Check out some books that talk about Jamaica and its beautiful and mysterious past, including pirates and piracy.

Read these books before your trip to Jamaica to not only get you excited about your trip, but to get your feet wet in Jamaican history, life, and culture! If you cannot travel right now a book is the best way to travel virtually and evade reality, just like music. If you can’t reach the bookstore you can order the digital version of the title and download it immediately or get the paper back copy sent to you. Click on the image to get the books.

We read and reviews several different books centered around the beautiful island, that keeps giving the world the blessings of Reggae Music, and many other things.

First of all if you think to visit Jamrock, don’t do it all alone, Get the best guide on the topic. We suggest you The Rough Guide to Jamaica available in paperback or digital format.

The Rough Guide to Jamaica

Discover the Caribbean island nation with the most incisive and entertaining guidebook on the market.

This guide covers a visit to Trench Town to walk in Bob Marley’s footsteps, cover the white sand coves and cascading waterfalls and even where to get the best jerk chicken from a roadside stall, and much more.

The Rough Guide to Jamaica will show you the ideal places to sleep, eat, drink, shop and visit along the way. This travel guide has in-depth practical advice for every step of the way.

Areas covered include: Kingston, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Negril, The Blue Mountains, Port Royal, Cockpit Country, Port Antonio, Treasure Beach, Portland, Bluefields Bay.

Attractions include: Dunn’s River waterfall, Blue Lagoon, Trench Town Culture Yard, Peter Tosh Museum, National Gallery, Appleton Estate, Rio Grande, Luminous Lagoon.

The Story Of The Jamaican People

Written by professors at the West Indies University The Story Of The Jamaican People is really an interesting book where  the central theme is the long struggle of the African-Jamaican against  injustice, economic deprivation and the fight for full freedom.

Authors  Sherlock and Bennett recount the epic resistance to slavery; from the acts of sabotage on the estates, the legendary exploits of Maroon heroes Cudjoe, Nanny and Tacky, to the final blow delivered by Sam Sharpe which ended slavery in Jamaica.  Although the focus of the story is on African-Jamaican, the authors recognize the significant role played by other ethnic groups – East Indians, Chinese, Lebanese, Syrians and Jews – in the development of modern Jamaica. A must read. Paperback only.

Apocalipse 1692

Interested in Jamaican’s history and pirates stories? This book tells the story of legendary Port Royale, headquarter of pirates and privateers in Jamaica. 

From the tales of everyday life in the plantations, from the adventures of former-pirates-turned-treasure-hunters to the debauchery of Port Royal, Apocalypse 1692 exposes the lives of the individuals who made late seventeenth-century Jamaica the most financially successful, brutal, and scandalously corrupt of all of England’s nascent American colonies.

Utilizing little-known first-hand accounts this book tells the true story of sunken Prot Royale.

The Arawak: The History and Legacy of the Indigenous Natives in South America and the Caribbean

The Arawak: The History and Legacy of the Indigenous Natives in South America and the Caribbean examines the culture and history of the indigenous groups, the first inhabitants of Jamaica and what happened when they came into contact with the Europeans and Columbus and the atrocities and exploitation against them.

Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Arawak like never before.

Bob Marley And The Golden Age Of Reggae

Many books have been written about Bob Marley’s story.

This is a book that goes back to the seventies.

This is a photo book on the Golden Age of reggae music. From Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Toots Hibbert, Burning Spear, Jacob Miller, Third World, Lee “Scratch” Perry and, of course, Bob Marley and it features never-before-seen performance shots, candid behind-the-scenes footage of Bob’s home in Jamaica, and exclusive records of key moments in reggae history, such as Bob’s first US television appearance, the historical Dream Concert with Stevie Wonder in Jamaica, and Bob meeting George Harrison backstage at the Roxy in 1975. 

Catch A Fire The Life Of Bob Marley

This is a classic biography of the legendary reggae prophet. This book had several editions , and has been updated with all the latest news regarding Bob’s life and death.

The fourth and last edition of the book includes Marley’s legacy in recent years, as well as the ongoing controversy over the possibility that Marley’s remains might be exhumed from Nine Mile, Jamaica, and reburied in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,

The Dead Yard

This book won the prize of Dolman’s Travel Book Of The Year, written in 2011, this book tries to paint a portrait of modern day Jamaica, aside from postcard picture of white sands and beautiful coast line and beaches.

While most of the books on Jamaica focus on that description, this book centers more on negative aspects of the life on Jamrock detailing stories of drugs, gangs, violence and corruptions in some slums and parish in the modern days. Crude but real.

Dancehall: The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture

This book portrays and documents the history and rise of dancehall culture in Jamaica during the eighties and comes with incredible original photos and long text descriptions diving into Jamaican dancehall culture and how it impacts every aspect of the live on the island.

From its roots in Kingston in the 1950s to its heyday in the 1980s, Dancehall has conquered the globe, spreading to the USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Europe and beyond.

Rebel Frequency: Jamaica’s Reggae Revival (Reggae Chronicles)

Rebel Frequency is the first volume in the author’s Reggae Chronicles series. It’s also the first collection of writing about the re-emergence of roots reggae music in post-Millennium Jamaica – a cultural shift known as the Reggae Revival that’s brought leading figures such as Protoje and Chronixx widespread acclaim, whilst reinstating reggae’s reputation as the world’s favorite protest music.

Fascinating and comprehensive account of today’s Jamaican music scene, as told by its major contributors

The Voice of the Jamaican Ghetto

Co written by Vybz Kartel in person and Michael Dawson this book should be read by every Jamaican and any person who is interested in the real Jamaica.

Kartel is not just a dancehall artist, he is also an author and his book has been a long time best seller in the Caribbean‘s and the rest of the world. In each chapter of his book Kartel analyzes the contradictions of Jamaican society via the lyrics of some of his most pungent social commentary songs. A must have for all the real Kartel’s fans and Gaza Nation fans.

real deal