A SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY ON
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Selected and Annotated by
Pearl Eintou Springer M.Phil.
Director, National Heritage Library
November, 1998.


REF
WI
792.319
Ah

Ahye, Molly
   Golden Heritage: the Dance of Trinidad and Tobago.
          Port of Spain , Trinidad and Tobago:
                Moona Printers Ltd., 1978.

Dance is an integral part of the lifestyle of Trinidad and Tobago. One of the greatest exponents on the variety of dance forms executed in Trinidad and Tobago is Molly Ahye.
Liberally enhanced by photographs. REF
WI
920.072983
An

Anthony, Michael
    Heroes of The People of Trinidad and Tobago.
           Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Circle Press, 1986.

                                       Biographical data on thirty one (31) Trinidadians and non -Trinidadians who, in the estimation of
                                        the author, have made an important contribution to the development of Trinidad and Tobago.

REF
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972.983003
An


Anthony, Michael
       Historical Dictionary of Trinidad and Tobago.
              Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1997.

The book has a variety of entries under place names, proper names,
events and persons. Although called a historical dictionary, the
content is both current and retrospective.

REF
WI
394.250972983
An

Anthony, Michael
    Parade of the Carnivals of Trinidad 1839 –1989.
          Port of Spain, Trinidad: Circle Press, 1989.

                                        An An important chronology of the period of Carnival covered in the book. Full of facts, figures and
                                        useful information.
 

REF 
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307.760972983
An                                

Anthony, Michael
    Towns and Villages of Trinidad and Tobago.
            Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Circle Press, 1988.

                                        Spanning the historical as well as the present, this book examines approximately sixty (60) towns and
                                        villages. It includes maps of some of the more important ones.

 
REF
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427.972983
Ba

Baptiste, Rhona
        Trini Talk : a Dictionary of Words and Proverbs of Trinidad and Tobago.
                     Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Caribbean Information Systems & Services .1993.
Kamau Brathwaite, leading Caribbean poet and scholar has
described Caribbean speech as "Nation Languages"
This dictionary of words and proverbs contains a selection
from Trinidad’s rich language used in context so that users will
fully appreciate their meaning.
REF 
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595.7890972983
Ba

Barcant, Malcolm
      Butterflies of Trinidad and Tobago.
            London: Collins, 1970. Trinidad boasts six hundred and seventeen (6l7 ) indigenous species of butterflies, more it is generally believed, than any other country on earth. The book is illustrated with photographs by Noel Norton. It is a full study of the butterflies themselves, methods of collecting them, their collecting grounds, population and history.  

Ref   
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972.983
Be

Besson, Gerard
        The Book of Trinidad.           
                     Port-of-Spain : Paria Publishing, 1992.

                                      This book covers all the ethnic groups of Trinidad – Amerindians, Africans, East Indians and
                                      Europeans. It chronicles Trinidad’s history in microcosm, peeps into its sociology, economy and
                                      culture and profiles the individuals who have influenced its evolution. It includes illustrations.
 

Ref 
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370.78072983
Ca

Campbell, Carl
      Colony and Nation: a short history of education in Trinidad and Tobago
              Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle, 1992.

                                      This book traces the history of education in Trinidad and Tobago from the time of slave society to
                                      around 1986. It takes a special look at women and education under Eric Williams. It attempts not
                                      only to chronicle but also to offer assessments.


REF
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796.3580924
Co

Constantine, Learie
    Cricket and I.
         London, Philip Allan, 1933.

                                    Many people only know of Constantine as the greatest West  Indian all rounder ever. Few know the                                      politician, lawyer, statesman and activist. While this book about cricket, it gives an insight into the                                     multifaceted nature of this great Trinidadian.

