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UNIVERSITY PRESS OF FLORIDA

ANNOUNCES NEW FALL RELEASES

by Melissa Bartalos

 

GAINESVILLE, FL- New fall books from the University Press of Florida—most already on bookstore shelves—showcase the Sunshine State's acclaimed pioneers, legendary locales, and timeless attractions.

Distinguished Miami historian Helen Muir continues her personal account of Florida’s boom city saga in an updated edition of Miami, U.S.A. When it first appeared in 1953, this cherished history was described in the Tampa Tribune as "the best book ever written on Miami." Capturing the drama and change that has roared through the city, the expanded edition brings this popular history to the close of the 20th century.

Miami writer John Rothchild offers another glimpse into Florida life in Up for Grabs: A Trip Through Time and Space in the Sunshine State. Part history, part journalism, part travelogue, and part autobiography, this lively new paperback explores the myth and magic of those places where the American dream and nightmare occur side by side.

Castles in the Sand: The Life and Times of Carl Graham Fisher reflects an era of exhilaration in South Florida as entrepreneurs transformed the landscape from swampland to a luxurious urban paradise. This engaging biography explores the triumphs and shortcomings of Fisher, an energetic and imaginative corporate builder whose major triumph was the development of Miami Beach.

Legendary crime writers like John D. MacDonald and Carroll John Daly venture into the shadows of the Sunshine State in Orange Pulp: Stories of Mayhem, Murder, and Mystery, a rare sample of vintage noir set in Florida. The book includes the opening to a previously unpublished Charles Willeford novel, the complete text of The Hated One by Don Tracy, and the first chapters of Brett Halliday's earliest Mike Shayne novel.

Larry Eugene Rivers presents a different view of the state in Slavery in Florida: Territorial Days to Emancipation, an illustrated and extensively-researched social history that describes the African American experience in Florida. Including slave testimonies and census and newspaper reports from the period, the book offers critical new insights, both factual and interpretive.

 

Miami's Parrot Jungle and Gardens by Cory H. Gittner focuses on one of Florida's most treasured attractions and the home of more than a thousand macaws, mynah birds, cockatoos, parakeets, and peacocks. This lively paperback traces the transformation of the pioneer theme park from a mom-and-pop roadside attraction to an international wonder. A colorful history of Parrot Jungle, the book is also an intimate account of the Scherr family, who founded the jungle in 1936 and kept it in operation through hurricanes, world wars, robberies, and rampant development.

Benjamin D. Brotemarkle invites tourists to discover the state’s rich cultural and artistic heritage in Beyond the Theme Parks: Exploring Central Florida. This recent bestseller, just reissued in paperback, takes readers off the beaten path to fifteen of central Florida's most fascinating cities and towns.

The Bottlenose Dolphin: Biology and Conservation acquaints readers with one of Florida's most beloved mammals. In this colorfully illustrated book, the authors tackle issues like dolphin conservation and management and provide a wealth of information on the fascinating species found not only in Florida but throughout the world.

 

And just in time for the World Series, Rich Westcott's Splendor on the Diamond: Interviews with 35 Stars of Baseball's Past captures the sport's greatest era – the decades following World War II – in the words of baseball legends like Bobby Thomson, Warren Spahn, and Alvin Dark. Loaded with details about historic and heroic events, this book showcases the stars of America's favorite pastime.

 

Miami, U.S.A., by Helen Muir, $24.95

Up for Grabs: A Trip Through Time and Space in the Sunshine State, by John Rothchild, $19.95

Castles in the Sand: The Life and Times of Carl Graham Fisher, by Mark S. Foster, $24.95

Orange Pulp: Stories of Mayhem, Murder, and Mystery, edited by Maurice J. O'Sullivan and Steve Glassman, $24.95

Slavery in Florida: Territorial Days to Emancipation, by Larry Eugene Rivers, $29.95

Miami's Parrot Jungle and Gardens, by Cory H. Gittner, $12.95

Beyond the Theme Parks: Exploring Central Florida, by Benjamin D. Brotemarkle, $16.95 (paper), $24.95 (cloth)

The Bottlenose Dolphin: Biology and Conservation, by John E. Reynolds III, Randall S. Wells, and Samantha D. Eide, $34.95

Splendor on Diamond: Interviews with 35 Stars of Baseball's Past, by Rich Westcott, $24.95

Books are available at full service book stores or call toll-free at 1-800-226-3822.