As a beautiful, young, well-to-do young woman sits upon her family's beach on the shore of a secluded island in the Florida Keys, a man clad in little more than the ancient ocean salt emerges from the waves. Günther Prien is a young German officer stationed on a cruise ship, and Eola Pinder is little more than putty in his hands. Their encounter leads to the birth of a son, Thomas Luther, who is destined for a life of adventure as he desperately seeks the love of a father throughout some of the worst events Key West and the world have ever seen. Tom's life shapes up to be one adventure after another. He experiences an unlikely rescue as his room goes up in flames around his crib flames that may have been started by the man Tom believes is his father. He's held hostage during a bank robbery and is nearly swept overboard from the deck of a freighter off Cape Hattaras during a major hurricane. Finally, in the midst of World War II, he finds himself carried away in a German submarine in the hands of the enemy by a man who turns out to be his father. In this rich historical novel, an unlikely cast of characters struggles to find the strength to survive not only some of the most horrible tragedies in Florida's history, but some of the most difficult lessons individuals can learn in a lifetime.

A study of children's authors who are typical of their time, such as Enid Blyton, Angela Brazil, Judy Blume and Ronald Dahl. The book discusses comics as well as "classic" texts, and the possible effects of these materials on children's attitudes.

"The last great work of the age of reason, the final instance when all human knowledge could be presented with a single point of view ... Unabashed optimism, and unabashed racism, pervades many entries in the 11th, and provide its defining characteristics ... Despite its occasional ugliness, the reputation of the 11th persists today because of the staggering depth of knowledge contained with its volumes. It is especially strong in its biographical entries. These delve deeply into the history of men and women prominent in their eras who have since been largely forgotten - except by the historians, scholars"-- The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2012/apr/10/encyclopedia-britannica-11th-edition.