Finding Florida

Publisher's Summary

Over its long history, Florida has been many things: a native realm protected by geography; a wilderness that ruined Spanish conquistadors; a place to start over; "god's waiting room". With a native population as high as 900,000 (who all died), it became a pestilential backwater with a few thousand inhabitants, but today is our fourth most populous state, with 19 million. The site of vicious racial violence, including massacres, slavery, and the roll-back of Reconstruction, Florida is now one of our most diverse states, a dynamic multicultural place with an essential role in 21st century America.

However, the remarkable story of Florida has been distorted and whitewashed. In Finding Florida: The True History of the Sunshine State, journalist T. D. Allman reclaims this remarkable history from the mythologizers, apologists, and boosters.

Allman traces the discovery, exploration, and settlement of Florida, its transformation from a swamp to a paradise. Palm Beach, Key West, Miami, Tampa, and Orlando boomed, fortunes were won and lost, land was stolen and flipped, and millions arrived.

The product of a decade of research and writing, Finding Florida is a highly original, stylish, and masterful work, the first modern comprehensive history of this fascinating place.

©2013 T. D. Allman. Recorded by arrangement with Grove/Atlantic, Inc. (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Narrator James Patrick Cronin leads listeners on a journey that seeks to dispel the many myths surrounding Florida's history, development, and present-day tribulations. Cronin's narration is engaging and varied." (AudioFile)

Excellent, well rounded

I have listened to this book over 3 times since I bought it a few weeks ago. I listened before a recent to trip to Northern Florida, again while on the trip, and again when I came home. It has fascinating details about the state history and touches on many aspects: ethnic and race relations, politics, skirmishes, geology, cultural history, geography, tourism, etc. It also focuses on different parts of the state so you get good representation. Good for general listening as well as for trips.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Florida without the fluff

Attacks the common beliefs on what the history of Florida has been and uses that as a air up call for all of us. He deals with everything from Ponce De Leon not really searching for the fountain of youth to the negative financial and civil rights impact of Disney World on the state. I didn't not agree with all of the author's conclusions but it was a very thought provoking read.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Bias to the extreme!

T.D Allman's book was more about putting down Florida history instead of telling it. If a event does not fit his opinions it is backwards and proves that rich white men are evil. He only shows one side of the story. A good example is the giving away of land to rich men in the 19th century. Yes millions of acres were given away, but look at Illinois, and Nebraska during the railroad era and besides Florida was giving them swamp land. If you really want to find Florida see it and make your own observation.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

The last part undermines the rest

What would have made Finding Florida better?

Objectivity

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of James Patrick Cronin?

Someone less glib and sarcastic

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment and anger.

Any additional comments?

The rabbid bias that the author showed in the last third of the book raised doubts as to whether one could trust the material in the first two thirds. In the few incidents in which the author commented on matters I was familiar with, the facts were incorrect. This is good raw meat for any angry rabble raiser with an axe to grind in today's world.

7 of 10 people found this review helpful

Worst History read ever.

What disappointed you about Finding Florida?

The author seems to have a desire to make himself appear an expert on all that is wrong in writings by others. Very repetitive themes that have little to do with Florida history. I wanted to learn something about the state and now what was wrong with written histories. Very negative writing on all subjects mentioned. Easier to do this I think rather than to do real history and make it interesting.
This person seems like a preacher rather than a historian. I couldn't stand anymore and stopped half way throught his ravings one subjects. How could anyone rate this more than a minus 3 stars.\?

What could T. D. Allman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Researched and presented a history of Florida as the title says.

Would you be willing to try another one of James Patrick Cronin’s performances?

Not sure. His reading and the authors poor work leave me cold.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Finding Florida?

There was little to salvage from this whole thing.

Any additional comments?

A true historian can make this an interesting story but it would only be about 2 or 3 hours long.

3 of 5 people found this review helpful

What a waste

I found this book to be lacking in truth and not worth the time I wasted listening to it

This book is a piece of pro socialist, social just

This book is prescie of socialist, social justice warrior crap. It was written we both slander my ancestry, promots the White Privlage lie, a abusive and defamatory of all white people.
Don't waste you money or credits.

Load of biased bs

The political bias of Allman and his disdain of America is clear. Some parts of the book were interesting, but his agenda ruins the overall book.

Not a biased history of florida.

more about the authors anti slavery views than overall history of florida. I grew board listening to the same thing for hours. could not finish it.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Eh

A few facts I didn't know. A boat load of opinions I didn't care for.