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The popular Rookie Books expand their horizons - to all corners of the globe! With this series all about geography, emergent readers will take off on adventures to cities, nations, waterways, and habitats around the worldÂ…and right in their own backyards. ... Read more

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Florida has had many frontiers. Imagination, greed, missionary zeal, disease, war, and diplomacy have shaped its historical boundaries. Bodies of water, soils and their associated floral and faunal ecology, the patterns of Native American occupation, and ways of colonizing have defined where the various old and new world peoples who have invaded Florida since 1500 settled, and the degree to which each prospered as each built its own frontier upon the remains of its predecessors efforts. Paul E. Hoffman's important new history of colonial Florida tells the story of those frontiers and how the land and the people shaped them during the three centuries from 1565 to 1860. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fine overview
I have read a couple different books from this series on the Appalachian frontier; the work on Florida was probably the best so far. Hoffman's book covers the longest time period of any of the series, starting in 1513 with Ponce De Leon and ending on the eve of the Civil War. The work is a fine overview, especially on the evolving Florida native community. I learned much about Spanish Florida that was unfamiliar to me. While the coverage on the American period was disappointingly brief (two pages on the Seminole War), this allowed for equal coverage for a period of over three hundred years.One of the strongest features of the book was the detailed footnotes and bibliography. Recommended to anyone interested in Florida or the Spanish Frontier. To be supplemented by other works for the latter period.

Heavy on facts, light on story
This book is for the reader who enjoys a detailed and factual account of history. I enjoyed it, but found it tough reading. I came away with a much better understanding of the relationship between the European settlers and the natives. If you want to know about the first major and sustained contact between Europeans and native Northamericans, long before Plymoth Rock and Jamestown, then this is the book for you. ... Read more

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Based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration charts, this companion to the "Cruising Guide to Western Florida" contains color navigational charts pertaining to the area.Not only does it give cruisers information on where to drop anchor, but also what to do once they abandon their sea legs.The charts indicate the nearest restaurants, accomodations, historic sites, anchorages, marinas, and fueling stations--even in strange ports of call.

Covering ports from Carabelle to Flamingo, the nautical maps feature every destination listed in the companion guidebook, "Cruising Guide to Western Florida."With these two thorough references on hand, cruisers will be well informed in any circumstance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Coastal NOAA Charts for Cruising Guide to Western Florida
We have found the charts difficult to use because there is very little overview.Being unfamiliar with the waters, and planning a cruise, we would like a page that includes landmarks by name that would help guide us to the right chart.The zoom in charts are unclear, and there are not enough zooms that are logically arranged and easy to follow.We are used to using Richardson's and MapTech chart books and found this disappointing.

Of limited value
While useful for armchair sailing, it is no substitute for the appropriate charts.It's really an attempt to bridge the gap between a Rand McNally map and NOAA charts, which I guess it does, but it has no really good use on board.Buy the charts.

Only fair
While this collection does work with the author's cruising guide, it in no way replaces the need for the actual charts.I had hoped the author would have applied a consistent format in terms of depth coloring, lat/lon demarcation and Loran lines.All are variable from page to page.Compass roses are not consistently avaialable.The large scale chart showing the location of the individual pages is not clear and does not even show the first few pages at all.The volume I bought had 8 pages inverted, further adding to the difficulty. My advice is pass on this edition.

The best
One Word: AWESOME!!!When are you coming out with the East Florida edition??? ... Read more

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This handy book introduces motorists to a region and helps them explore its unique sights and places of interest. Inside, travelers will find "before-you-go" information, a general introduction to the region, route-planning maps, "must-see" sights, and do's and don'ts of driving. From Disney to Palm Beach, Tallahassee to St. Petersburg, take Driving Tours as your guide to seeing Florida by car. ... Read more

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The Gulf coast of Florida and Alabama is a fragile combination of barrier islands, low-lying marshes, and highly erodable mainland shores. In addition to sea-level rise, winter storms, and altered sediment supplies, hurricanes frequently damage or destroy the human developments and infrastructures that line this coast. Indeed, a single storm can cause billions of dollars in losses. Memories of such hurricanes as Camille, Frederic, Opal, and Andrew cause great concern for residents and property owners alike; events of equal magnitude are always just beyond the horizon and the uninformed have much to lose.

The authors of Living on the Edge of the Gulf seek to counteract potential loss by providing an illustrated introduction to coastal processes, a history of hazards for the region, and risk-reduction guidance in the form of site evaluations, community mitigation techniques, and storm-resistant construction practices. Risk maps that focus on individual coastal beaches are designed to assist property owners, community planners, and officials in prudent decision making, while a review of coastal regulations helps owners to understand and navigate various permit requirements.

