Written by two of the Caribbean's leading historians, Liberties Lost is an essential book for students engaged in following courses on the history of the Caribbean. It will also be of interest to general readers seeking information on the history of the region. Starting with indigenous societies, Liberties Lost covers Europe's Caribbean project, European settlement and rivalry, the Transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans; sugar and slavery; African culture and community life; revolt and resistance and, finally, Caribbean emancipation.
Sir Hilary McDonald Beckles KA (born 11 August 1955) is a Barbadian historian, he is the current vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI) and chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Committee.
Educated at the University of Hull in England, Beckles began his academic career at UWI, and was granted a personal professorship at the age of 37, becoming the youngest in the university's history. He was named pro-vice-chancellor and chairman of UWI's Board for Undergraduate Studies in 1998, and in 2002 was named principal of the university's Cave Hill campus. Although his focus has mainly been on Afro-Caribbean history, especially the economic and social impacts of colonialism and the Atlantic slave trade, Beckles has also had a longstanding involvement with West Indian cricket, and has previously served on the board of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).