In this visually delightful book, laced with quotations from one of the best chroniclers of Florida Cracker life, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ronald Haase takes us on an intimate tour of the utilitarian wooden structures constructed by early settlers in North Florida. These houses, raised high off the ground and surrounded by shady porches, responded both to the warm and sultry climate and to the very idea of living side by side with nature in such a beautiful environment. The technology with which they were built and the resulting modest but dignified forms reflected their rustic settings of tall pine scrub or hardwood hammock. Excellent color photographs taken by the author illustrate the many variations in Cracker architecture. They are complemented by many line drawings of plans and elevations of Cracker houses. This book will be a classic and charming addition to the library of anyone interested in the history of place and the constantly changing art of architecture.