Jonathan Dickinson's heroic tale of shipwreck survivors struggling amid "cannibals" and "savages" on Florida's east coast became a 17th century best seller. But Dickinson was also witness to the last days of Spanish Florida and its Native Americans.

In this revealing book, journalist-historian James D. Snyder narrates the journey in modern English then sheds light on some critical questions:

Why did the Spanish come to Florida? Why did they fail? Why did the Indian population literally disappear after thriving for over 5,000 years? Why were the English hated in Florida? Why did Dickinson, an abolitionist Quaker, own many slaves? What became of them - and of Dickinson himself?