The True History of Cozumel

The True History of Cozumel is an impeccably researched, iconoclastic account of the island’s past that offers the reader accurate, detailed information that often disproves the dross masquerading as history found in tourist guide books, websites, and the like. By combing governmental archives, privately-held rare documents, and university microfilm collections, Hajovsky is able to explain through the presentation of first-hand accounts just how interesting Cozumel’s history turns out to be. Chapters in the book run the gamut from: Pirates’ testimony obtained through torture in the cells of the Holy Inquisition; The near annexation of Cozumel by the Republic of Texas in 1837; The role of Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry in the resettlement of the island in 1848; Abraham Lincoln’s attempt to buy Cozumel and use it as a colony to house freed, black slaves; The original “Indiana Jones” and his search for German spies on the island in WWI; General López de Santa Ana’s role in developing the chewing gum fad that brought the island riches; To talking crosses, one-armed Christ statues, parrot-eating boas, and cannibalistic islanders.