"Living in Venice"..."Majorca,the Art of Living"..."Caribbean Style"...The list could go on & on. These books are all invaluable aids as introductions to islandstyle. And worthy of coffee table status. They are able to turn the heartiest mainlander into an island dreamer (if not traveler).
In this genre, there's a style book about St. Barth that we want you know about. It's not as readily available like so many others. Called "St. Barth, French West Indies," the 1997 book has chapters on all the different neighborhoods on the island and is visually attractive.
Authors Christine & Charles Didcott lived full time on St. Barth to write & take photographs for the book. You can tell how much they love St. Barth. With both English & French copy, and enough island history as a background, the text is informative though minimal. Style books, after all, rely on their photographs to carry the message & put you in the mood.
That's where the book comes up short. The photos aren't as good as we would have liked them to be. And the choice of the subject matter to convey the island wouldn't always be our choice.
But in all fairness, don't forget the book was published in 1997. Some of St. Barth's personality has changed a lot since the photos were taken. And more importantly, it was published by a small company, Concept Publishing, and printed in China. Hardly a Rizzoli or Stewart/Tabori effort. The whole quality of the book seems like an "economical" publication. And the photos, even though some are really great, unfortunately reflect this.
All that said...buy the book! www.A1books.com It helps orient you to this wonderful island. Especially if you don't know anything about it. And you feel the "labour of love" put into it by its authors. Besides, it's the only book of its kind about St. Barth to grace your coffee table. And if you're an islandstylebook junkie, like we are, you have to have it!