Color, vitality, seductive landscapes, and dazzling blue seas—the essential ingredients of the graceful arc of islands distributed around the azure waters of the Caribbean Sea.

The variety and beauty of the islands of the Caribbean, celebrated here in Joan Tapper's commentaries and Nik Wheeler's breathtaking photography, have become bywords for the good life, as places to visit and places to live.

There is something for everyone here in the choice of islands. The larger ones—Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico—offer cities, resorts, beaches, leisure facilities, and lush interiors. Smaller islands, like Antigua and Martinique, have developed reputations as places for the discriminating visitor, offering fine dining and stylish night spots. And for those for whom "island" is synonymous with getting away from it all, there is every variety of small exclusive hideaway, from Mustique and Nevis to islands that are just bumps in the ocean.

The physical beauties of all these islands—pink, white, and golden sands stretching between the sea and the flowering landscapes—are all reflected in this book. But the author and photographer also convey a relaxed lifestyle: quaint harbors and winding streets, houses both grand and humble, elegant hotels, quirky bars and restaurants, open-air markets, cuisine, and art.

Whether looked at as a group or taken individually, these islands are truly paradise on earth, fully celebrated in this lovely book. Over 200 color photographs.