Perhaps its because I didn't go just for a week to pick up a consignment of drugs and then get banged up for abusing the laws of the country, I have a very different view of Barbados.

Oh, and I'm not a Bajan (Barbadian), by the way. However, I (a Brit) was married to a Bajan and spent an month there staying with her brother. Perhaps I got a more balanced view of the island and its people. Warm and friendly and green for the most part.

However, contrary to the general image of the West Indies, Barbados is a conservative (small c) society where for most people even smoking marijuana is looked down on. I'd have been kicked out of my brother-in-law's house if I'd lit up a spliff and that applies to most homes.

Interestingly, while at the end of the book, Donaldson witters on about "blacks" and "whites" (insulting simplification) and likes to view himself as "understanding black people", he should check out the Ecky Beckies.

The Ecky Beckies are the poor whites of the island - mostly descended from indentured white slaves sent to work in the sugar cane plantations. These people are generally looked down on by everyone else, which just shows that simplistic accusations of racism are often misleading.

As he didn't spend much time there out of jail, he may have a slightly twisted view of things!

The first part of the book comprises endless stories of "getting high" or "coming down" which does demonstrate how boring addiction is, if nothing else.

At the end of the book, Donaldson makes the usual assertions of getting clean and wanting to help others, but it all seems a bit presumptuous and arrogant.

He slags off AA after attending only one meeting - and admits that he didn't want to give up the booze anyway!

He also slags off NA - the one for druggies - after a similarly short look-in, preferring to do it his own way - which according to the book he's already tried countless times!

It reminds me of the old joke. "of course, I can give it up. I've done it hundreds of times!"

Good luck to you, Mr Donaldson. But try spending more time in countries and organisations before you rubbish them - you should visit Barbados again, but this time buy your own ticket and don't get yourself banged up for abusing their hospitality!