Bubble in the Sun

The Florida Boom of the 1920s and How It Brought on the Great Depression

By: Christopher Knowlton

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Christopher Knowlton, author of Cattle Kingdom and former Fortune writer, takes an in-depth look at the spectacular Florida land boom of the 1920s and shows how it led directly to the Great Depression.

The 1920s in Florida was a time of incredible excess, immense wealth, and precipitous collapse. The decade there produced the largest human migration in American history, far exceeding the settlement of the West, as millions flocked to the grand hotels and the new cities that rose rapidly from the teeming wetlands. The boom spawned a new subdivision civilization—and the most egregious large-scale assault on the environment in the name of “progress.” Nowhere was the glitz and froth of the Roaring Twenties more excessive than in Florida. Here was Vegas before there was a Vegas: gambling was condoned and so was drinking, since prohibition was not enforced. Tycoons, crooks, and celebrities arrived en masse to promote or exploit this new and dazzling American frontier in the sunshine. Yet, the import and deep impact of these historical events have never been explored thoroughly until now.

In Bubble in the Sun Christopher Knowlton examines the grand artistic and entrepreneurial visions behind Coral Gables, Boca Raton, Miami Beach, and other storied sites, as well as the darker side of the frenzy. For while giant fortunes were being made and lost and the nightlife raged more raucously than anywhere else, the pure beauty of the Everglades suffered wanton ruination and the workers, mostly black, who built and maintained the boom, endured grievous abuses.

Knowlton breathes dynamic life into the forces that made and wrecked Florida during the decade: the real estate moguls Carl Fisher, George Merrick, and Addison Mizner, and the once-in-a-century hurricane whose aftermath triggered the stock market crash. This essential account is a revelatory—and riveting—history of an era that still affects our country today.

Essential History

This should be in the curriculum of every business school in the country. Great read.

SO GOOD

This book is magnificent. As a resident of south Florida, the history is so robust and gives color to everything around me. I’ve recommended it to at least 10 people so far.

Fascinating listen

Very cool history of 1900s Florida. Love how the author weaved environmentalism in with the history of real estate development and profiled all the developers/architects along with Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

Comprehensive history of early modern Florida

The author does a great job of walking the reader through the history of the modernization of Florida as experienced through the men and women who led it. Worth every minute.

As A Longtime Fan And Resident I Loved It’s Remarkable History!

I Truely Enjoyed All Of This Book! There Is No Question Of its Value! The Benefit For Any Reader Is It’s Tremendous Value To It As. Residency.