The title of this book is "Cruising In The West Indies", written by Anson Phelps Stokes in 1902, and this is the second edition published in 1903. The book is a travelogue written by Stokes in 1902. It provides an in-depth account of his travels in the West Indies, covering the islands of Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, among others. He describes the people, customs, and natural beauty of the region, as well as the history of the islands, their colonial past and the impact of slavery, and he adds practical advice for travelers, such as recommendations for accommodations, transportation, and sightseeing, but that would have been well over a hundred years ago. The book includes illustrations and photographs, and overall, it's a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history and culture of the Caribbean. The book has linen cloth boards with gilt lettering on the spine and front covers, blank endpapers, the half-title, the title page says it was published in New York by Dodd Mead, a motion to the New York Yacht Club to come up with a committee to have a squadron cruise in the West Indies next summer, then 93 pages of text, a two-page List of Books about the West Indies, a Plan and Record for people to fill out for a 112-day cruise - who has that much time to spare? - an Index that runs from 117 to page 126, a chapter titled "Cruising In The Caribbean With A Camera", and finally the chapter on a "Globular Naval Battery", which was designed and patented by Stokes and supposed to be a system of harbor or coastal defense in times of war. The book has deckled edges and an onion-skin wrapper. Stokes (1838 - 1913) was a wealthy American merchant, property developer, banker, and philanthropist who also had a keen interest in yachting. He owned three yachts and was twice elected vice commodore of the New York Yacht Club; he was involved with efforts to standardize the rules used in international yacht racing, and his interests extended to naval warfare. He designed a warship, referred to as a globular naval battery, that was a floating fortress and supposed to be used along the coastlines and in harbor defenses, but it had flaws: the fifteen-inch guns were mounted in a fixed position and couldn't swivel, which was a disaster for anyone trying to defend a position along the country's shores - the ship had to be turned in order for the guns to be aimed, and that was time-consuming and awkward - did you want to turn your ship every time you were being attacked, or did you want to turn the guns and be able to fire back at the enemy pretty quickly? The floating battery was supposed to be impregnable, but it was so heavy and impractical for warfare that the Navy department rejected Stokes' idea. Stokes made changes in the design, but the US Navy still decided not to build one - the fortress was unmanageable and not what the doctor ordered for protecting harbors and coastlines and the American people. A good idea, but poor execution. The book measures 8 1/8 x 5 1/2 in. wide, with a tight binding and clean pages and text, light toning on the spine and the bottom of the front cover, dampstains on some pages, the onion-skin wrapper has chips, and still quite the book for yachting enthusiasts and people interested in naval warfare who want to think outside the box - a valuable lesson for people who can see only one way of doing things and not learning from the past. #152 #1610