One of over 400 titles in the Insight series, Insight Guide Barbados. This 358-page book includes a section detailing Barbados' history, 14 features covering the island's life and culture, ranging from its colourful Crop Over festival to its famous flying fish, a region by region visitor's guide to the sights, and a comprehensive Travel Tips section packed with essential contact addresses and numbers. Plus 361 incredible photographs and 12 maps.
This guidebook focuses more strongly than many others on the history and culture of the island, rather than just listing "things to do." This made it interesting to read all the way through, even though it's a few years old.