True Stories Of The Perilous Straits

Gripping stories during the Age of Sail from the time of Spanish navigators of the 16th century to the end of the Second Seminole War in 1842. Many died in shipwrecks and attacks by natives and pirates as they attempted to navigate the 110-mile sea passage between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean south of the Florida Keys and the Florida Reef. It has been called one of the most dangerous passages in the world. There are accounts of castaway mariners, native divers, privateersmen, pirates, and smugglers.

Simonton, Duval, Eaton, Whitehead, Southard, Truman—if you discover how these Key West streets, and all the others, came by their names, you will know much of the history of this little island at the nethermost end of the continental United States. You will learn of the rise and fall and rise again of the fortunes of this island town, which has played such a rich role in the history of the country as a whole. The author starts each section with an engaging history of the person for whom the street is named. Then he takes us along the street, pointing out the buildings and sites of historic interest along the way. This method builds and reinforces our grasp of Key West's history as the island is crisscrossed with sites that evoke nearly every aspect of its past. What emerges is a unique and quirky history of Key West, as well as a fascinating guide to wandering its streets, boulevards, alleys, and lanes.

Today, on the Keys between Key West and the mainland, some forty thousand residents and thousands of visitors fish, swim, sail and dive int he crystal clear waters off a tropical reef; relax in the sun adn cooling trade wind breezes; and sleep in the air-conditioned comfort of their homes and hotel rooms. On these same islands, as short a time as eighty years ago, fewer than three hundred inhabitants tried to eke out a living without benefit of electricity, running water, radios, or telephones. The stories of these hard pioneers and their predecessors, as far back as the Native Americans who lived on the Keys at least one thousand years ago, are told, many for the first time, in this book.

Key West is a tropical island at the end of the Florida Keys. Quiet, quaint and completely bizarre. The authors of True Secrets of Key West Revealed! went to great lengths to research the hidden truths about this island paradise. In a lively question and answer format you will learn what restaurant has a graveyard in it, what has protected Key West from hurricanes since 1918 and about the crazy count who lived and slept with his dead "wife's" body...for seven years! Indexed for easy reference. You won't find a funnier or more accurate place for information about the odder side of Key West.

A collection of stories drawn from Florida history, folklore, and fiction.

Virtually every month for fourteen years, Gene Burnett wrote a history piece under the title "Florida's Past" for Florida Trend, Florida's respected magazine of business and finance. The first volume of collected essays from that series proved so popular among book readers that two more volumes have been published. Pineapple Press is now proud to make them available in paperback. Burnett's easygoing style and his sometimes surprising choice of topics make history good reading. Each volume divides Florida's people and events into Achievers and Pioneers, Villains and Characters, Heroes and Heroines, War and Peace, and Calamities and Social Turbulence. Read a chapter and you'll find you've gone on to read more. Read this volume and you'll find yourself looking for the next two. Next in series > > See all of the books in this series

Folktales teach, inform, and heal. Most of all, they entertain. Here's a collection of tales rich with homespun humor, charm, and wisdom--all told with flair by some of Florida's best and most sought-after storytellers. Their stories will make you feel part of the great "family" that is Florida. If it's spooky ghost stories you crave, let "The Silent Customer," "Kissimmee Bound," and "The Ghost Dog of the Biltmore" chill your spine. Heed the Cracker wisdom handed down in "Seek the Higher Ground," cow-hunter poetry with a message. Chuckle over the misadventures of Flossie, Bubba, and Flo in "Three Little Cracker Pigs," a tongue-in-cheek version of the classic children's tale. Test your wits against the little troll in "Angelina and Cigam." Will he have you running in circles, growing smaller with each snap of his fingers? Take "Cousin Cassie's Cookin" with a grain of salt. It's not true, of course. Then again, if Cassie asks you to dinner, say you have other plans. Many Indian legends attempt to explain why the world exists as it is. In this tradition, several tales target specific flukes of nature--the rabbit's short tail, the flamingo's long neck, the woodpecker's lack of song--and offer entertaining reasons for their existence. Discover these legends too: "The Devil's Millhopper," "The Legend of Lake Okeechobee," "Monkey, the Trickster," "Why Florida Key Deer Are So Small." A few history lessons never hurt anyone, and these are entertaining as well. Jonathan Dickinson, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Jake Summerlin have a thing or two to teach you about overcoming adversity and being resourceful. Settle back into your easy chair and let these tales entertain you.

Chronicles both land and sea maneuvers in Florida during the Civil War.