Derr presents the most comprehensive portrait ever of past and present Florida, vividly describing its vanishing wildlife and its peculiar yet beautiful geography. 40 black-and-white photos.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Ambitious, comprehensive and generally successful, Derr's study of the country's most-visited state combines ecological, demographic, economic information with political and cultural history. In his account of the area's exploration, colonization and development, the author also portrays the developers, migrants and foreign laborers who shaped the state, primarily for the benefit of winter residents, retirees and tourists. Chief among the 19th-century entrepreneurs were friends and rivals Henry Plant and Henry Flagler, master builders of cities and resorts, whose vast rail systems opened up the peninsula and fostered exploitation of all kinds, including plantation slavery. The panoramic narrative is animated by anecdotes, novel details and flavorful images of Florida's motley settlers. Freelance writer Derr cautions that the outcome of the current war between developers and environmentalists will depend on "controlled" growth and wise administration of the state's resources. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Derr's attempt to write an environmental history of Florida falls short. While he describes the state's varied geography and how people have affected it, he concentrates heavily on the east and southwest coasts and the Everglades with scant mention of north Florida and the Panhandle. Derr consistently ignores north Florida in his discussion of areas ranging from land use--conservation parks, tobacco farms, and quail plantations--to race riots. Four chapters on the history of Florida, from discovery and exploration to Reconstruction, disrupt the rhythm of his narrative and provide no ecological tie-ins. In addition to relying on standard, often outdated, books and ignoring other seminal works, Derr's footnoting is inconsistent. Only for comprehensive collections of Florida history.
- Susan Hamburger, Virginia State Lib. & Archives, Richmond
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- Susan Hamburger, Virginia State Lib. & Archives, Richmond
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling reading,
This review is from: Some Kind of Paradise: A Chronicle of Man and the Land in Florida (Florida Sand Dollar Books) (Paperback)
While I agree this book pays scant attention to north Florida and perhaps disappoints some scholars, I found it to be very well-written and packed with "story" that a million split hairs and footnotes would have obscured. I agree, the older history inserted close to the end of the book is distracting. One wonders why it wasn't woven in at the beginning. I read and appreciated it, but if you don't want to take that step back, just skip ahead.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Floridian Must Have,
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This review is from: Some Kind of Paradise: A Chronicle of Man and the Land in Florida (Florida Sand Dollar Books) (Paperback)
If you are a Floridian, this is one for you. Professor reserved it in our campus library for research, I was so taken with it I immediately came home looking for a copy. Glad to have found one.
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