"Ogle captures this island city in all its quirky charm. Her story breezes along in typical Key West fashion--full of gossip and humor, with the jolt of a good cup of Cuban coffee."--Lee Irby, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg Parrotheads, Hemingway aficionados, and sun worshipers view Key West as a tropical paradise, and scores of writers have set tales of mystery and romance on the island. The city's real story--told by Maureen Ogle in this lively and engaging illustrated account--is as fabulous as fiction. In the early 1800s, the city's pioneer founders battled Indians, pirates, and deadly disease and created wealth beyond their imaginations. In the two centuries since, Key West has nurtured tragedy and triumph and has stood at the crossroads of American history. When Florida joined the Confederacy in 1861, Union troops seized control of strategically located Key West and city residents spent four years living under martial law. In the early 1890s, Key West Cubans helped Jose Marti launch the revolution that eventually ended Spain's control of their homeland. A few years later, the battleship Maine steamed out of Key West harbor on its last, tragic voyage. At the turn of the century, Henry Flagler astounded the entire country by building a technological marvel, an overseas railroad from mainland Florida to Key West, more than 100 miles long. In the 1920s and 1930s, painters, rumrunners, and writers (including Ernest Hemingway and Robert Frost) discovered Key West. During World War II, the federal government and the military war machine permanently altered the island's landscape. In the second half of the 20th century, bohemians, hippies, gays, and jet-setters began writing a new chapter in Key West's social history. All of these personalities and events are wrapped in Ogle's unique and candid history of the island, an account that will fascinate past and present citizens of the Conch Republic, history buffs who like a well-told tale, and the millions of tourists from all over the world who love this colorful island city. Maureen Ogle is retired from the University of South Alabama.

Key Largo is a subtropical escape. The island's history has been shaped by coral reefs as well as wreckers, farmers, and fishermen. Key Largo was homesteaded by intrepid families who braved life before the modern conveniences of running water, air-conditioning, and mosquito control were introduced. Inevitably, big changes were coming. Henry Flagler's Key West Extension changed the Florida Keys; hurricanes, too, have altered life here, especially the Great Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, the strongest storm ever recorded in the United States. Since then, the island has been immortalized in movie and song, but modern Key Largo has been defined by fishing and diving, which led to the development of the hospitality industry that dominates today. This book reveals Key Largo's other facets: the coral castle, underwater park, pineapple farmers, and artists that carved their history on this island.

For more than twenty years, the Insiders' Guide series has remained the essential source for in-depth travel and relocation information. Written by locals and true insiders, each guide is packed with useful tips on places to stay, restaurants, events, attractions, fun thnigs to do with the kids, nightlife, recreation, shopping, local history, and much more--as well as a comprehensive appendix called "Living Here" that offers information on real estate, education, health care, and more.

Insiders' Guide to Florida Keys & Key West is a beautiful full-color guide and the essential source for in-depth travel information for visitors and locals to this ever-growing city. Written by a local (and true insider), Insiders' Guide to Florida Keys & Key West offers a personal and practical perspective of this location that makes it a must-have guide for travelers as well as residents looking to rediscover their hometown.

Stretching from Miami to the Gulf of Mexico, this free-spirited archipelago is full of beaches, palm trees, and adventure. Dive in with Moon Florida Keys. Inside you'll find: Strategic itineraries for any timeline or budget, ranging from a Key West getaway to a week-long road trip along the Overseas Highway, including coverage of the gateway city of Miami and an excursion into the Everglades Detailed maps and full-color photos throughout Activities and ideas for every traveler: Explore the fascinating coral reefs and shipwrecks of Key Largo, or visit Hemmingway's house, full of his favorite polydactyl cats. Taste authentic Cuban food in Miami, spot colorful birds and canoe with gators in the Everglades, or visit the National Key Deer Refuge. Sip the best mojitos, discover the most secluded beaches, and enjoy the freshest key lime pie. Full coverage of Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and the Middle Keys, Big Pine and the Lower Keys, and Key West The best spots for sports and recreation, including sailing, fishing, kayaking, biking, diving, and snorkeling along the only living barrier reef in the continental USA Expert insight from Florida local Joshua Lawrence Kinser Honest advice on when to go, how to get around, and where to stay, from historic inns and beachside B&Bs to budget motels and campgrounds Thorough information on the landscape, climate, wildlife, and local culture With Moon Florida Keys expert advice, myriad activities, and local know-how on the best things to do and see, you can plan your trip your way. Expanding your trip? Check out Moon Florida, or Moon Florida Road Trip. Visiting the Caribbean? Try Moon Dominican Republic or Moon Jamaica.