  Ref  
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394.250972783
Co

  Cowley, John
           Carnival, Canboulay and Calypso : Traditions in the Making
                  Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

                                 A scholarly and well researched treatise of carnival and calypso
                                  Described in its blurb as a fascinating story in popular Cultural history.   Ref 
WI
917.298304
Do

  Doyle, Chris
          Cruising Guide to Trinidad and Tobago.
                 Florida: Chris Doyle Publishing, 1996.

                                   Trinidad and Tobago is more and more becoming known as a place for yachting enthusiasts. This
                                    book gives all the information which will be of assistance to yachties. There are also special color
                                    photographs of some of our most beautiful bays.

  REF
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598.2972983
Ff

Ffrench, Richard
      A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago.
                 London: Christopher Nelm,1991.
 
                                      The authoritative guide to birds in Trinidad and Tobago. Beautifully illustrated by John D. O’Neill
                                      and Don Eckelberry.   Ref 
Wi
305.8095409729
In

             In Celebration of 150 years of the Indian Contribution toTrinidad and Tobago.
                       Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Historical Publications Ltd, 1995.

                                   This book includes the Indian Centenary Review that looked at the Indian in Trinidad and Tobago
                                    from 1845-1945. This is referred to as Vol. II. The second Volume deals with 1945-1995.
                                    Impressively produced in vibrant colour, the production is a fitting tribute to the 150 years of The East
                                    Indian experience in Trinidad and Tobago. It includes information on Indians and Indian culture, place
                                    and personal names and their meanings as well as historical information.


REF
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394.2502983
Hi

Hill, Errol
      The Trinidad Carnival
            Errol Hill. New Beacon.1997.

                                   This is the first comprehensive work published on Carnival in all its facets. It is also the first attempt to
                                    place. Carnival within the context of the development of the Trinidad and Tobago personality.

  REF
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796.358
Ja

James. C.L.R
       Beyond a Boundary.
                 London: Hutchinson & Co., Ltd.,1963.

                                       Beyond a Boundary while being autobiographical also combines a socio-political treatise of the
                                        Trinidad of the time and the seminal role that cricket plays in the nuances of everyday life. James’
                                        wide and varied output ranges from the classic text of the Haitian Revolution- The Black
                                        Jacobins- to political thought, a novel, short stories and works of philosophy and literature.   REF 
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812.54
Jo

John, Errol
         Moon on a Rainbow Shawl.
                London. Faber and Faber Ltd, 1957.

                                    This play won the Observer Prize in 1957. Since then it has been performed in very many countries
                                    all over the world. While it is set in urban Trinidad and Tobago, its characters like those in all the best
                                    plays are international and immortal -Ephraim, the young ambitious but irresponsible youth, Mavis the
                                    prostitute with a heart of gold; Sophia the mother trying to keep her family together despite the
                                    dreariness of her surroundings.
                                    It has a warmth and power which makes most of our indigenous products look thin. Errol John writes
                                    with apparent simplicity, using speech rhythms, snatches of calypso, hymn texts and street airs to
                                    convey a lyrical complexity of experience.
   

REF   
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796.3580924
La

Lara, Brian
        Beating the Field: My Own Story.  
                London: Patridge Press, 1995.

                               This book documents the story of Trinidad and Tobago’s brilliant and controversial cricketing superstar.
                                Includes a foreword by Sir Gary Sobers. Beautifully illustrated in color.
 

REF
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Ma

Mahabir, Noor Kumar
       The Still Cry: personal accounts of East Indians in Trinidad and Tobago during indenturship, 1845-1917.                    Tacarigua, Trinidad and Tobago: Calaloux Publications, 1985.

This book is based on accounts by the indentured immigrants themselves. It documents in the words and language of the immigrants, their views of and relationships with the African. There is an important introduction by Selwyn Cudjoe.  


REF 
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972.983
Ma

Mavrogordato, Olga J
         Voices in the Street.
                     Port of Spain: Paria Publishing Co., 1996.

