Growing Up In Pensacola is a collection of essays written over the past several years, some of which were published in Dockside Magazine between 2001 and 2003.  Additional essays, written since that time are included.  The objective of this book is to share with the readers some of the seventy-seven year old author’s experiences growing up in a big family in Pensacola from the 1930’s until the present.  The nearly five dozen essays include many pictures that are relative to the subject matter of the essays, which vary from humorous to serious.  The topics covered are from grammar school to local politics and the concerns of family and friends during World War II and much more.  The love of community and respect for friends and neighbors is evident in the stories about East Pensacola Heights and the joy of summers spent in and on Bayou Texar.  The love of boats and fishing by the author’s family and friends is demonstrated throughout the book, and includes accounts of collisions and near involvement with U-Boats in the Gulf of Mexico.  The author’s faith remains intact as he explains his journey from one church denomination to another. It's a potpourri of  stories which can be read in any order, written in a conversational style that makes reading it entertaining and enjoyable.   

The author, Charlie Davis, is a graduate of Florida State University, with a degree in Insurance and Real Estate, and is retired from careers in Insurance, Real Estate, and Residential Construction.  He is the father of four adult children and the grandfather of nine grandchildren.  He and his wife, Sandra, live in Gulf Breeze, Florida.