Florida Books

Objectively chronicling one of the most affluent zip codes in America per capita, this eponymous book by South Florida's foremost historian is the only history extant. Once again Bramson has rescued "the old Florida" story from oblivion. The photographs, several from the author's nonpareil personal collection, are a lagniappe. This book is up to the author's past high standards for accuracy and readibility. Once again, Bramson scores a solid 5 stars.

SETH DID A TREMENDOUS JOB OF SERVING UP THE HISTORY AND FLAVOR OF FOUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES.

This book is a terrific guide to the real Florida. The directions (both to the trailheads and on the trails) are easy to follow and accurate. The descriptions include interesting bits about flora, fauna, and geography as well as the occasional snippet of Florida history. It's an outstanding book for someone wondering how to get into the woods in central Florida; even those who hike central Florida regularly will find some new gems to explore. This is a great guidebook!

This is a hiking guide that has it all. Not only does it give clear directions on how to find the trails and precise information such as length and degree of difficulty, it includes lyrical narratives of the beautiful and interesting sights you will see as you hike.
For those who think of Central Florida as a land of theme parks and T-shirt shops, this book will open their eyes to the natural beauty that still exists, just minutes away from the tourist attractions.

Al-Ashmawy begins by explaining how the Ancient Egyptian religion was essentially monotheistic (even before Akhenaten) though there were many aspects of God. An Egyptian religious text that he quoted sounded almost exactly like it could have been an Islamic writing. He then goes on with a long list of similarities between the Ancient Egyptian religion, Judaism, and Christianity. His purpose in this discussion is to point out that since all these religions have a common thread these religions should be able to peacefully coexist. "One religion, many paths." It not a true Islamic belief to reject everyone that is not of the same exact faith, even though over the millennia religion has been one of the greatest causes for war and schism.

Muhammad Said Al-Ashmawy is a former chief justice at the high court at Cairo. Even though I'm sure that some would attack his views as "modernist", he is a true Muslim and extensively cites the Qur'an to justify what he is saying.

After going of the basics of Islamic history, he calls for the politics of a land to be more or less separated from the religion. There should be a civil code based on the religion and with the politics working within this code. Just because the Umma was controlled by the Caliphate in history does not mean it is the only kind of Islamic government. He shows that the Qur'an does not prohibit democracy. This is how he describes a government that will serve Islam: "This government will care about education, culture, science, art, history, literature and civilization. It will encourage cooperation, understanding, planning, constructive labor and self-sacrifice. It will understand Islam as mercy rather than a sword, amity rather than enmity. It will offer Islam to all humankind as a way to God, a method for progress and a path for mercy. This the new and true Islamic government."

In the third portion of the book Al-Ashmawi goes into detail on specific laws that the Qur'an provides. He mentions repeatedly that Shari'a means "path, method, or way" and that what is called Islamic Law today is something that evolved out of Islamic jurisprudence. There are only four ayahs in the Qur'an prescribing particular punishments for crimes. He goes through and explains all the basic legal tenets and their stipulations for being used (punishments, zakat, hijab, jihad, etc). He is not trying to change the Qur'an, only to look at it from a 20th century perspective instead of a 7th century perspective. He willingly admits that not all that was done in Islamic history was perfectly done, and that the key to the future is not necessarily to look to the past. In a very well written conclusion he explains the difference between fanatical, extremist, militant beliefs and the liberal, intellectual, enlightened approach.

"This movement believes that everyone has the right to free speech and to express ideas and opinions the way he or she chooses. If these opinions prove to be correct, they will benefit the community; if not, they should be debated decently and not suppressed by any means.

"Finally this movement believes that men and women have equal rights--the right to free speech, the right to work, and to drive a car. Women should never be under the custody of anyone. If humanity has obligations to God, it also has rights. Humanity's first and major right is to be free, with free mind and free conscience, rather than enslaved by anyone, any political power, any religious group or any false media.

"To the liberal, intellectual, enlightened movement, jihad is self control. If jihad applies to war, it should only be applied for self-defense. To the liberal, intellectual, enlightened movement, each human being is a word of God and is entitled to every human right. To this movement, justice precedes punishment, the spirit is more important than the text and humanity is one community."

