documents and material.

Two Years in the French West Indies (Lost and Found Series)

Lafcadio Hearn

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

nice slice of paradise... 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

A great writer and a fascinating man, better known for his books about Japan... This book is one long Caribbean moment preserved in amber.

Editorial Review:

Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904), also known as Koizumi Yakumo after gaining Japanese citizenship, was an author, best known for his books about Japan. He is especially well-known for his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. Hearn was born in Lefkada, one of the Greek Ionian Islands. He was the son of Surgeon-major Charles Hearn (of King's County, Ireland) and Rosa Antonia Kassimati, who had been born on Kythera, another of the Ionian Islands. In 1890, Hearn went to Japan with a commission as a newspaper correspondent, which was quickly broken off. It was in Japan, however, that he found his home and his greatest inspiration.

The Island Martinique (National Geographic Directions)

John Edgar Wideman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 1.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A RICHLY LAYERED TAKE ON A POPULAR REGION: Wideman's exploration of Caribbean culture should find a broad audience. HIGH QUALITY, LOW PRICE: A winning combination of elegant design, high production value, and low price point. MULTI-MEDIA SUPPORT: Series is being supported across National Geographic media, including the magazines, the National Geographic Channel, and nationalgeographic.com. An American man of African descent and a French woman visit Martinique and discover an enormous mutual attraction that a third party - the island - both enhances and threatens. An unusual sort of menage a trois follows. The couple discovers the sensuousness and seductive beauty of the island, as they experience its vexed history of colonial violence and racism. The backdrop includes a former slave plantation, a rum factory, a cabaret featuring Zouk music, a volcanic eruption, writers and other local figures, as well as doses of history. Also appearing are the late philosopher-writer and Martinique native Frantz Fanon, artist Paul Gauguin, Thomas Jefferson, a cast of African slaves, ex-slaves, and Creoles, plus old-school colonialists as well as bekes and their descendants. The book attempts to decipher the meaning of Creole - the mix of African and European cultures, people, history.