An international lawyer and syndicated columnist based in Washington, DC, Hall hails originally from the Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas and many of his insightful, incisive and sometimes laugh-out-loud-witty commentaries provide a unique Caribbean perspective to today's important events and issues.

This selection from 2005, written with Hall's customary clarity of thought and expression, and piercing humor, represents a valuable and entertaining look back at some of last year's more noteworthy topics.

The events straddle the globe, starting in February with alarm over further sabre rattling in the Middle-East by the administration of President George W Bush, and ending in December with a spirited call for protests against the number of political dissidents still detained as prisoners in many parts of the world by leaders who pay lip service to democracy.

In between, Hall tackles subjects such as the worsening relations between the US and Latin American governments as left-leaning and fiercely independent Presidents are elected in democratic processes; the troubling revelation that President Bush authorized tapping of communications by US citizens; and condemnation of African leaders who, as he puts it, “feel entitled to abuse their subjects with impunity just as the British did during their colonial rule”.

No sacred cow, or personality, be they celebrity, royalty or politician, is safe from Hall’s iconoclastic pen, and the knowledge and authority with which he covers a range of topics is truly impressive.

The fact that readers of these commentaries may not agree with all that Hall says, in no way diminishes their value as well-written and well-considered pieces.

Altogether, this volume is a collection of entertaining opinions -- courageously expressed -- on events in 2005 that caught the attention of millions of people world wide. 

Highly recommended.

The IPINIONS Journal: 2005 Year in Review may be ordered online at http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-67663-4 in both hard- and soft-cover, as well as in eBook format. Copies will be available at Amazon.com, Bordersstores.com and BarnesandNoble.com as of 1 June 2006.