The late Michael Norman Manley, twice Prime Minister of Jamaica, son of National Hero Norman Manley and vital force behind the Non-Aligned Movement in the 1970's, did a great service to the West Indies and the game of cricket when he wrote this monumental work in the 1980's.This is not to say the _History of West Indian Cricket_ is not without flaws -- like the man himself, the book is not perfect. In fact, spotting errata in the first edition became a regional obsession for Windies cricket fans. Happily, many errors in fact have been corrected in this 1995 update.
There were also rumors spread in West Indian circles that Manley was not even the author of the volume, but relied on his then-aide, O.K. Melhado, to draft the text. Since Manley has passed on, it seems unfair that these rumors persist -- but I might note that Melhado has consistently denied the rumors and insisted that Michael Manley was the one and only author of this book.
It stands as a testament to Michael Manley's love for his country, his region, and the great game of cricket.
