A handful of books published in the last few decades brought to light the residential achievements of American architect Addison C. Mizner (1872–1933), who popularized the Mediterranean Revival style in the 1920s in Florida and other parts of the U.S. Now Stephen Perkins and James Caughman add more knowledge and understanding of this inventive architect through a book that is both social history and architectural compendium.

Mizner’s eclectic style, where touches of Gothic architecture supplemented Spanish colonial motifs, romanticized an era and helped its occupants deal with the heat: he provided high ceilings, fans, tiled and stuccoed walls, and aligned windows for cross ventilation. His houses cooled off their inhabitants outdoors too, through covered terraces, deep porches, and fountains.