• The Florida Keys: A History & Guide
  • Courtesy of Random House

The Florida Keys: A History & Guide, 10th Edition

by Joy Williams. Random House, 2003; $13.95

When Condé Nast Traveler calls a book “One of the best guidebooks ever written,” it’s probably worth taking a look—and Joy Williams’ The Florida Keys doesn’t disappoint, even five years after its latest revision. This is the 10th and final edition by the novelist/guidebook writer and her descriptive style transcends the sometimes tedious genre. Williams has a real sense of indignity and sadness about what she calls our “environmental mistakes,” which comes through in her writing and is why she discontinued revising the book after this edition. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, this makes for a compelling read. You’ll have a better appreciation for this fragile spit of land and maybe even do what you can to help preserve it.

Pros

Williams’ love of the Keys, her deep interest in history and her passion for nature draw the reader in. You could easily sit and read through the book and forget that you are reading a guide. Once you visit the Keys, her details about dolphin legends, stories of pirates and observations of wildlife will come back to you, making you feel a sense of déjà vu, even if this is your first time visiting.

Great Tips

Details on where to get great barbecue on Sundays (local churches in Bahama Village), where to view the best sunset (Fort Taylor) and how to avoid the most touristy places, offer the visitor facts you won’t likely find elsewhere.

Cons

Clearly a guide five years past publication is going to have some out-of-date details. You’ll have to check online or with other guides on current prices, opening times and other vital information. Williams is an avid environmentalist. If you can’t bear to read about man’s flagrant abuse of the natural world, you will not like this guide.

Worth Buying?

Yes, if you like history and colorful stories and don’t need blow-by-blow itineraries.