Some Kind of Paradise: A Chronicle of Man and the Land in Florida - Hardcover

Derr, Mark

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 068807359X ISBN 13: 9780688073596

Publisher: William Morrow & Co, 1989

Synopsis

Traces the history of Florida, emphasizing the period between Reconstruction and the Depression, illuminating the environmental and social changes of our southernmost state

About this title

From the Back Cover:

For 500 years, visitors to Florida have discovered magic. In Some Kind of Paradise, an eloquent social and environmental history of the state, Mark Derr describes how this exotic land is fast becoming a victim of its own allure. Written with both tenderness and alarm, Derr's book presents competing views of Florida: a paradise to be protected and nurtured or a frontier to be exploited and conquered.

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow & Co
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 068807359X
• ISBN 13: 9780688073596
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416