Key West in History

by Rodney P. Carlisle, Loretta Carlisle

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.

Genres: Travel

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

Dr. Rodney P. Carlisle is a professor emeritus of Rutgers University. He received his AB degree from Harvard College and his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He most recently served as general editor of the award-winning Encyclopedia of Politics: The Left and Right (2005) and authored The Iraq War (2004).

Reviews

[Amy Mantooth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent history of Key West. I had no idea that this magical place was so filled with history. Excellent job Rodney Carlisle. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is planning a visit to Key West, wants to go there someday, or just love reading about the history of the State of Florida. I can't wait to go back to Key West just so I can explore the historical places I missed when I was there.

[Mjjohnson1216 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book to read before visiting Key West to help you learn more about what you will see there.

[Jen Parenti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this while sitting outside at my lovely hotel in Old Town Key West!!

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, informative history