Book Reviews

The Swamp

by Michael Grunwald
Simon and Schuster, 2006

In The Swamp, former Washington Post reporter Micheal Grunwald weaves a convoluted tale of politicians, robber barons, conquerors, and speculators who all played a role in draining more than half of this land in pursuit of money and pride. The Swamp is not only a study of environmental disregard, but also one of the attitude of Manifest Destiny that plagued so many of our founding fathers; where conservationists like John James Audubon wrote of roseate spoonbills that, "stalked gracefully beneath the mangroves," former Florida Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward twisted political arms and made draining the Glades his life's mission.

Grunwald deftly combines historic context with the captivating story of the characters that have come to define the Sunshine State. As Florida's own government begins to implement recovery plans on an environmental scale never before seen, understanding how much of the unrivaled ecosystem of the Everglades was lost in the first place should be a logical step. Making sure Florida does not repeat its mistakes is obviously tantamount to saving what is left of this natural treasure. 

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