The Everglades was once reviled as a liquid wasteland, and Americans dreamed of draining it. Now it is revered as a national treasure, and Americans have launched the largest environmental project in history to try to save it. "The Swamp" is the stunning story of the destruction and possible resurrection of the Everglades, the saga of man's abuse of nature in southern Florida and his unprecedented efforts to make amends. Michael Grunwald, a prize-winning national reporter for "The Washington Post," takes readers on a riveting journey from the Ice Ages to the present, illuminating the natural, social and political history of one of America's most beguiling but least understood patches of land.

The Everglades was America's last frontier, a wild country long after the West was won. Grunwald chronicles how a series of visionaries tried to drain and "reclaim" it, and how Mother Nature refused to bend to their will; in the most harrowing tale, a 1928 hurricane drowned 2,500 people in the Everglades. But the Army Corps of Engineers finally tamed the beast with levees and canals, converting half the Everglades into sprawling suburbs and sugar plantations. And though the southern Everglades was preserved as a national park, it soon deteriorated into an ecological mess. The River of Grass stopped flowing, and 90 percent of its wading birds vanished.

Now America wants its swamp back. Grunwald shows how a new breed of visionaries transformed Everglades politics, producing the $8 billion rescue plan. That plan is already the blueprint for a new worldwide era of ecosystem restoration. And this book is a cautionary tale for that era. Through gripping narrative and dogged reporting, Grunwald shows how the Everglades is still threatened by the same hubris, greed and well-intentioned folly that led to its decline.

Michael Grunwald is a reporter at "The Washington Post." He has won the George Polk Award for national reporting, the Worth Bingham Prize for investigative reporting, and many other awards. He lives in Miami with his wife, Cristina Dominguez.

Visit his website at www.michaelgrunwald.com.

Drawing on new documents and interviews with more than 400 sources, award-winning reporter Michael Grunwald reveals the vivid story behind one of the most important and least understood laws in U.S. history, President Obama's $800 billion stimulus. Grunwald's "New York Times" bestseller shows how the politically disastrous stimulus was a real new New Deal, preventing a depression while jumpstarting the president's ambitious agenda for lasting change. It launched America's transition to a clean-energy economy, established the boldest education reform in U.S. history, overhauled the nation's antipoverty programs, and funded the most extensive infrastructure investments since Eisenhower's interstate highway system. This is the definitive account not only of a transformative law, but of a transformative president's first term.

The Air Force, and more specifically the joint/combined force air component commander (J/CFACC), firmly believes airpower must operate under the twin tenets of centralized control and decentralized execution to be effective. The Cold War ushered in an era of centralized execution of airborne strategic intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations that bled into theater-level ISR execution in the 1990s and through Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. This execution construct, coupled with ISR reachback exploitation, has created a perception that theater-level ISR operations are not responsive to tactical situations. Physical distances between the operational environment, combined air operations center (CAOC), and exploitation units have fostered distrust and removed critical insight and ISR expertise from tactical level planning and execution. To maintain ISR relevancy at the tactical level, the J/CFACC must change its tactical ISR organization and execution methodology. This paper draws on well-established close air support (CAS) doctrine and organizational models to build new ISR organizational and execution constructs to bridge the gap between theater-level ISR assets and tactical operations. These models bind ISR asset, exploiter, CAOC, and the supported unit through face-to-face interactions and standardized processes that apply across any theater of operations or combatant command.

The Air Force, and more specifically the J/CFACC, firmly believes air power must operate under the twin tenets of centralized control and decentralized execution in order to be effective. The Cold War ushered in an era of centralized execution of airborne strategic ISR operations that bled into theater-level ISR execution in the 1990s and through Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. This execution construct, coupled with ISR reachback exploitation, have created a perception that theater-level ISR operations are not responsive to tactical situations. Physical distances between the operational environment, CAOC, and exploitation units have fostered a sense of distrust and removed critical insight and ISR expertise from tactical level planning and execution. In order to maintain ISR relevancy at the tactical level, the J/CFACC must change its tactical ISR organization and execution methodology. This paper draws on well-established CAS doctrine and organizational models to build new ISR organizational and execution constructs to bridge the gap between theater-level ISR assets and tactical operations. These models bind ISR asset, exploiter, CAOC, and the supported unit together through face-to-face interactions and standardized processes that apply across any theater of operations or combatant command.

Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) is undergoing a tremendous transition-as a growing core competency and an operational entity in its own right. This paper draws on well-established close air support doctrine and organizational models to build new ISR organizational and execution constructs to bridge the gap between theater-level ISR assets and tactical operations. These models bind ISR asset, exploiter, CAOC, and the supported unit together through face-to-face interactions and standardized processes that apply across any theater of operations or combatant command.

"Fervent and stirring."--David Yarnold, president and CEO, National Audubon Society "Stone's spectacular photography captures the splendor of America's Everglades. His remarkable book is convincing proof that our nation cannot risk losing this unique natural wonder."--Eric Eikenberg, CEO, Everglades Foundation ""Everglades" takes us into the lives of elusive species living far from the boardwalks and tourist trails. With the mind of a scientist, eyes of an artist, and the heart of an adventurer, Stone bears witness to the unrivaled beauty of America's wetland."--Carlton Ward Jr., author of "Florida Cowboys" "What Mac Stone has done in pictures is akin to what Marjory Stoneman Douglas did with words, and our understanding and appreciation of the Everglades has once again been transformed."--John Moran, author of "Journal of Light" "Showcases the natural beauty of the Everglades region and touches upon the critical issues that face resource managers today. It offers a dynamic visual experience and gives a very moving account of this often misunderstood national treasure."--Roger Hammer, author of "A Falcon Guide to Everglades National Park and the Surrounding Area" "Mac Stone's photographs capture the essence of the Everglades, a vast and unique natural area that continues to be threatened by commercial interests."--Jerald Milanich, coauthor of "Enchantments: Julian Dimock's Photographs of Southwest Florida"

From Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay, from inside the bone-crushing jaws of an alligator to the storms that race across the blackwater backcountry, award-winning conservation photographer Mac Stone takes us on a visual journey through the Everglades. More than 200 striking photographs showcase the natural beauty of this unique wetland, capturing the amazing depths of its landscapes, the diversity of its wildlife, and the resilience of the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.
Aerial views highlight the vast expanse of the River of Grass. Underwater images capture the endless wonders of the Everglades, including sharks darting through mangrove roots. Intimate close-ups showcase awe-inspiring flora and fauna such as the ghost orchid, the Florida panther, the endangered Everglades snail kite, roseate spoonbills, and, of course, the majestic American alligator.
As a biologist for the National Audubon Society, Stone traveled to the most remote areas of the Everglades to collect these images. With his camera, he explored Everglades National Park, Corkscrew Swamp, Fisheating Creek, and dozens of sites that few are permitted to visit. His stunning photographs capture the innumerable facets of this ecological marvel while speaking to the importance of wilderness conservation and the need to protect these amazingly wild wetlands.
In a special foreword, Michael Grunwald introduces readers to a short history of the Everglades, from the immense amount of developing and restructuring it has endured to a discussion of the dangers inherent to destroying such an important ecosystem. Grunwald breaks down just how crucial Everglades restoration is, not only for Florida but as a litmus test for other watersheds around the world.
Exclusive essays from the top minds in Everglades conservation appear throughout the book, opening an even wider perspective on Stone's powerful photographs. With its stellar selection of informative writings, together with images that have wowed National Geographic, the BBC, NPR, as well as magazines and newspapers across the globe, "Everglades" provides a rare glimpse at the world's most famous wetland.