Sanibel Island Wildlife Series
Sanibel Island Books
Amber Publishing
Presents . . .
. . . a series of digital and printed books and videos about people and places in Southwest Florida.
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All copies of the books we publish, and our CD and DVDs, are autographed and can be personalized when ordered.
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$25.95*
Everglades Wildlife Barons is a complete biography of the Florida legends, Bill and Lester Piper. These two extraordinary men were Florida's premier wildlife entrepreneurs in the 20th Century. In their youth they were gun-toting bootleggers and each amassed a fortune before settling in Bonita Springs, Florida. Even in later years they faced harm on a daily basis. A bear attack, snakebites, and a shoot-out with a Florida game warden were among those threats.
A sampling of chapters:
Dangerous Times
Life on the River
The Crocodile Kings
The Movies
When Panthers Ruled
Guitars and Gators Don't Mix
Bill Piper's Deja Vu
Snake Hunting With Lester Piper
Alligators Anonymous
From the back cover:
“Bill and Lester Piper were no strangers to living on the edge in dangerous times, doing dangerous things, and risking their lives on a daily basis. They were financially successful bootleggers during the Great Depression and after Prohibition was repealed they put the Detroit River behind them and settled in Bonita Springs, Florida. The brothers had visited this hamlet as younger men and had long been students of the wildlife of the Everglades and the regional wilderness. In the late 1930s they opened the Bonita Springs Reptile Gardens that evolved into Everglades Wonder Gardens, and which by the 1950s became Florida’s premier wildlife attraction. The Piper brothers owned and exhibited the world’s largest collection of threatened American crocodiles, and also pioneered captive propagation of the endangered Florida panther. They, and their animals, like “Old Slewfoot” of The Yearling, were featured in major motion pictures. Their Wonder Gardens educated tens of thousands of Americans in the early days of environmental education and eco-tourism. Their mission was clearly stated in their own words, “We have only a sincere desire to give the visitor a clear picture of the thrilling life, dangers, intrigue and constant struggle for existence that goes on in the depths of the impenetrable and fascinating Everglades.” The Piper brothers were undeniably the Wildlife Barons of the Everglades.”
Thirty-three black and white photographs. Format perfectbound (softcover only), 6" x 9" — 272 pages with notes and index. ISBN 978-0-88359-064-5. Published by Ralph Curtis Publishing. Publication date, May 15, 2010.
*This price includes book, shipping, PayPal fee, and if applicable, Florida sales tax — a bargain price.
Readers Comments about Everglades Wildlife Barons
April 19, 2010 — Once I’d began reading Everglades Wildlife Barons I couldn’t put it down. Not only was the book a compendium of personal experiences and personal experiences of others contemporaneous with the Piper Brothers, but all of the events and situations peripheral to the Piper’s story were thoroughly researched and factually presented. Though I only knew the Piper Brothers on sight from trips to the Wonder Gardens Charles’ gift for telling a story resurrected a lot of memories and reading it was a trip down the lane of nostalgia. Charles LeBuff, a writer of considerable skill, presents his subject matter with a flair and high degree of professionalism.
Wayne Hostetler
Plymouth, Indiana
May 16, 2010 — I recently read conservationist and author Charles LeBuff's latest book EVERGLADES WILDLIFE BARONS about the extraordinary PIPER BROTHERS (Bill & Lester) of Bonita Springs, Florida and their life helping to educate Florida visitors and conserve the local glades flora and fauna. After starting to read the book, I could not put it down and finished it that same evening. The book is well written, very interesting and above all entertaining. It brought tears of joy and happiness to my eyes about many good times when relating to the Piper's hard, fruitful work developing, owning and operating the Everglades Wonder Gardens. The cliché a must read comes to mind and I personally recommend it to my family and friends. Now that I've discovered this author's stimulating prose, I look forward to reading more of his published books.
