Identity and Secession in the Caribbean: Tobago versus Trinidad, 1889-1980

Luke's book provides important details on the saga of the union and the circumstances around which the relationship was forged, which can inform the very important process of constitutional changes that are currently under consideration. By its focus on the experiences of one of the smaller Caribbean islands, it serves to reduce the generalized perception of historical uniformity in the region. In particular, he identifies the bitter pill of union and its backlash, and the poor relations of the people of the two islands, as the factors which provided the context for the development of the "we/they" antipathies, the essential ingredient in the identityformation process in Tobago.