New Book Releases

From Scarface to Miami Vice, Hollywood has created indelible images of Miami's criminal underworld. Yet beyond the lurid depictions exists a fascinating history of dramatic true-life crimes--tales of vigilante justice, family tragedies, politically motivated homicides and rampageous cross-country killers. And of course, the inevitable stories of celebrities behaving badly--as when Jim Morrison allegedly exposed himself during a 1969 Doors concert--along with accounts of celebrity murders, such as the shocking 1997 slaying of fashion designer Gianni Versace.
Edgy and compulsively readable, Miami's Criminal Past presents the dark acts that have marred Florida's most alluring metropolis.

With such a rich and significant history, it's only natural that some of the best stories from the Sunshine State have been forgotten over time. Thankfully, master storyteller and St. Augustine resident Bob Patterson offers this collection of the strangest, most fascinating stories and legends in Florida's history from coast to coast, swamp to swamp. Enjoy the saga of William Ellis, a North Florida nature whisperer who escaped from his nursing home with the help of his varmint friends; step into the murk and mystery of the vanishing tribes of the Everglades; and could there really be gator-hungry sharks lurking in the St. John's River? These stories and so many more await when you explore the Forgotten Tales of Florida.

Does the restless ghost of a murder victim haunt a Gulfport home? Does a doomed pirate search for his lost treasure at John's Pass? Are sea captains and Civil War soldiers still combing the area, years after their deaths?

With wit and style, the Queen of Haunts, Deborah Frethem, calls upon years of experience as the general manager and guide of Tampa Bay Ghost Tours to present legends of sinister deeds and whispers of the past from Florida's haunted peninsula.

This collection of popular "Sense of Place" columns by Daytona Beach News-Journal award-winning writer Ronald Williamson chronicles the sleepy streams, poignant passages and timeless traditions of the hilly western side of Volusia County--a place quite different from the hustle and bustle of the Daytona Beach area. Majestic St. Johns River steamboats replace speeding racecars, and subdued séances at an old spiritualist camp replace brash biker bashes and spring break revelry. From slavery and segregation to Madame Clarissa Zaraza and mayhaw jelly from swampy creeks, these stories are a moving account from a master storyteller.

Boasting over 15 million tourists visiting every year, this Florida city is one of America's oldest and one of its most popular.

The Making of St. Petersburg captures the character of this bay city through its past, from the Spanish clash with indigenous peoples to the creation of the downtown waterfront parks and grand hotels. Take a journey with local historian Will Michaels as he chronicles St. Petersburg's storied history, including the world's first airline, the birth of Pinellas County and the good old American pastime, Major League Baseball. The people and events in this work paint a beautiful portrait of a coastal Florida city and reveal St. Petersburg's sense of place.

""America's Playground"" has seen many changes over the years. From architectural to botanical, Lost Miami Beach covers these changes and the development of the current preservation strategy.

Miami Beach has been ""America's Playground"" for a century. Still one of the world's most popular resorts, its 1930s Art Deco architecture placed this picturesque city on the National Register of Historic Places. Yet a whole generation of earlier buildings was erased from the landscape and mostly forgotten: the house of refuge for shipwrecked sailors, the oceanfront mansions of Millionaires' Row, entrepreneur Carl Fisher's five grand hotels, the Community Theatre, the Miami Beach Garden and more. Join historian Carolyn Klepser as she rediscovers through words and pictures the lost treasures of Miami Beach and recounts the changes that sparked a renowned preservation movement.

Jacksonville during the '50s and '60s was a wonderful and energetic place for the children who called it home

The northeast corner of the Sunshine State was the perfect and picturesque backdrop for some of America's timeless traditions. Mothers belonged to garden clubs and fathers played the golf links, while the children who grew up in Jacksonville frolicked on the warm beaches and fed peanuts to Miss Chic, the first elephant at the Jacksonville Zoo. They strapped on skates and held hands as they circled the rink of the famous Skateland, wandered down the stacks at Haydon Burns Library and crossed the many bridges that traversed Jacksonville's waterways. Join Dorothy Fletcher, former columnist for the Florida Times-Union, as she recounts the memories and adventures of the people who grew up Jacksonville.

Families watched in horror as walls of water swept away homes and businesses, and men held onto saplings for their lives while the winds howled.