If you are familiar with the writings of Rifa‘a Rafi‘ al-Tahtawi, Muhammad ‘Abduh, Ahmad Lutfi al-Sayyid, Taha Husayn, ‘Ali ‘Abd al-Raziq, Muhammad Husayn Haykal, Kasim Amin, Tawfik Al-Hakim, Nagib Mahfuz and all the liberal intellectuals of Modern Egypt, you would definitely add the former chief justice of Egypt Supreme Court Said Al-Ashmawy to this great enlightenment movement - "tanwir". It is not fair to summarize this book or any of Ashmawy's like "History of Kilafa", "Gawhar Al-Islam", "Roots of Islamic law" or "Al-Sharia Al-Islamia", "Ma'alim Al-Islam" and "Political Islam"; you need to read them carefully. His books are meant to shock you if your Islamic teachings are limited to school books, Badawin TV shows or Friday prayer speeches. This writer has a message and he is risking his life for his ideas after a thorough research in International Law, Egyptian Constitution, Islamic Studies and Literature, Greek and Egyptian Ancient History and Philosophy. For the last 15 years, he has a body guard assigned by the Egyptian government ;

So what is he trying to say? After reading his books, here are some of the issues he addresses:

Islam is practiced now in Egypt more than anytime in our 1400 years History since the Kilafa of Siedna Ali and Egyptian Law applies over 95% of Islamic law while omitting women slavery, marital abuse, polygamy and raising the age of marriage, allowing women to work, travel and drive a car etc..

History of Higab and the emancipation of Egyptian women by 1919, How the Egyptian Constitution is Islamic and respects Sharia? Who is the source of our new Badawin? Who is the source of our "Dual Character" of modernism and the oil-financed "neo-Wahabism"? The history of political Islam in this century and how the British tried to lead King Foaud and King Farouk (al-malik al-saleh) to be the Muslims' Kalifa ? Islam is mainly a religion of mercy and morality and has nothing to do with terrorism and social unrest? The righteous, balanced interpretation of the Quran in relation to our national identity, respect to other religions and human rights. Your identity is your nationality -so declares Islam -and so states the UN Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and how Islam differs from the Zionist-racist ideology of mixing religion and politics?

Judge Ashmawy provides his scholarly opinion that Egypt applies 95% of Sharia or Islamic law in a democracy unlike any period in the 1400 years of Islamic History. After Al-Kilafa Al-Rashida no Kalifa was ever elected but it was a kingdom from Amaweeon (Umayyad) to Abbasid Caliphate to Fatimiats to the Ottoman Empire and all Kalifas ruled for life by divine right....

His message is: do not look backwards but look forward, learn, ask for knowledge and only reject from the world civilization the small portion that is not compatible with our culture, respect yourself and your culture but do not dwell on the past. If you think Egypt and most Muslim countries are non-Islamic or Jahilia - because they separate religion from politics , think again; these countries - including Turkey - became secular after a long bitter experience of 1400 years of tyranny.

Ashmawy reminds Muslims that we recite before reading any Surah ÈöÓúãö Çááøåö ÇáÑøóÍúãóäö ÇáÑøóÍöíãö In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Rahma or Mercy -says Ashmawy - is repeated in the Holy Quran more than 70 times; Mercy and Morality are the message of Islam. æÇááå íÞæá : ( æãä íÞäØ ãä ÑÍãÉ ÑÈå ÅáÇ ÇáÖÇáæä ) "If they resort to peace, so shall you, and put your trust in GOD. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient." [8:61] "Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe,the Mercygiving, the Merciful" He adds you need to read the Quran and the dependable "tafseer" like: Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtoby, Al-Zamakshary. We should never be misguided by the fanatics by taking the holy verses out of context to fit in our purposes and ambitions; we need to understand the circumstances and "Asbab al-nuzul" or reasons for revelations ( Is the purpose of the holy text is to answer a question? Is it addressing a particular person? Is it Makia or Madania? Is for a particular situation like war or peace or against a particular group? etc)....

Ashmawy clarifies -with examples and references -that Extremists or "Muslim Brotherhood Gang" benefit from people's ignorance and illiteracy and so they generalize and misquote the Holy Quran. Any of their slogans, if repeated often enough, can come to be accepted as true, especially in a society where half the population is illiterate and the other half displays only a very modest standard of education and culture. The advocates of Medieval fundamentalism speak in the name of God in their pursue to overthrough all governments that do not agree with their school of thought ; they are the sole speaker and interpreter of God's words. They advocate an illusion of a glorious 1400 years that would throw the Muslim World into the darkness and tyrannies of the Middle Ages.

