The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera: An Insider’s History of the Florida-Alabama Coast

Jacksonville State University historian Jackson (Rivers of History), a native of the area, tells the story of the development of the Florida-Alabama coast from the 1930s to the present. He begins in WWII, when the attack on Pearl Harbor worried the coastal fishing towns, and traces the development of condos and resorts that brought with them tourists as well as controversy. Jackson also tackles how locals responded to the recent recession, real estate collapse, and the BP oil spill. (May)