Paul E. Hoffman – författare

Florida has had many frontiers. Imagination, greed, missionary zeal, disease, war, and diplomacy have created its historical boundaries. Bodies of water, soil, flora and fauna, the patterns of Native American occupation, and ways of colonizing have defined Florida's frontiers. Paul E. Hoffman tells the story of those frontiers and how the land and the people shaped them during the three centuries from 1565 to 1860.For settlers to La Florida, the American Southeast ca. 1500, better natural and human resources were found on the piedmont and on the western side of Florida's central ridge, while the coasts and coastal plains proved far less inviting. But natural environment was only one important factor in the settlement of Florida. The Spaniards, the British, the Seminole and Miccosuki, the Spaniards once again, and finally Americans constructed their Florida frontiers in interaction with the Native Americans who were present, the vestiges of earlier frontiers, and international events. The near-completion of the range and township surveys by 1860 and of the deportation of most of the Seminole and Miccosuki mark the end of the Florida frontier, though frontier-like conditions persisted in many parts of the state into the early 20th century.For this major work of Florida history, Hoffman has drawn from a broad range of secondary works and from his intensive research in Spanish archival sources of the 16th and 17th centuries. Florida's Frontiers will be welcomed by students of history well beyond the Sunshine State.

Because of the legendary exploits of Sir Francis Drake, most people have heard of the sixteenth-century conflicts between the English and the Spanish in the New World. Paul Hoffman looks behind the legend to discover the reality of what the Spanish crown was doing to defend its empire against raiders such as Drake.Using quantitative as well as literary data on the costs, types, and locations of defenses and on the locations and types of corsair incidents, Hoffman documents the evolution of s system of defenses that he believes was adequate for confronting the violence of the French and English in the years before 1586. He suggests that the size of Drake's expedition of 1586 was a response to this system and in turn caused the Spanish to abandon the system in favor of one that concentrated on the defense of the major towns and trade routes.Besides telling the complex story of how the Spanish built forts, installed garrisons and artillery, and patrolled the Caribbean, Hoffman discusses the ways in which the political system of the empire shaped decisions on defenses. Contrary to what many have believed, Hoffman concludes, Spain exhibited neither military failure nor timidity in its defense of hits interest in the New World. Sharing the results of his meticulous research about the Spanish Caribbean, Paul Hoffman examines an important period that legend has obscured.

Paul E. Hoffman's groundbreaking book focuses on a neglected area of colonial history -- southeastern North America during the sixteenth-century. Hoffman describes expeditions to the region, efforts at colonization, and rivalries between the French, Spanish, and English. He reveals the ways in which the explorers' expectations -- fueled by legends -- crumbled in the face of difficulties encountered along the southeastern coast. The first book to link the earliest voyages with the explorations of the sixteenth century and the settlement of later colonies, Hoffman's work is an important reassessment of southern colonial history.

With simple narrative and lovely pictures, this inspiring devotional resource follows Christ on his final journey to the cross. Through it, the ancient rite of the stations finds a post-modern expression that is both fresh and poignant. Supplemented with Scriptural texts, this accessible set of devotions brings the wonder and mystery of Christ''s compassion into the everyday lives of contemporary readers. The Stations of the Cross is an excellent resource for Lenten studies, individual devotional use, sermon preparation, or parish planning. The inclusion of Hoffman''s own photos of the ten stations from churches and cathedrals in Western Europe adds an extra element of wonder, mystery, and awe.

Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in Seattle discovered that by forming the faith of new Christians and leading them to the waters of baptism, they as a parish were renewed and revitalized for mission in the world. Faith Forming Faith describes the year-long process of faith mentoring that has become the center of this congregation''s ministry. Hoffman''s easy narrative style weaves together solid pastoral and theological insights with the practical, real-life stories of lives transformed by a vibrant new faith--the lives of newcomers and long-time members alike. This is a great primer for anyone wanting more than a pastor''s class, more than another curriculum. It is a book for pastors, parish leaders, or seminarians. But it''s also a great witness to a skeptical, questioning world outside the Church as well, showing that a life of faith can be lived in a secular, questioning culture.