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by Rodney Carlisle (Author), Loretta Carlisle (Author)
Key West is a unique travel destination whose history is so rich, it can be confusing for first-time visitors. Tourists walk through a mix of nineteenth-, twentieth-, and twenty-first‒century historic homes and attractions in a blur of fascinating impressions. They get no clear picture of the evolution of the city from its beginnings to the present and no sense of how all of the sites fit into history nor of the significance of Key West in American social, military, and intellectual history. Key West in History changes all of that. More than a typical, site-by-site guidebook, this book presents over 50 Key West sites in historical context--an invaluable resource for the visitor or student who wants a deeper understanding of how the city represents different eras of American and Floridian history, and how specific sites reflect important periods and trends in the past. Each chapter describes the events of a period of Key West history, and is accompanied by photographs of selected sites that represent that period.
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Back Jacket
This lively, photo-rich guide to things to see in Key West takes you through the nearly 200-year history of this unique town, era by era. From the first dedicated Navy officers putting down Caribbean pirates, through daring salvage captains and their crews, Confederate and Union patriots, spongers and deep-sea fishermen, entrepreneurs, Cuban revolutionaries, rascals and Bohemians, Key West unfolds its attractions. Key West played a crucial role in many phases of American history since its founding in 1821, due to its position at the Southernmost tip of the continental United States and as a unique tropical get-away for writers and artists, rebels and presidents. This volume takes the visitor through the sites that tell the story of each period, with photographs and site descriptions that place the town's churches, forts, homes, saloons and cigar factories, museums and monuments, all in the larger context of the city and the nation's history. The story is studded with characters from Captain David Porter, through Stephen Mallory and Jose Marti, to Ernest Hemingway, Harry Truman, Mel Fisher, and Jimmy Buffett, who each left their mark on the town. This guide to the sites that witnessed the characters and events is an indispensable tool for historic sightseeing."
Author Biography
Rodney Carlisle is professor emeritus of history from Rutgers University and the author of more than 40 books, including St. Augustine in History. Loretta Carlisle is a professional photographer who has published photography in a number of books.