Alton Watters
Albuquerque, NM
June 11, 2010 — "Charles LeBuff’s recent publication tracing the history of two of Bonita Springs’ most colorful and interesting original pioneers – Bill and Lester Piper - is more than an excellent read. Well researched and documented, the Everglades Wildlife Barons not only tells the story of the creation of the Everglades Wonder Gardens, but reveals a time when the narrow two-lane road, US 41 connecting Tampa and Miami became a snake-hunter’s paradise after sundown. Anyone interested in the history of Florida after WWII and prior to the creation of big-name theme and adventure parks, will treasure this title. Growing up in Bonita in the 50’s, I found myself laughing out loud at Charles’ accurate and colorful descriptions of Bonita's local residents and happenings."
Hank Ingles
South Dartmouth, MA
Sanybel Light
$24.95
Once known in the English-speaking world as Sanybel, the Sanibel Island of today is a bridge-linked popular resort destination on Florida's lower Gulf Coast. Until 1963, this subtropical island was a remote wildlife refuge, a secret retreat for famous Americans and sportsmen, and its wide white sand beach still has the reputation of being the nation's best beach for collecting seashells. Today, nearly a million people per year visit the wild mangrove forest of the famous J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Charles LeBuff shares intimate tales about a bygone, special lifestyle on this barrier island. He passes on to the reader his expert knowledge pertaining to the island's ecology, wildlife — especially alligators, the dastardly "red tide," sea turtles, and manatees — mosquitoes, horrific hurricanes, and the duties of a light keeper at the Sanibel Lighthouse. The creation of the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge and the City of Sanibel are fully covered as is "Ding" Darling, the man.
This book was written for the education and enjoyment of today's residents and those new visitors who will also "discover" their personal paradise on Sanibel Island. Sanybel Light is a book written especially for anyone who has ever experienced the charm of Sanibel and Captiva Islands.
The cover artwork was rendered by the author. Twenty black and white photographs. Format 6" x 9" — 304 pages. ISBN 978-0-9625013-1-9. First published in 1998, Sanybel Light is now in it's fourth printing.
ANOTHER SPECIAL BOOK — ON CD-ROM
The Sanibel Island Lighthouse
The Sanibel Island Lighthouse became operational on August 20, 1884 and was staffed by light keepers until April 1949. The author lived on Sanibel for 47 years . . . 22 of them actually at the lighthouse. A retired 32-year staff member at “Ding” Darling Refuge, a former Sanibel city council member, and until recently a board member of the Florida Lighthouse Association, Charles LeBuff has written several books about Sanibel, including his best-selling historical autobiography Sanybel Light. This CD is his first title in an electronic, computer-based format.
The Sanibel Island Lighthouse offers a full discourse on Sanibel Island's discovery, it's name origin, and historical events leading up to construction of the Light Station. The operation of the lighthouse over the last 124 years, and what has happened to it since it became automated in 1949, are fully discussed. The author gives thought-provoking suggestions about the future role of the facility. Each of the images have their own complete descriptive captions and are laid out in an order which tracks the Sanibel Island Light Station's time line.
This book is on a self-starting CD designed for Windows computers and it is an exceptional contribution to the early history of Sanibel Island and her historic lighthouse. The disc operates off any Internet browser. It does not require an Internet connection, and nothing is downloaded onto your hard drive. The CD self-starts on Windows computers after it is inserted into the CD-ROM drive — I'm told it will also function on the Mac platform. The disc’s text is in a large font (18 pt.) for ease of on-screen reading, and it’s contents are equal to a 125-page book, and if printed (optional) it produces 90 full 8.5-x11-inch pages. Purchasers are authorized to print one hard copy. More than fifty historical .jpg images, each with it’s own in-depth caption are distributed through the text. Several photos were taken inside the light tower, which is off-limits to the public. The architectural floor plan and an elevation of the lighthouse quarters are included, they are published on this CD for the first time.
The CD comes in its own plastic case.
