The Adventures of a Tropical Tramp, first published in 1922, is the first of several travel narratives by Harry La Tourette Foster (1894-1932), a World War One veteran who, seized by wanderlust, would spend much of his adult life traveling and working first in South America (the subject of this book), and later in Asia, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. While in South America, Foster recounts his experiences as a miner, reporter, war correspondent, diplomatic attaché, guide, companion, and piano player, ending with an extended voyage down the Amazon and its tributaries. His writing vividly - and often humorously - portrays the people he met, the local culture, and his desire for new adventures. Included are 4 pages of photographs.

Unpacked offers a critical, novel perspective on the Caribbean's now taken-for-granted desirability as a tourist's paradise. Dreams of a tropical vacation have become a quintessential aspect of the modern Caribbean, as millions of tourists travel to the region and spend extravagantly to pursue vacation fantasies. At the beginning of the twentieth century, however, travelers from North America and Europe thought of the Caribbean as diseased, dangerous, and, according to many observers, "the white man's graveyard." How then did a trip to the Caribbean become a supposedly fun and safe experience? Unpacked examines the historical roots of the region's tourism industry by following a well-traveled sea route linking the US East Coast with the island of Cuba and the Isthmus of Panama. Blake C. Scott describes how the cultural and material history of US imperialism became the heart of modern Caribbean tourism. In addition, he explores how advances in tropical medicine, perceptions of the tropical environment, and development of infrastructure and transportation networks opened a new playground for visitors.