This latest book in the Living with the Shore series replaces the earlier guide Living with the West Florida Shore and supplements the Alabama portion of Living with the Alabama/Mississippi Shore. ... Read more

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This volume offers the first detailed assessment of the Florida growth management experience, a system that has received only piecemeal attention from researchers despite its historical significance and its state-mandated comprehensive planning approach. Because Florida's approach is the most detailed system for managing growth in the US, one that embraces planners and planning in the day-to-day governance of all areas of the state, this book will be of great value to the planning profession as it offers an assessment of one of the most planning-affirmative policy approaches in the United States. With contributions from national experts on land use planning and growth management, this volume offers an assessment of the outcomes of the Florida's approach to managing growth. Over the course of the book, the strengths and weaknesses of the state's approach are identified, providing insights into how and when to manage land use change in a state continuously inundated by growth.In evaluating the successes and failures of the Florida approach, planners and policy makers throughout the United States will learn lessons about how and how not to implement growth management policies at both the state and local level. Overall, while the authors concur that growth management has had a positive impact on restricting growth in Florida, the economic, demographic, and political pressures for continued growth in Florida make it difficult to restrict growth in a way that has had a major impact on the state's natural and built environment-Florida continues to be a sprawling state that is rapidly expanding its urbanized areas even though growth management appears to have had an impact on limiting the spread of growth still further. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent scholarship and research - disappointing product
The book is obviously well researched and documents Florida's cutting edge growth management efforts quite well.
Unfortunately what might have been a useful and far more helpful tool is significantly diminished by the absence of photographs and microscopic charts and maps.At the 'academic' level pricing this book should have at the very least included a CD with the text to allow serious review of the data.
Good work that demands a much better presentation. ... Read more

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How much citrus fruit does Florida grow each year? What does Florida's topography look like? How many tourists visit the state of Florida annually? You can find the answers to these questions in this book, which contains all kinds of fun and fascinating fa

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Customer Reviews (5)

Cadillac Desert of the Panhandle
I spent most of my childhood between the neat rows of slash pines planted by the St. Joe paper company. You couldn't wander through a patch of woods that they didn't own. After over a decade away from the Florida Panhandle I wandered into a local bookstore and found this book. I had to buy it and it exceeded my expectations. Well researched, balanced and a great read.This is the Cadillac Desert of the Florida Panhandle.

mish mash
After reading these great reviews on Green Empire I decided to purchase the book and develop an understanding of the St Joe history.While the authors have an incredible amount of history and facts ammassed there did not seem to be a flow to the "story".Several instances of jumping around back and forth with facts made this more of a school book than an enjoyable read. Should you want facts this is great, a book to curl up with...no.

If you're interested in North Florida history and politics,
If you're interested in North Florida history and politics, then this is the best recent book on such matters.As a North Floridian and history fan for 33 years, even I learned a lot about such matters.Well written, researched and documented.

Extremely well written and balanced
As an investor in residential rental property primarily in Destin, Florida I wanted to learn about the explosive growth in the Panama City Beach area.My research led me to a web site of West Bay County's growth plans and the tremendous influence of St Joe on the entire area. I wanted to learn more and was delighted to see that the Green Empire had recently been published. The book is extremely well written, and provides a balanced approach in addressing the economic, environmental and political issues involved in developing this area. The book isa textbook on environmental planning, political processes and macro econonomic issues, but a real "page turner" as well.It is in part a detective story as well as a primer for those interested in learning more about and participating in the dynamic growth of this new Florida frontier.

Green Empire is a great read
The authors of Green Empire have done the people of the Florida Panhandle a great service. This thoughful and engaging book offers insights about one of Florida's most powerful companies--the St. Joe Company--and the way developers achieve their ends. The authors have clearly done their research. The book is filled with interesting facts about the history of thedevelopment of northwest Florida, beginning at the turn of the century. The book also provides a look at the influencial people--Alfred DuPont and Ed Ball, in particular--behind this development. Anyone who has witnessed an area's natural beauty give way to urbanization and development will appreciate the work the authors put into this book to shed light on how this happens. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. ... Read more

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The popular Rookie Books expand their horizons - to all corners of the globe! With this series all about geography, emergent readers will take off on adventures to cities, nations, waterways, and habitats around the world…and right in their own backyards. ... Read more

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Introduces the geography, history, environment, famous people, occupations, and culture of the Sunshine State. ... Read more

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Discusses Florida's early history beginning with the arrival of Native Americans, through the era of Spanish exploration and European settlement, to secession during the Civil War. ... Read more

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