Browse by Subject: History

Please note that while you may order forthcoming books at any time, they will not be available for shipment until shortly before publication date

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The Making of Florida’s Universities: Public Higher Education at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

In this book, Carl Van Ness describes the formative years of higher education in Florida, comparing the trajectory to that of other states and putting it in context within the broader history and culture of the South.

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From Death Row to Freedom: The Struggle for Racial Justice in the Pitts-Lee Case

This book is an insider’s account of the case of Freddie Lee Pitts and Wilbert Lee, two Black men who were wrongfully charged and convicted of murder and sentenced to death during the civil rights era of the 1960s.

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Castles in the Sand: The Life and Times of Carl Graham Fisher

This is the definitive biography of a famous developer and fascinating entrepreneur. Born in Indiana, Carl Fisher helped build the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and headed promotion for the Indy 500. But these feats were only prologue to his grandest adventure, as primary developer and promoter of Miami Beach.

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The Allure of Immortality, with a New Preface: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade Prophet

The true story of cult leader Cyrus Teed, who built a communal utopia in the Florida scrubland at the turn of the twentieth century and preached a hollow earth theory to his followers.

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Forces of Nature: A History of Florida Land Conservation

In this comprehensive history of land conservation in Florida, Clay Henderson celebrates the individuals and organizations who made the state a leader in state-funded conservation and land preservation.

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Maximum Vantage: New Selected Columns

Veteran journalist Bill Maxwell tackles important issues faced by Florida and broader American society, offering opinions on a wide variety of questions with a focus on race, agricultural labor, education, and the environment.

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America's Fortress: A History of Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, Florida

The architectural, military, environmental, and political history of a little-known Civil War outpost that was the most heavily armed coastal defense fort in United States history.

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Reubin O'D. Askew and the Golden Age of Florida Politics

Askew led a group of politicians from both parties who sought—and achieved—judicial reform, redistricting, busing and desegregation, the end of the Cross Florida Barge Canal, the Sunshine Amendment, and much more.

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Key West on the Edge: Inventing the Conch Republic

Sited on an island only four miles long and two miles wide, Key West has been fishing village, salvage yard, U.S. Navy base, cigar factory, hippie haven, gay enclave, cruise ship port-of-call, and more. Leaving no stone unturned, Kerstein reveals how Key West has changed dramatically over the years while holding on to the uniqueness that continues to attract tourists and new residents to the island.

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The Stranahans of Fort Lauderdale: A Pioneer Family of New River

The story of Frank and Ivy Stranahan, two individuals who shaped the development of one of Florida's major urban centers.