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  • The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera

  • An Insider's History of the Florida-Alabama Coast
  • By: Harvey H. Jackson III
  • Narrated by: Perry Daniels
  • Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (9 ratings)

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The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera

By: Harvey H. Jackson III
Narrated by: Perry Daniels
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Publisher's summary

The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera traces the development of the Florida-Alabama coast as a tourist destination from the late 1920s and early 1930s, when it was sparsely populated with "small fishing villages," through to the tragic and devastating BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010.

Harvey H. Jackson III focuses on the stretch of coast from Mobile Bay and Gulf Shores, Alabama, east to Panama City, Florida—an area known as the "Redneck Riviera." Jackson explores the rise of this area as a vacation destination for the lower South's middle- and working-class families following World War II, the building boom of the 1950s and 1960s, and the emergence of the Spring Break "season." From the late sixties through 1979, severe hurricanes destroyed many small motels, cafes, bars, and early cottages that gave the small beach towns their essential character. A second building boom ensued in the 1980s, dominated by high-rise condominiums and large resort hotels.

Jackson traces the tensions surrounding the gentrification of the late 1980s and 1990s and the collapse of the housing market in 2008. While his major focus is on the social, cultural, and economic development, he also documents the environmental and financial impacts of natural disasters and the politics of beach access and dune and sea turtle protection.

©2012 The University of Georgia Press (P)2022 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
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What listeners say about The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera

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Redneck Riviera

I love ‘the Beach” so I enjoyed hearing about its history. This book was very accurate in describing the area and the people who visit

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Great history

Nice background information on where I now call home. When I see an establishment that began several years ago I often wonder what is was like back then.

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A thoughtful history of a colorful place

Coming from someone with a rich familial and personal history with "the beach", this is easily the best book I've read on the region. From the Flora-Bama to the Miracle Strip, from the salt of the earth to developers who created cities out of nothing, this book will tell you the full tale of the redneck riviera. highly recommended for basically anyone who grew up where spring break meant Panama City Beach.

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it's ok

I'm familiar with the area, having visited there many times. It's good that there is a history, but I already knew a good bit of it, and the book got boring. I doubt if it would interest anyone not familiar with the area. The narrator is decent.
Overall, it's ok but nothing special.

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