I hope that the majority will perceive him as a religious nationalist who aspire after " an Islamic Rebirth that does not reject the civilization of the day but stands next to it, absorbs from what modern civilization has to offer and perceives Religion as a motivational, powerful force that can contribute to growth and advancement of our people and not to darkness and dependency", "Western civilization should be perceived as a continuation to Islamic civilization" Ma'alem Al-Islam 1988. Also in Reader's Digest he wrote: " This intolerance and violence is not Islam which inspires more than a billion people. The religion the extremists preach is a cover for advancing their political agenda and their lust for power."

Scott O'Dell has 2 specialities: headstrong heroines who believe women can do anything men can do and the sea. Alexandra has both. With vivid descriptions of the coral reef and under the sea and Alexandra's adventures with dangerous crew members, logerhead turtles, jeering from the neighbors, her father's death, drug smugglers, and (WORST OF ALL) her mother's reluctance, this book is a definite must read.

This was a wonderful book I couldn't put it down as soon as started, I recommend this book especally if you live in or near Tarpon Springs,Florida.

This book is great! So much detail and it really brings you to that place and time.

This is a lovely story encompassing a timeless romance..! The author weaves heartfelt daily remembrances and romantic dreams into an engaging account that is hard to put down..! I couldn't wait to turn the page to see what would happen next! This is definitely a must-read for anyone looking to lose themselves in romance!

This book is amazing... It is full of a mothers love....
Takes you back to a time that was difficult yet love "always" prevailed...

This is a beautiful tribute, a treasury of "family values", and a kolidiscopic view of persuing the "american dream".

An American Beach for African Americans is a special treasure of knowledge and history for everyone interested in reflecting upon the love, strength, and beauty of African American culture in Florida. Marsha Dean Phelts is truly a remarkable writer. She has dedicated a significant part of her time and expertise as a writer in order for all of us to appreciate times when the Beach Boys were not likely to be the first group to book a concert tour at American Beach, (although they had the choice), even though I sometimes wondered as a child growing up in Florida and New York in the 60s and 70s, if The Beach Boys were ever going to entertain an audience at American Beach. Thank God for Marsha Dean Phelts for writing this book. She was instumental in her sharing her writer-to-writer knowledge to me as I finalized the pages of my book titled Surfing the Sea, which is planned for release very soon. An American Beach for African Americans is more than a mere contribution to literature and Florida history. It is simultaneously long overdue and right on time!

This is really one of the most important contributions to Florida history in recent years. Some may think that black people just disappeared during the Jim Crow era, but this book will disabuse them of that notion. It has it all, from stories to recipes to photographs, covering a part of history that is still almost studiously ignored hereabouts. I hope this will encourage others to do the kind of digging Marsha Phelts has done, because Florida's black beaches from the age of segregation are an endangered species. They should all be studied, documented, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places to preserve what remains from the endless bulldozers of developers. Cheers to the author for telling this story so well!

I love St. Augustine, so this was a really good book that I hardly wanted to put down.

