THE Bahamas’ first megastar, a high-priced lawyer who donates his expertise to human rights and environmental causes and how the Cold War of the 1970s helped to grow The Bahamas’ financial services sector are just some of the stories in the 2016 Bahamas Handbook which arrived in bookstores last week.

Published by Etienne Dupuch Jr Publications for more than 50 years, the 2016 edition offers an exciting lineup of articles, beautiful photography and a reliable compendium of facts and figures on everything you ever wanted to know about The Bahamas.

Readers will discover an all-but-forgotten megastar of yesteryear - Bahamian-born Bert Williams - who withstood harsh racism to become one of America’s most beloved entertainers; the irrepressible Maureen Duvalier, “Bahama Mama,” who paved the way for women to perform in Junkanoo; and Fred Smith, QC, the well-known Grand Bahama lawyer who is also a passionate social activist.

They will learn about how The Bahamas is breaking into the big time hosting international sporting events and what high-tech innovations, such as virtual reality gear and 3D printing, could mean to Bahamians living in far flung islands.

Business people will be interested in what banks and other firms are doing to thwart Internet criminals and protect their clients’ personal information and how the Cold War of the 1970s benefitted The Bahamas financial services sector.

Also featured in this year’s Handbook are a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who turned Salt Cay, now Blue Lagoon Island, into a famous hideaway; a Jamaican hotelier and businessman who brought a special brand of all- inclusive holidays to The Bahamas; why and how Sir Stafford Sands convinced a reluctant colony 60 years ago to switch from British pounds to Bahamian dollars on par with US dollars; how a British prep school, including many of its students, was moved out of harms’ way in England to the peaceful Bahamas during the Second World War; how vacationers are enjoying a glorious Bahamian bareboating holiday living aboard and self-sailing a rented yacht; and surprising new information about the intriguing 14th century French cloister that overlooks Nassau Harbour from Paradise Island.

The Handbook’s renowned Blue Pages section is a trove of useful information, assembled in an easy-to-use alphabetical format - everything you ever wanted to know about The Bahamas, ranging from agriculture, boating and climate to voting, wildlife and zoos. The most important news events of 2015 are listed in the popular Year in Review.

The Government Section is a rundown on how the country’s parliamentary democracy works, including the role of the Governor General, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, and the Leader of the Opposition. Members of Parliament, senators, top civil servants and diplomats are all listed.

Etienne Dupuch Jr Publications has been in operation since the 1950s and the Handbook has been published continuously since 1960. It is a must-read for anyone who lives, works, visits, studies or invests in The Bahamas. The company also publishes the semi-annual Bahamas Investor and three twice-a-year booklets: What To Do (Nassau and Freeport) and the Dining and Entertainment Guide. Among its nine publications are a Spanish edition of the What To Do Nassau, maps for New Providence and Grand Bahama, and two editions of the Welcome Book, a glossy coffee-table hardback.