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Title: Take the Cannoli, Leave the Book
Review: I tried in vain to read this book, as I am very interested in Tampa's rich history. I didn't see the first citation until several chapters in, and the research in general is extremely weak. The author simply repeats newspaper accounts without adding anything else, so he perpetuates flawed or false accounts without questioning them.The terrible methodology would be partly forgivable if the author supplied a compelling text that was fun to read. Instead, the writing itself is laughable, with no real attempt to edit for style or content. There is certainly no artistry in the writing--- it is bone dry.As an aspiring historian with a deep interest in Florida history, this book was too bad to finish. I'm happy that I borrowed it from a friend rather than buy a copy. If I had bought a copy, I think i would have sent the book to the author, only beside a fish wrapped in newspaper. "Cigar City Mafia sleeps with the fishes."
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