Casemate 77

Greater Caribbean Monuments and Sites:

J C Checo (ed) and others. PB & HB, 467 pp. No ISBN. PB 1200 pesos c$38.70, HB 1680 pesos, c$54.20. Published by Intermedio SA, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 2000.

The book is published under the auspices of Carimos, the inter-island and state authority concerned with the protection and preservation of the vernacular architecture of the Caribbean area. This includes all the islands and countries that surround the Caribbean Sea. The text is in Spanish, English and French. The introduction explains the need for such a body as Carimos, the reasons for its foundation, its aims and the progress made to date.

A substantial portion of the book is devoted to fortification with a wealth of photographs, some in colour, showing the main forts of the Caribbean, in particular Havana, Cartagena and Cap Hatien. However, it has to be said that a number of the colour photographs are useless. One is left wondering why they were even considered for publication; in particular those of Fort Jefferson, the American Third System fort in the Dry Tortugas. As the book is oriented towards the Spanish contribution to the military architecture of the Caribbean, there is an emphasis on these fortresses (with plenty of those pointed bits to gladden the heart of the Editor of Casemate!).

Lines of San Cristóbal, San Juan, Puerto Rico. ((c)Google).

In addition to the fortresses, there are included a number of other military sites such as the Shirley Heights in Antigua and the Garrison at Bridgetown, Barbados, though the text is somewhat limited. The range of civilian sites is comprehensive and interesting in its own right, showing the variety of styles and building materials used.

The book could be said to lean towards the coffee-table type, but there is a serious purpose behind it, and this makes it a book worth obtaining.

Ian Stevenson.