The History Press [new releases]

Huge Moments in Florida History

When Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León landed in Florida in 1513, the world was changed forever. Florida has been an influential center for many important historic events, including clashes of European empires, Indian wars, civil rights struggles and the Cold War–era space race to the moon. Other remarkable, lesser-known historic episodes include the Matanzas Massacre, the Land Boom and Bust of the 1920s and several major election issues. These incidents not only shaped the state, they also influenced the development and helped structure the identity of the entire nation. Author Randy Jaye leads readers through an exciting journey spanning more than five hundred years of Florida’s history.

Author Larry Humes traces the events and characters that put Venice on the proverbial map. Venice is certainly not among the oldest cities in Florida. The fact that it even survived its rocky beginning is nothing short of remarkable. But it was luck and persistence that transformed the little City on the Gulf into one of Florida’s most sought-after destinations. Venice wouldn’t be what it is today without the Kentucky military school that saved the town from bankruptcy and the construction of an army air base that helped America win World War II while increasing the local population tenfold. And don’t forget the “Greatest Show on Earth,” which called Venice home for more than three decades.

Author Holly Sprinkle unveils the secrets hidden within Florida’s aquatic wonders. Florida’s springs swirl a spectrum of greens and blues with a crystal clarity seen nowhere else in the world. “Springhunting” is a cherished regional pastime, but these ancient oases have served as a beacon for humans and beasts alike since time immemorial. Giant sloths, mammoths and armadillos once centered their lives around these springs—the endangered West Indian Manatee still seeks refuge in the relatively warm springs during the winter months. These enchanting waters sustain ecosystems and inspire everything from feelings of deep serenity to legends involving curses, ghosts and alien visitation. 

Author Jeff Suwak guides readers on a tour of the often overlooked and all-but-forgotten components of Amelia Island history .

Beneath the sands and cobblestones of Amelia Island lies a richness of history disproportionate to the location's relatively small size. The bones of this place are composed of pirate treasures literal and metaphorical, remnants of ancient Timucuan Indians, a grim role in the illegal slave trade, tales of bravery and madness, and a scene for the triumph of the human spirit. Eight different flags have flown over Amelia Island. It was an important stage in the 1812 Patriot War, which most people have long forgotten. From Gregor MacGregor to Abraham Lincoln Lewis, characters strange and inspiring have left their mark in this island's psychic currents. Dead in some ways, they're still here in others, etched into the land itself and waiting to be discovered. Let's go find them .

Author Heather Leigh Carroll-Landon guides readers on a spine-tingling tour through Florida’s haunted lighthouses. Lighthouses dot the Florida coast, there to help seafarers navigate their way to shore. But when tragedy comes for Florida, it often blows in from the sea, giving the lighthouses and the cursed men and women inside a first look at horror. The lively spirits of teenage sisters inhabit the St. Augustine Lighthouse, where an accident claimed their lives, suspending them in their playful youth. A storm wiped out the Sand Key Lighthouse in 1846, claiming the lives of 16 whose spirits now chatter away—generally in contented tones but sometimes straying into anger. A Civil War casualty roams near the Amelia Island Lighthouses, holding to a promise to see his love one last time before departure.

Author Alan Brown leads readers on a stomach-churning turn through Florida's dark side .

Florida sunshine beckons, but in can be unrelenting, too. And in the shadows, tragedy strikes. Ted Bundy leads a cast of serial killers who wrought havoc on the state. Storms spin onto its shores with landscape altering fury. Sharks lurk in the sea, and snakes and alligators lie wait in the swamps. Gangsters like Al Capone hit Miami Beach for a respite, but gangsters like Al Capone take no breaks from their trade. A woman spontaneously bursts into flames in St. Petersburg. Anthrax claims a life in Palm Beach. The Bermuda Triangle disappears vessels off the coast. Indeed, Florida knows boundless leisure, but it's just as familiar with catastrophe .