An Empire Divided: The American Revolution and the British Caribbean (Early American Studies) Paperback – July 18, 2000

Dr O'Shaughnessy's book is excellently written, readable and well researched with the supporting data to make his case that the mainland and island plantation societies shared a common ethos and culture. He also explains why the mainland plantation societies tragically decided to throw in their lot with New England, a decision that ultimately doomed the South and the Caribbean and led to the rise of New England and the Mid-Atlantic. And he explains why the West Indian colonists could not join their mainland cousins in the revolution.This book and others like it have greatly altered my thinking on the American Revolution as a Southerner and a student of history. I recommend it to those with an open mind who can see past the USA civic-nationalist narrative of history.

Specialists in the history of the Revolution, its causes, and its immediate consequences have not concerned themselves with examining why the British Caribbean colonies did not join their northern brethren. There were close family and trade ties between the 2 groups of colonies and all of them had grievances against London.This book explains how the Caribbean colonies and Britain were able to resolve their differences short of revolution. It also explores the role played by the need to defend these colonies against the depredations of the French in the British imperial planning for the Revolutionary War. Very interesting and highly recommended.

Turned out to be a great gift for a friend from Trinidad weho is a history fanatic

I am not sure about this book. I just bought it for a gift for my son who requested it for Christmas.

Necessary information.

A thorough treatment of a topic that few people (or at least me) had ever considered. Far from being insignificant islands, the Caribbean colonies were just as important to the British as the American colonies, and O'Shaughnessy makes a convincing case that the difference in the colonies' attitude towards Britain (and indeed, the principal reason for the American Revolution in the first place) is principally due to economic factors.I really enjoyed this book; I am an economist so my interest in such a topic may not coincide with the typical reader, but I thought I learned a lot about something I had never really thought too much about.

Having an interest in West Indian and American history, I was excited to find a book on this subject; however, I found this particular book extremely disappointing. It is such a turgid and difficult read that it can only be someone's doctoral thesis which has been dressed up for publication. In addition, since the approach is topical rather than chronological, it difficult to form an overall impression of the historical events with which it deals. Moreover, it presumes a detailed prior knowledge of the American Revolutionary War without which the context of much that is recounted is obscured. One does not really emerge with an understanding of the impact of the American Revolution on the British Caribbean or the reverse. This is an important topic and it is a pity that this material was not handled in a more interesting, coherent way by a better writer. Unless you are an academic with an interest in this topic, it would be advisable to avoid this book.

Thanks