The destruction was beyond belief. Buildings on Atsena Otie were swept away so completely that only cracked stone foundations remained, and the forests of red cedar that gave the islands their name and livelihood were flattened. Resulting in dozens of deaths and millions of dollars in damage, Hurricane Number 4 in 1896 changed the Cedar Keys forever and set the city on a path to the present. Historian Alvin F. Oickle, drawing on firsthand accounts and extensive archival research, tells the story of ordinary Floridians who were faced, like so many before and so many since, with nature's fury.

Florida is steeped in a cultural blend of history unmatched by any other state. One day at a time, author and historian Nick Wynne offers a glimpse of this quirky and fascinating story, beginning with the 1539 arrival of Hernando de Soto. On February 22, 1959, the legendary five-hundred-mile race at Daytona first began. On March 22, 1982, the space shuttle "Columbia" launched from Cape Canaveral. Camp Blanding experienced a Nazi prisoner riot on December 22, 1943. Enjoy a notable nugget of history a day or a month at a time with this celebration of Sunshine State heritage.

Known for its year-round warmth, beautiful beaches and famous residents, Palm Beach County is one of the most well-known areas along Florida's Atlantic coast. And although many people know the county as a winter destination for the likes of starlets and snowbirds, few know that German U-boats sank sixteen ships off the coast in 1942. Nor do they know that eleven "barefoot mailmen" originally took on the mail service between Palm Beach and Miami. In Palm Beach Past: The Best of "Post Time," author and local journalist Eliot Kleinberg has compiled a collection of historical vignettes--which originally appeared in the Palm Beach Post--about the intriguing people and events in the county's history. Kleinberg reveals little-known facts about the development of the region's prestigious neighborhoods and parks, while introducing readers to some of the most captivating and eccentric characters. For readers who want to understand the Palm Beach County of today or those who enjoy local history and just want a "good read," Palm Beach Past is a must.

Quirky, unique, and unexpected, the history of Ermony Key comes to life in rare historic images.

Egmont Key has been a sentinel for ships entering Tampa Bay from the Gulf of Mexico for hundreds of years. Early European explorers recognized the island's strategic location. Its story reflects major events in the history of the United States and Florida, as the island played a role in the Seminole Wars, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II. Its lighthouse, now automated, is still a beacon for ships. For many years, people have enjoyed the beaches of Egmont Key, walked the red brick ""roads to nowhere"" and explored the ruins of Fort Dade. Authors Don and Carol Thompson aim to foster an appreciation of the uniqueness and beauty of Egmont Key, as well as an understanding of its place in history.

The financial boom of the 1920s gave Florida citizens a look at prosperity and promise. By 1926, natural disasters, financial misdeeds and failures to realize those promises created a sense of impending doom and forced entrepreneurs into bankruptcy. With the hurricane of 1928, the boom was over, and coupled with bank failures and numerous farming epidemics, Florida plunged into a depression--two years before the stock market crash of 1929. Journey with noted Florida historians Nick Wynne and Joseph Knetsch as they detail the hardships of the times and the defiance of a state determined to rise above them.

Florida is largely influenced by the illicit and fascinating activites of pirates. Authors James and Sarah Kaserman recount the stories, legends, and myths of piracy in Florida.

The coast of southwest Florida, with its shallow waters, inlets, and mangrove islands provides the setting and backdrop for a variety of pirates, privateers, and independents. Piracy has a long and rich tradition in this area dating from before the formation of America through the infamous prohibition era. Telling the tales of Anne Bonny, Calico Jack Rackham, Civil War smugglers and prohibition rum runners, the authors provide a compelling narrative of the historically dangerous waters around Southwest Florida and beyond.

Chronicling Indians and aviators, stock cars and sand traps, Florida's First Coast is a delightful collection of vintage images and local lore, sure to enchant newcomers and residents alike.

p>A well-loved local, retired U. S. Navy Captain Jack Pate decided to tell others the story of the First Coast Beaches after falling in love with the area himself. Using the extensive collections of the Beaches Area Historical Society, Captain Jack introduces the history of the people who settled the Beaches area and their love-hate relationship with the two bodies of water that define it: the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean.

Florida's First Coast covers Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Pablo / Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra Beachh, and Palm Valley!