Explore the state's most intriguing public markers, memorials, and monuments

"A good book that tells you the story behind the monuments, memorials, and statues wherever you go in Florida"--Stuart McIver, author of Death in the Everglades

"Will give readers and users a deeper appreciation for the rich history of the Sunshine State"--Paul S. George, author of Little Havana

Florida is dotted with a wide array of public monuments, statues, and memorials that commemorate significant moments in regional and national history. Many of these honor well-known people, places, or events, while others celebrate the obscure or nearly forgotten.

In A Brief Guide to Florida's Monuments and Memorials, award-winning travel writer Roberta Sandler presents a key to more than eighty of the most intriguing sites the state has to offer. Organized geographically, the book recommends stops throughout Florida and covers a full five centuries of state history. In-depth descriptions carefully chronicle the sometimes hidden stories behind the markers, including the person or the event honored as well as the process of erecting the monument or memorial.

From Civil War to civil rights, from Spanish colonization to the twentieth-century founder of Coral Gables, from Florida natives to famous visitors, intriguing monuments and memorials stretch from Pensacola to the Keys. Whether your interest is in the Okeechobee, Olustee, or Dade battlefields, the 1838 Constitutional Convention, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, John Ringling, Ponce de León, Herbert Hoover, Jackie Robinson, Ernest Hemingway, or a host of others, this book will reveal the stories behind the extraordinary people, places, and events celebrated throughout the state.

Roberta Sandler is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, and San Diego Union-Tribune.

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" A key not only to interesting sites, but to the Sunshine State's long and storied history. It's a compact book, easy to fit into a glove compartment and consult during your travels around the state."
--Treasure Coast Palm

" Whether you're interested in the Civil War, civil rights, John Ringling or Jackie Robinson, the stories behind the makers are in Sandler's book."
--The Florida Times-Union

" People wanting to truly enjoy and understand the Florida of today would be well served by using this book as a guide."
--Boca Raton News

"If you're a Florida vacationer, if you enjoy getting out and seeing new sights and learning about the state's history, this book delivers."
--Southern Travel News.com

"A fun way to get to know your state--to combine geography and history with tall tales and luscious lore. Should be a mandatory field trip for tourists and residents alike--especially including the kids."
--The Observer

"More than a mere travel guide." "A handy map for those history seekers longing to find a bit of old Florida hidden beneath the urban sprawl of the past 30 years."
--Civil War News

"Useful to people who wish to learn more about the commemorative obelisks, statues, murals, and parks that dot Florida's vast landscape."
--Tampa Bay History