Key West on the Edge

How the unique island city came to be a major tourist destination

Florida Historical Society Charlton Tebeau Book Award

Key West lies at the southernmost point of the continental United States,ninety miles from Cuba, at Mile Marker 0 on famed U.S. Highway 1. Famous forsix-toed cats in the Hemingway House, Sloppy Joe's and Captain Tony's, JimmyBuffett songs, body paint parade "costumes," and a brief secessionfrom the Union after which the Conch Republic asked for $1 billion in foreignaid, Key West also lies at the metaphorical edge of our sensibilities.



Howthis unlikely city came to be a tourist mecca is the subject of RobertKerstein's intrepid new history. Sited on an island only four miles long andtwo miles wide, Key West has been fishing village, salvage yard, U.S. Navybase, cigar factory, hippie haven, gay enclave, cruise ship port-of-call, andmore. Duval Street, which stretches the length of one of the most unusualcities in America, is today lined with brand-name shops that can be found inany major shopping mall in America.



Leavingno stone unturned, Kerstein reveals how Key West has changed dramatically overthe years while holding on to the uniqueness that continues to attract touristsand new residents to the island.