"Truly, holistically pan-Caribbean in conception, scope, analytical sweep, and particular vision, Silvio Torres Saillant's An Intellectual History of the Caribbeanupdates and moves appreciably forward the critical enterprise earlier begun with Gordon Lewis' Main Currents in Caribbean Thoughtand his own Caribbean Poeticsand is a major and signally distinguished, wholly admirable achievement. An exceptional work of genuine synthesis, richly textured, thought-provoking, and persuasively argued, it deserves the widest possible readership."--Roberto M#xE1;rquez,William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Mount Holyoke College "This is a wonderful book of deeply impassioned scholarship, criticism and intellectual exploration. It should have impact far beyond its titular implications, offering new - "Caribbean" - paradigms for thinking about culture more generally, to replace now tired ones. Torres-Saillant provides a sure-to-be controversial analysis of the successes and failures of Caribbean discourses and their place in the establishment of new and solid cultural, political and economic realities and, at the same time, hope for developing a coherent and believable theory of Caribbean unity in history and letters, embedded in a real ecology, a real politics and a real history.--Timothy J.

Reiss, New York University "The Caribbean: the word itself creates a remarkable mosaic of meanings in various languages, times and places. For those who are not familiar with them, Torres-Saillant#xB4;s intensely personal book offers a nuanced introduction. For those who are, it is a most welcome invitation to rethink its intellectual struggles and creative traditions as well as its possible new beginnings."--Arcadio D#xED;az-Qui#xF1;ones, Princeton University "A must read for all Caribbeanists and researchers in diasporic studies. Torres-Saillant has given us the most thorough, grounded, and judicious appreciation of the field we are ever likely to see. His historical and theoretical analysis provides a powerful vision for decision makers in immigration and economic policy."--A. James Arnold, University of Virginia; Editor, A History of Literature in the Caribbean.