This valuable reference book, now in its second edition, was first published in1977. This republication by Paria Publishing Company is beautifully illustrated with photographs from the well respected Norton Studio. The book is strong on information about the historic sites around the Queen’s Park Savannah, especially the "Magnificent Seven". It gives a very brief account of the history of Trinidad and Tobago explored largely through places and memoirs of Trinidad’s upper classes.  


REF
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Nai

              Naparima Girls’ High School Diamond Jubilee 1912 – 1987. Trinidad and Tobago Recipes.                                                  Editors: Polly B. Indar, et al.

San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago: Naparima Girls’s High School, 1988. Trinidad and Tobago’s cuisine is internationally famed for its diversity as well as for excellent quality. This cookbook, produced by one of the nation’s top girls’ school is generally perceived to be an excellent representation of our twin island state’s culinary virtuosity.
  REF
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920
Na

              National Biography Handbook of Trinidad and Tobago.
                       Edited by Eric John Murray Port of Spain, The Author, 1996. Apart from the biographical entries the book contains corporate profiles, useful information on members of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and a list of Trinidad and Tobago’s foreign missions. REF
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333.00972983
Na

            The Natural Resources of Trinidad and Tobago.
                      Edited by St. G.C. Cooper and P. R. Bacon. London: Arnold, 1981. Trinidad and Tobago is rich in natural resources. This book outlines the country’s physical, biological and human resources.
Useful appendices are included. REF  
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394.250972983
No

Norton, Noel
          Noel Norton’s 20 Years of Trinidad’s Carnival.
                     Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Paria Publishing Co. 1990. Largely pictorial with a brief written account of the history and development of the Trinidad Carnival. Beautiful colour photographs from one of Trinidad and Tobago’s greatest photographers.
 


REF  
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784.4972983
Ro

Rohlehr, Gordon
       Calypso and Society in Pre-Independence Trinidad.
               Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Gordon Rohlehr, 1990.
 

A scholarly work on Calypso with a valuable listing of bibliographical and oral sources, An index of Calypsonians and Calypsoes mentioned in the work traces the history and development of calypso.


REF 
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574.526230972983
Ru

Rudder, Joy
        Our Native Land.
                 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: UNEP, 1991.

This book is a very detailed study of global environmental concerns and its relevance to Trinidad and Tobago. Among the critical issues discussed are – the exploitation of wildlife, water pollution and environmental accountability. REF  
WI
972.983
Ry

Ryan, Selwyn
         Race and Nationalism in Trinidad and Tobago.
                    Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972. The book focuses on Trinidad’s political history from 1919 to the present and examines some of the problems with which it has been confronted since independence.

REF 
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427.972983
Th

Thomas, J.J.
        The Theory and Practice of Creole Grammar.
                 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: New Beacon Bus Ltd., 1869.
 

This work was first published in 1969. This is amazing since the interest in "Nation Language" has only excited widespread academic interest in the last few decades. The author, the son of freed slaves was proficient in several languages. Thomas is better known, though, for a book entitled Froudacity - a spiritual attack on an English historian’s racist evaluation in a work entitled The English in the West Indies REF 
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Tr

              Trinidad and Tobago Through The Eye of the Artist From Cazabon to the Millenium 1813-2000                         Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Independence Cultural Committee, 1988. book catalogues in brilliant colour the work of some of Trinidad and Tobago’s finest artists. It also includes a series of analytical review articles by some of the experts in the field. REF  
WI
320.9
Tr

      Trinidad and Tobago: The Independence Experience 1962-1987.
               Edited by Selwyn Ryan with the assistance of Gloria Gordon.
                       St. Augustine, Trinidad: University of the West Indies, Institute of Social and Economic Research, 1998.   The book spans a wide series of social science areas – politics, banking, economic, race relations, education culture and the law. It is divided into various chapters, each written by an expert in the field.
  REF
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Wa

