Reviews
"a welcome addition in the often dry field of urban studies."
"A careful look at the city, _Jacksonville_ proves that the intricacies of local governance--its langorous pace, interminable committees, and possibilities for change--make an excellent primer for our modern condition."
--H-Net Book Review
"A reminder of just how backward a city Jacksonville was in many ways in the 1950s and early 1960s."
"For newcomers who fall in love with the city immediately, the book should provide useful background for understanding some of the city's ongoing issues"
--Florida Times-Union
"An excellent primer for our modern condition."
--H-Net Book Review
"Particularly useful for its examination of how blacks viewed their prospects in this "Bold New City" and how civil rights activists pressed their claims within the new consolidated government...This finely crafted volume is a welcome addition to southern urban history and a primer for those concerned about southern growth in the twenty-first century."
--Journal of Southern History
"Crooks has much to say about urban leadership, governmental structure, and power relationships in urban governance, and his excellent discussion of environmental policy is relatively rare in studies of post-war urban politics and history."
--Florida Historical Quarterly
Crooks, the historian-in-residence during the administration of Jacksonville mayor Tommy Hazouri (1987-1991), was in an excellent position to observe community development at close range. His experiences and insights are quite evident…
--Journal of American History