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Book: Island Living
By : Ciara LaVelle
Sure, they all have beaches, palm trees and stunning blue waters, but if you think all Caribbean islands are the same, it’s time for you to flip through Caribbean Houses by Michael Connors, an exquisite exploration of the islands’ history, culture and landscape through architecture.
This hefty book is a perfect fit for the coffee table of any home that appreciates the islands as more than just a tourist destination filled with beaches. The fascinating colonial history of the Caribbean comes to life, both in the spectacular pictures of historic buildings throughout the West Indies and the descriptive text that explains their origins and significance.
Caribbean Houses breaks down the islands and their architecture into five sections based on colonial history. In the Spanish Antilles, for example, Connors highlights destinations like Santo Domingo, where some of the Western Hemisphere’s oldest buildings show off signature styles from the days of Columbus such as Mudejar, a fusion of Moorish and European designs. Curaçao is heavily featured in the section on the Dutch Leeward Islands, with its streets lined with colorful, white-accented gables. At stark contrast are former British colonies like Barbados and St. Lucia, with reserved but still ornate great houses that served as the center of plantation life, as well as windmills and churches from the same period. Readers will also see examples of the Creole estates of the French Lesser Antilles and the (formerly Danish) U.S. Virgin Islands.
Along his way through the islands, Connors takes great care in explaining the historical significance of the architecture of the period, such as which buildings were commissioned by historical figures, which housed the celebrities of the day and what purposes the buildings served. Whether you’re an architecture nut, avid traveler or history buff, this book is a must have.
Book your trip today! Visit www.aa.com, call American/American Eagle reservations at 1-800-433-7300, or call your travel agent for more information.
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