Warner-Lewis, Maureen
         Guinea’s Other Suns
                    Dover, Masachusetts, The Majority Press, 1991. The book boasts a valuable foreword by Professor Rex Nettleford. It is a seminal text in the documentation of not only the Africans in Trinidad and Tobago society, but more specifically of The Orisa religion and the Yoruba in Trinidad and Tobago.It examines Yoruba chants and their translation into English and the African elements in the Trinidad and Tobago "Nation Language". Professor Lewis is one of the most important scholars to research and document the African in Trinidad and Tobago, especially in the context of the most widespread traditional African Religion, Orisa. REF  
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Wi

Williams, Eric
        History of The People of Trinidad and Tobago.
                  Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: PNM Publishing Co., Ltd., 1962.   This history of Trinidad and Tobago covers the period from The Amerindians to Independence. His conclusion provides an interesting insight into the vision of the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago for its development in the post colonial era.

REF
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972
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Williams, Eric
          Capitalism and Slavery.
                     New York: Russell and Russell, 196l

The acknowledged father of the nation of Trinidad and Tobago has also left a reputation as a towering Caribbean intellectual of his time. This seminal work has been part of the necessary rewriting of Caribbean history by Caribbean scholars. In it, Williams gives an economic study of the role of African Slavery and the Slave Trade. Williams describes it as first a study in English economic history and second in West Indian history and in particular the history of the African In the Caribbean. It is credited with debunking the myth, that Emancipation was solely the result of the efforts of the anti slavery movement, and a quickening of conscience, but rather was rooted in the economic reality of the time. REF
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972.98303
Wo

Wood, Donald
        Trinidad in Transition: The Years After Slavery.
                London: Oxford University Press, 1986. This book is an excellent analysis of the formation of the multi racial, multi ethnic society that is Trinidad and Tobago.It also documents some of the important social issues and Attitudes of the period under review, 1838-1870. It is an Important work as an attempt to understand the society as it exists today.


REF
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972.983
Wo

Woodcock, Henry Iles
         A History of Tobago.
                 London: Frank Cass & Co. Ltd., 1971.

First published in 1867, this history of Tobago was written by Woodcock, who came to Tobago as Chief Justice of the Island.

REF
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574.972983
Wo

Worth, C. Brooke
           A Naturalist in Trinidad.
                   Philadelphia. J.B. Lippincott Company, 1967.

An important book on the environment in Trinidad and Tobago. Has valuable information on the Nariva Swamp and Bush Bush Island. The author worked for years at the Trinidad Regional Laboratory .Out of that sojourn has come an interestingly written anecdotal look at some of our birds, animals, even our trees. Includes interesting comments on the human animals who inhabit the space.

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Lovelace, Earl
         Salt.
                  Faber and Faber Ltd.,1996.  

This short story writer, novelist and playwright from Trinidad and Tobago has emerged as one of the region’s great novelists of the latter part of the century. "Salt" which won the Commonwealth prize for the best novel in 1996 has been described as a "triumphant, vibrant novel peopled by enduring and embattled women and men striving with passion and wit to make sense of the intimacies and the contradictions of their lives in the still young country of Trinidad, where the roles of enslaved and landowner linger, yet where the sky , the sea, every green leaf and tangle of vine sing freedom". Ref
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Nai

Naipaul, Vidiadhar
        A House of Mr. Biswas
                    London : Andre Deutsch, 1961. Naipaul’s name has been on every list of excellent novelists writing in the English language.. A House for Mr. Biswas is a classic work which provides an intimate and incisive look at Hindu life in Trinidad and Tobago. REF
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Sel

Selvon, Samuel
        A Brighter Sun.
                London: Allan Wingate, 1952. Selvon is the master of the Trinidad and Tobago "Nation Language". His characterizations are beautiful. A Brighter Sun documents the struggles of a young indian man trying to forge a life on his own with his young wife in the 1940.His interactions with the African couple next door, Joe and Rita provide many insights into different cultures and the possibilities of racial confusion. Sookdeo the gardener is one of the most unforgettable characters of Caribbean Literature.

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