This is the first comprehensive history of Antigua to be written since the middle of the 19th century. It tells the story of the island from the earliest human settlement, through nearly 500 years of often disputed European possession, to the achievement of independence in 1981. In examining the intriguing and often haunting history of the island's inhabitants it allows the reader a genuine understanding of the pride that modern Antiguans are now able to take in the country their forefathers overcame so much to bring into being, and this book will appeal to resident and visitor alike.