The Florida Keys: A History & Guide, Ninth Edition (Paperback)

~ Joy Williams (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The Keys are some of the most intriguing places overlooked on the tourist's headlong rush down U.S. 1 from Miami to Key West. Part-time Key West resident and fiction writer Williams enlivens the linear tour with side trips to such unlikely sites as the Bat Tower and the Big Torch Key scenic drive to nowhere. She devotes half the book to the big city, Key West, debunking many myths accepted as fact. Williams writes of the quirky things to see and do on the coral reefs and tropical streets, and the history of each Key is followed by the expected where to eat, drink, and sleep. As establishments come and go, so too do the natural elements on the Keys. Williams's prose encourages the reader to head for the Keys before things change too much. An excellent tourbook; recommended for public and academic libraries. Susan Hamburger, Florida State Univ. Lib., Tallahassee
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

?One of the best guidebooks ever written.??Condé Nast Traveler

?A magnificent, tragi-comic guide.??Condé Nast Traveler

?From Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas, novelist Joy Williams has captured the local nuances of the Keys, providing a galaxy of information, including the history of each islet. Flora and fauna, gingerbread architecture and buried treasure?every hamlet, hangout, hotel and eatery is candidly appraised. There?s plenty to see and do in the Keys, and here?s the lowdown from a native.? ?The Literate Traveller

?Interwoven with the tourist details are nature lore and historical nuggets guaranteed to change the way you look at the social and ecosystems of the Keys.??BookPage -- Review --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 9th edition (June 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037575556X
• ISBN-13: 978-0375755569
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,173,026 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The perfect Keys travel companion, June 21, 2000

By	Henry M. Rector Jr. (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My dog-eared and heavily underlined copy of the 8th edition attests to the fact that over the course of many visits, Ms. Williams has been a reliable and marvelously opinionated guide to this quirky corner of America. This is not a conventional tourist's handbook of the type that merely rates this hotel or that restaurant with so many stars, although Williams' advice on these matters is invariably sound. It is, rather, what its title indicates: a history and guide. If you want to understand what the region is really all about, the rich cache of lore in this book will enrich your trip immensely. Key West and the other islands aren't "paradise," although they may look like it at first glance. They're more interesting than that. Their story is by turns uproarious, bizarre, sad, and disorderly. Like other Caribbean islands, the Keys (in particular the town of Key West) have experienced a historical Wild Mouse ride of booms and busts. It's a story well worth reading, and Joy Williams -- also a distinguished author of fiction -- is uniquely qualified to tell it. She also writes with special feeling and expertise about the Keys' unique ecology. As you drive down US 1 to Key West, counting down those mile markers as you go, keep this book within easy reach. It is an informative practical guide as well as a first-rate work of travel literature.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The organization is very user friendly., June 7, 2000

By	J. Hauer "me" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Before my last trip to the Keys, I picked up two books: this one and the Insider's Guide to the Keys. The Insider's Guide was less opinionated and had more "tourist" information but it was harder to find what you were looking for.

This book is organized is such a manner that it's very simple to find out the history of each Key as you drive down the Overseas Highway from Florida City to Key West. You'll read about the attractions, the places to stay and the restaurants Key by Key. That's very helpful. There's no flipping from chapter to chapter just to find out about the attractions in one place, dining in another, water activities in yet another place and accomodations elsewhere.

I also liked the opinions that the author expressed. For example, her takes on the Conch Tour Train, the Little White House, Mallory Square and the Key West Aquarium were right in line with our experiences. We happily skipped some other attractions based on this book and we don't believe we missed out on a thing.

If anything, there are some interesting things we saw in the Keys that weren't touched upon in this guidebook. How could the author leave out Robbie's Marina where for $1 you can "SEE the Tarpon" and for an additional $2 you can "FEED the Tarpon"? This "attraction" was mentioned to me at least a dozen times by various people I talked to, including a stranger at the post office in Virginia!

I really enjoyed this guidebook and only wish that it was even more comprehensive.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Getting Off the Beaten Path, August 4, 2001

By	Lori (Monmouth Junction, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

In the last three and one-half years, my husband and I have vacationed in the Keys 9 times (mostly in Key West) and have thoroughly enjoyed our experiences. We usually fly into Fort Lauderdale and drive down Route 1 through the Keys, never exploring the many side roads we have encountered. I recently had minor surgery and was out of work for a few weeks, so I went to the library to find some reading material to keep me occupied, and this was one of the books I checked out. I read it from cover to cover, often showing my husband a passage mentioning something we hadn't yet learned or discovered on our own. We finally got an explanation for the mysterious white blimp we have seen flying over Cudjoe Key. Both of us were delighted to find some of our favorite restaurants (Banana Cafe, Mangoes, Mangrove Mama's and Finnegan's Wake) and bars (Captain Tony's and Schooner Wharf) accurately described. Montego Bay on Big Pine Key isn't mentioned, but we'll forgive the author for the oversight. (Maybe she's not a Green Bay Packers fan. The owners and most of the clientele, us included, are.) We have stayed in several guest houses, but have always returned to our favorite, Westwinds, which is the first the author lists in her chapter reviewing the Guest Houses of Key West. In 7 weeks we will be in the Keys again, and this time we are taking this book along to help us "get off the beaten path," Route 1, and enhance our travels through "Paradise."