I have friends that live in Florida(near Tampa)and I just visited them recently. My friend wanted to stay in St. Augustine ,so we decided to book 3 nights at The Kenwood Inn. You can go online and look at the rooms they have available. Very antiqued place. My friend had asked me to pick a room and she picked a room so she can reserve them. Ended up that those rooms were reserved. So the inn picked two rooms for us. I had asked my friend if she read up on this place. She didn't. The inn was built around 1865 and when I told her, I asked if it was haunted. She said no. I had bought this book a couple of months before we booked the B&B. 2 days before we left for Florida, I picked the book up and started to read it. 2 stories later, I was tired and decided to go to sleep. Something made me open to the contents and sure enough, The Kenwood Inn was listed. I read the story,heart pounding, knowing that I was staying in a haunted inn! I called my friend and told her it was haunted. She did not believe me and I started to read the story. Ends up that the inn is haunted by a couple of spirits. One most known is a women named Lavender. She likes to take a nap in room #7. And the other famous spirit is Raymond who likes to hang around in room #14. If you take your comforter off at night, you wake up finding the comforter back on you and tucked in. I asked my friend which rooms we had. She looked at the brochure and SHE HAD ROOM 14 AND I HAD ROOM 7!!! First day we arrived, very beautiful place, wonderful hospitality, we decided to walk around town and check out all the (Wonderful) restaurants and village stores. Our inn had Wine time at 5pm every day, so we decided to go back and join in. After we poured our glasses, our husbands stayed downstairs and my friend and I took a tour around the inn. You were able to look in the rooms that were not occupied. We went to my room first and I took pictures with my digital camera and then we went to her room. I started to take some random pictures of her room. I was facing her bed and took a picture of it, on her bed were three throw pillows in a diamond shape, in a row. My friend was trying to take a picture but was having problems with her digital. I tried to help get her camera to work. It was being very tempermental. I did not remember until later that spirits are attracted to electronics and Lavender was probably messing with us. Now, My friend and I were both facing her bed and looking down at her camera, when finally the camera started to work. When I looked up, I looked at the pillows and they were not in the same position!! I told my friend and she freaked because I had proof from the first picture I took of her bed. All the pillows were moved over to other side of the bed!! I guess that was Lavenders way of saying, Yes I am here and it's time for me to take my nap. I started to laugh, a very nervous laugh. I walked out into the hallway, still laughing and my friend, her arms and hands shaking trying to lock her door, looked at me and said "I am shaking like hell" I said to her "better you than me". (nice friend I am,huh?)So we tried to explain to our husbands, of course laughing at us, that this really happened. I think they believed alittle. They wanted to see something, but I was told that Lavender is shy around males. I did tell the owners,very nice people, I showed Kerianne the pictures and she was amazed. She knows that the inn is haunted but her and her husband don't like to advertise it as much. They don't want scare people. This inn has very nice spirits, it's not scary.I did have some so called "Orbs" in the pictures of my room, but Raymond did not tuck me in, nor did I test him on taking off the comforter. Too many times I did wake up in the night with the hair standing up on the back of my neck, just to find myself moving next to my husband while he was sleeping. I do recommend anybody to stay there. It is a very nice, relaxing and quiet B&B. Kerianne makes wonderful home made breakfast-muffins,cakes,fresh fruit,cereals,etc.Wine time at 5pm is great, you do get to meet alot of nice people and the innkeepers are very nice people. And there is alot of great places to visit with alot of history. Now, with my first haunting experience after reading a million books on hauntings, I am not a skeptic anymore! Also, practically every place in St. Augustine is HAUNTED!!!!!!!

As the title implies, Joyce E. Chaplin has a dual purpose. She describes slave agriculture in the colonial to the pre-antebellum period and studies the Lower South's notions of Western modernity and innovation. While southern whites were aware of and tried to apply modern ideas and innovations, they could not, in the end, disassociate themselves from being slaveholders. In a nutshell the Lower South was characterized by continuity as well as, in Chaplin's words, change and persistence. It was anything but static.

In her analysis, Chaplin found that whites frequently used Scottish enlightened thought as an historical framework for assessing their own chances of achieving socio-economic improvement. The Scottish school, Chaplin proposes, is a way to show how whites' were informed of modern contemporary theory from newspapers, books, and local authors. The Reverend Alexander Hewitt wrote a 1770s account of the rise and progress of the Lower South and David Ramsey, a physician and early North American historian, modeled the Scottish statistical efforts of Sir john Sinclair.

Landholders were keeping up with the times and not at all languishing in the backwaters enjoying mint juleps on verandahs. Still, while they adjusted to national and world events and adapted their crops, capital and labor, they did not, in the end, relinquish their reliance on slavery. Chaplin's tries to understand this aspect of slavery in order to discover why racism is so persistent.

Chaplin offers a cautionary comment in the preface. She says she doesn't want to come across as cynical toward humanity's ability to overcome racism. She succeeds in adhering to her scholarly purpose until, interestingly, at the end of her book she expresses some skepticism. While whites in the Lower South adopted notions of modernity, they adhered to slavery in order to achieve their own ends. In doing so they rejected an opportunity to use their wealth, resources and leadership for reform. Instead they chose to avoid the instability that would be necessary to move beyond slavery.

Many histories of the South have focused exclusively on the antebellum period, characterizing the region as economically undiverse, intellectually out of touch with Enlightenment ideals, and culturally static. These assesments create the impression that southerners were backward people who should have known that the society they created was not maintainable. Joyce Chaplin argues that during the period from 1730 to 1815, the region was in actuality a dynamic and innovative place that fell victim only to its own success. To do so, she has compiled an enormous amount of evidence, based on sources ranging from specialized secondary literature on economics, philosophy, and culture, as well as primary documents such as period newspapers, public records, and private correspondence.

Chaplin begins her study with a treatment of the predominant economic and political theories of the late 17th century, arguing that southerners accepted the theories of the Scottish school that a commercial society was most conducive to individual wealth creation, and thereby a stronger and more harmonious society. To find products that would create the most wealth, southerners experimented and innovated with various crops and productive means, reflecting the Enlightenment values of scientific pursuit and rationality. In the process, they created a culture that celebrated the right of the individual to pursue prosperity, but that relied upon government aid and regulation, as well as black slavery. Both of the latter aspects were seen as potentially disruptive to their fragile new society, but also unavoidable if individual (and thereby societal) betterment was to be achieved. Even as southerners came to fear the potential of government and slaves (who Chaplin shows to be far from powerless) to challenge their authority, they found that they could not do away with them without undermining the culture of white achievement they had fostered.

