Storm Haven by Frank G. Slaughter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The research author Frank Slaughter did to accomplish the ability to put the reader in the very throes of each scene must have been exhausting. This book is amazing in its narrative. Knowing quite a bit about Florida history, Slaughter went beyond even extensive knowledge of Florida in the 1860s. Today writers would be pulling internet sites to get the details he does. I’m guessing Slaughter got as close to the source of the time period. Writing this in the early 1950s, he likely went beyond books to people, grandchildren and the like, to get as close as he could to accuracy. It’s a truly amazing accomplishment.
One scene well describes the Devils Millhopper near Gainesville. The name is never mentioned, but if you know the area, you know the spot by his writing. You also know the crossing of South Florida to the Withlacoochee, the setting around the living areas in the Panhandle (Being cagey here so I don’t spoil the story) and the scenes along the Ocklawaha. His descriptions of the peripheral events around the battle at Olustee are enlightening for those of us who have read of the battle. This book puts you there in the surgery area and the effects of the battle on both sides. I could go on.
Now, I must write this is my first Slaughter book. I’m guessing he does this in all his books. I look forward to wading into more.

I also need to add that the actual story was a bit predictable by today’s standards .
I highly recommend this book

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First Encounters: Spanish Explorations in the Caribbean and the United States, 1492-1570 by Jerald T. Milanich

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

What a mess! This is a series of essays with illustrations strung together that have a goal, by way of the title, to depict first encounters by the Spanish explorers. That is generally done. But it’s mighty sketchy as the focus are a handful of explorers and everything is done by practically every writer to paint a picture of nice innocent Spanish explorers who are being brave and finding a new world.

What is nearly completely ignored is the vicious ways of the Spanish explorers. The writers that do indicate some violent tendencies go so far as to excuse them and condemn the indians and French for being violent. What really rots in all this is that as each Spanish tale is unfolded vats of archaeological evidence is given to support the trips…that is, except the evidence that exists to tell the tale of the death spread in the name of Spain and Catholicism by the same Spanish explorers. How can a writer map out so much and leave out so much? How can one part completely brush over what Menendez did to the French…twice? The writer of Menendez spends all kinds of verbiage about the Menendez trip and the archaeological evidence of it all – except the cutting off of French heads. Did the writer find the incident to disturbing to write? Wouldn’t the editors pull the writers chain and point out something was left out? Nope. Again, any indication of violence is brushed aside and pages are written about disease killing off the indians. Suddenly archaeological evidence is not needed about disease and hearsay is warmly embraced.

The last section of this book is the worst. It meanders over artists depictions of the New World and motivations and reasoning behind the artwork. After the other chapters being tied to archaeology suddenly there’s an aesthetic examination of artistic interpretation. There are far better histories out there and this is a waste to be avoided. If politics are the reasons for the white washing of history what else can be trusted in what is written?

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Swampy’s Florida Prints – Picnic at Biscayne Bay.

Here’s the last of the nine watercolor paintings of Biscayne Bay beach set. This was the last one I needed to finish and I only found time today to do it. This wraps up the set and will show all nine when they are set for the gallery catalog they are going in.

Pirates of the Spanish Main by Hamilton Cochran
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this book that covers many aspects of the industry known as piracy. It views them from both the good and bad and does a great job mapping out motivation, action and results. I also like the follow through as to the closing of the careers of these mostly bad guys. The interesting focus near the end of two of the best known of pirates and another about a few female peers were excellent in closing out the volume. The illustrations are outstanding and further underline the world in which the pirate world lived. In that it is an overview, it does what it should in enticing a reader to want to learn much more. So I shall.

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Pirates and Buried Treasure on Florida Islands by Jack Beater

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very good collection of supposedly true pirate stories that took place along the Florida coast. Jack Beater is a good writer who helps make the stories seem true, though there may be more legend than accurate history in the tales. He bases much on the legend of Jose Gaspar and tethers further tales to the legend. There are no footnotes, which doesn’t help the question of what is real and not. Much is based on hear say. Not that I think Beater is trying to pull the wool over one’s eyes. I believe he truly believed the stories he penned. It’s just that over time, many pirate tales have come into question. One assurance is that he does know the geography of Florida and accurately describes the various locations mentioned, thus if the stories may be suspect, locating where the nefarious pirates may have plundered and lived can easily be understood.

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The Toff and the Deadly Parson by John Creasey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Am excellent mystery that will keep you guessing throughout. The writing is good, but for a contemporary American crowd, probably over their heads. Also, the contemporary American crowd are used to having a book written with someone connected to a church being the natural bad guy which will throw them as the book weaves around so many curves. Creasey crafted this well and it’s smartly written for an audience who is willing to pay attention to all that goes on. Too bad writers like Patterson can’t reach these heights.

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The Gentle Desperado by Max Brand

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a book assembled by the publishers of three of “Max Brand”‘s stories originally published in a western magazine. The three are loosely strung together. Though there are no separators of the three stories, it is very obvious that there are three. Each is a good story. The conclusion of all three stories have a very good twist, as is often the case with a “Brand” story.

I just wish “Brand” had done a better job writing them. The dialogue and narrative is very stilted even for the 1920s, when the three stories were originally published. Some of the stilted writing, I realize, is based on two of the characters. But did so much have to be written this way, too?

There is also an issue of what seem to be missing stories that fell in between the ones presented. They are referred to, but make the stories more confusing.

I’m just glad this was not my first “brand” novel, or I might have given up on him. I almost wonder if he had ghost writers produces the stories, in that the writing is often so irregular.

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Hell Road by Ray Hogan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ray Hogan sure knows how to fill a few pages. Not with the ability of his colleague Louis L’Amour, but still done with great skill. This story today would have been split into a 4 part series of 500 pages each. Hogan accomplishes the same feat in 126 pages. Sure it could all be better flushed out. Hogan assembles a great western novel better without the excess.

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The Last Mountain Man by William W. Johnstone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m hooked. This rolls off the blocks at a steady speed and then charges to the end…which is more of a beginning as this series is still coming out after this initial book from 1984. Johnstone does an excellent job of portraying the area and time of the mid-west and west in the late 1800s. The characters are well drawn to the point of leaving you wanting more and thus wanting to buy more of the series. I will purchase more and I’m not even a fan of the western genre.

As I read, it struck me how the current PC generation would be offended by some in the book. The thing is that what happens in this book happens to us today, we just let it go, expect others (government) to protect us than actually attacking the problems. Johnstone in 1984 reflected how much of humanity has solved problems during the late 1800s and throughout the history of man. Most countries still solve such troubles the same way today.

Interesting to me are a few recent reviews of the book have that PC tinge. The idea that good and bad guys are old fashioned is a recent viewpoint by fellow Americans and certainly a new idea in the history of mankind. Johnstone’s book brings one back to reality and that’s something many Americans could use a good dose of.

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Re-Discover Florida by Hampton Dunn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Florida historian, Hampton Dunn, tags a series of Florida historic locations with one page reviews and history. The state is well covered by being broken up in three parts, Central, East and West Coasts. The volume is dated and a number of the locations are either gone in inaccessible at this time. Still, all are well written and worth the view of Florida history in 1969.

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Guide for Hire by Gladys and Ed Fortner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For a book from 50 odd years ago, this one sure does cover it’s intended territory as a guidebook of a portion of interior Florida in a rather complete and creative way. Graphically it reflects it’s time period, but in ways that would be over done in today’s digital onslaught. A ton of information is scattered in nooks and crannys of the graphics, thus providing more than the narrative provides. It’s a terrific piece for it’s time, but also an example to take note of in today’s guidebook design.

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