Timing is everything, and it is noteworthy that our illustrious Attorney General, John McKendrick, Q.C., accepted his Anguilla post within days of publishing his first book. As suggested by his surname “McKendrick”, one might presume that the AG originated from Scotland. As reflected throughout this book, his heritage and interests clearly include: Highlanders, far, near and historic.
“Darien: A Journey in Search of Empire” is in large part a dynamic Caribbean story due to the location of historic Darien in the Isthmus of Panama, once known as (however mostly forgotten) as, “The Isthmus of Darien”: the site chosen by the Scots who banded together to leverage their national treasure in search of an empire in the late 1600s.
The book intertwines the AG’s firsthand, modern-day visits along the trail of early colonialists hoping to establish an empire yet often meeting peril, bankruptcy and death. Sharing his journey using the jaunty style of a Scotsman that has been to many places and seen uncommon things, the AG risked life and limb tracing the footprints of his adventuresome ancestors through the jungles of Panama – and parts of both high- and lowbrow America.
Wholeheartedly well-written and entertaining, the story chronicles numerous circumstances that inspired the AG to pray somberly. He also stumbled into culturally curious situations that included discovering a copy of “The Da Vinci Code” in a remote jungle village in Panama where no one spoke English or Spanish.
The book is also timely, as it examines the history immediately before the “Act of Union” when Scotland joined England in the formation of Great Britai
n; whereas, today the UK is on the precipice of Brexit, and Scotland has expressed a collective desire to remain in the European Union.
In conclusion, this engaging, swashbuckling quest is highly recommended as a tale exploring the early days of Great Britain in a modern Caribbean and American context. It is available from Amazon with immediate access on Kindle and in hardback for easy delivery through Home Shopping or direct to Anguilla.