Chaplin shows that southereners were not hostile to manufacturing, engaging in it on a small scale particularly during times of market disruption, such as during the Revolution and the War of 1812. Cotton and rice production returned as the dominant economic activities of the South because they were by far the least risky and most profitable, not because of any intellectual opposition to non-agricultural forms of capitalization. Chaplin believes that if only the region had continued its economic diversification, the South would not have been so heavily tied to slavery, and would not have experienced its eventual economic and social stagnation.

Archeology requires essential components to successfully attain its goals: well-trained specialists, careful research procedures (including modern scientific techniques), expert analysis of archeological artifacts, and skillful re-creation of the life of earlier societies.

"The Archaeology of Useppa Island" amply succeeds in achieving these goals. Edited by Dr. William Marquardt of the Florida Museum of Natural History, the book effectively presents evidence about the Calusa natives who lived on this island on the western periphery of Florida centuries ago. The primary period of occupancy is estimated between 800 AD-1500 AD.

Dr. Marquardt's reputation as a recognized Calusa scholar, and his diligent leadership in planning and conducting archeological field studies at Calusa sites, makes him the appropriate person to compile and publish this work. It will be useful to professionals in the field as well as appealing to the general public interested in Florida history or archeological studies.

Dr. Marquardt and his associates discovered numerous artifacts during their excavations in the 1980s and 1990s on Useppa Island, located off the west coast of Florida: pottery and jewelry, "worked" shells intended for various purposes, and human remains. In addition, other artifacts from the post-Calusa period (mostly Cuban in origin) give clues to those who later lived on Useppa. All categories of items are described in detail, supplemented by helpful photos, sketches, and maps. Several chapters classify and date soil layers and other natural materials on the island. Each scholarly contributor to this volume has added to our knowledge of the Calusa living in this substantial settlement.

Later chapters cover the history of Useppa in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially for the latter period when the island became well known as a fishing and vacation resort in the years prior to World War II. The author also describes its role to train Cuban exiles prior to their failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. Useppa today is a private association of lovely homes located in a charming and picturesque setting. The book concludes with the recollections of the person who developed Useppa in its present form.

Having personally grown up in this area in the 1940s and 1950s, living on an island adjacent to Useppa, I can attest to the careful descriptions and informative history contained in this very interesting and carefully written book. Highly recommended.

Archeology requires essential components to successfully attain its goals: well-trained specialists, careful research procedures (including modern scientific techniques), expert analysis of archeological artifacts, and skillful re-creation of the life of earlier societies.

"The Archaeology of Useppa Island" amply succeeds in achieving these goals. Edited by Dr. William Marquardt of the Florida Museum of Natural History, the book effectively presents evidence about the Calusa natives who lived on this island on the western periphery of Florida centuries ago. The primary period of occupancy is estimated between 800 AD-1500 AD.

Dr. Marquardt's reputation as a recognized Calusa scholar, and his diligent leadership in planning and conducting archeological field studies at Calusa sites, makes him the appropriate person to compile and publish this work. It will be useful to professionals in the field as well as appealing to the general public interested in Florida history or archeological studies.

Dr. Marquardt and his associates discovered numerous artifacts during their excavations in the 1980s and 1990s on Useppa Island, located off the west coast of Florida: pottery and jewelry, "worked" shells intended for various purposes, and human remains. In addition, other artifacts from the post-Calusa period (mostly Cuban in origin) give clues to those who later lived on Useppa. All categories of items are described in detail, supplemented by helpful photos, sketches, and maps. Several chapters classify and date soil layers and other natural materials on the island. Each scholarly contributor to this volume has added to our knowledge of the Calusa living in this substantial settlement.

Later chapters cover the history of Useppa in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially for the latter period when the island became well known as a fishing and vacation resort in the years prior to World War II. The author also describes its role to train Cuban exiles prior to their failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. Useppa today is a private association of lovely homes located in a charming and picturesque setting. The book concludes with the recollections of the person who developed Useppa in its present form.

Having personally grown up in this area in the 1940s and 1950s, living on an island adjacent to Useppa, I can attest to the careful descriptions and informative history contained in this very interesting and carefully written book. Highly recommended.