Key West: History of an Island of Dreams

By Maureen Ogle

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813029937
• ISBN13: 9780813029931
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Riveting history

A book on the history of Key West -- with all of its pirates, wreckers, rum runners and assorted scalawags -- should be lively, engaging and colorful. Maureen Ogle has accomplished just that with this readable and fascinating story. I say "story" because it reads that way, as a tale, not a dry recitation of events.Dry? Hardly. You won't get through this book without your jaw dropping at some of the incidents related in its pages. Ogle's research is thorough with plenty of personal correspondence and colorful firsthand detail that really gives you a resident's eye view of this island.I'm visiting Key West next year and I can't wait to go. Whether or not you've been there, this book makes for an excellent read. Highly recommended.

Couldn't put it down!

I grew up in the Florida Keys, and this historical account has been my favorite so far! I could feel, smell and see Key West through the author's writings, which were peppered with personal stories of the people who lived there throughout history. Wonderful details were included that enhanced my knowledge of events I've always been curious about. Highly recommended!

Any who relishes the region will want this lively history

Key West has long been relished as a tropical paradise: this provides not just a travelogue of the region, but a history of Key West's many changes; from its Union seizure where citizens lived under martial law for four years, to its technical marvel of a vast overseas railroad which ran from mainland Florida to Key West. Any who relishes the region will want this lively history.

Superb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

History at its finest and most alluring--that's what you'll find when you read Maureen Ogle's, KEY WEST. This book is so well-written that for the first time in my life, I've decided to check out Hemingway-land for myself. I have a feeling I'm going to love it--almost as much as I loved this book! Did I mention the romance & mystery? It's there, along with some fantastic photos of balls and locals and tourists and all sorts of events from days gone-by. This is a really, really special book that will remain in my library forever.

makes history accessible and interesting...

Ogle's use of imagery and language elevate this subject above and beyond your typical scholarly tome. Never dry or overly academic, the author's novelistic treatment makes the history of this magical island come alive. Highly recommended for history buffs, "Papa" devotees, and anyone else who appreciates a masterful blend of information and good old-fashioned storytelling. I eagerly await the author's soon-to-be-published book about beer!