The French-speaking islands of Martinique, Guadaloupe, Marie-Galante and Saint Martin exist in two worlds; they are both French but also very much Caribbean. Politically provinces of France, they are not merely colonial relics of their mother country's past, but vital parts of France today. Nevertheless, they breathe with a Creole style of life all their own. This lavishly illustrated volume offers a view of these islands unseen by most visitors, the opulent world of the French Creole aristocracy of the colonial period, which has continued to influence French Island taste and cultural life to this day. Emphasising the palatial homes and elegant furnishings of the island's enormously rich sugar, cotton and tobacco barons, "French Island Elegance" relates the social, cultural, architectural and interior design history of these islands. With an engaging text and gorgeous photographs taken especially for this book, "French Island Elegance" is a fresh perspective on an intriguing and beautiful part of the world.