Florida Scoundrels - by Robert J Redd (Paperback)

About the Book

"Author Robert Redd dives into the stories you won't find in any orange juice-dispensing Florida Welcome Center. Swaying palms, sandy beaches and the promise of a good life have beckoned generations to Florida. But the Sunshine State's allure is appealing to the upstanding and vile in equal measure. A key member of the Abraham Lincoln assassination conspiracy moldered in Florida soil -- the same goes for the failed assassin of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Henry Flagler pushed the Florida legislature to alter divorce law so he could extricate himself from one marriage and start anew with a woman nearly four decades his junior. The Ashley Gang left a trail of bank robberies, stolen cars and dead bodies across South Florida. And from bootleggers to land boom con men to especially aggressive insurance fraudsters, Floridians have a history of making money the dirty way."--

Book Synopsis

Author Robert Redd dives into the stories you won't find in any orange juice-dispensing Florida Welcome Center. Swaying palms, sandy beaches and the promise of a good life have beckoned generations to Florida. But the Sunshine State's allure is appealing to the upstanding and vile in equal measure. A key member of the Abraham Lincoln assassination conspiracy moldered in Florida soil--the same goes for the failed assassin of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Henry Flagler pushed the Florida legislature to alter divorce law so he could extricate himself from one marriage and start anew with a woman nearly four decades his junior. The Ashley Gang left a trail of bank robberies, stolen cars and dead bodies across South Florida. And from bootleggers to land boom con men to especially aggressive insurance fraudsters, Floridians have a history of making money the dirty way.

Review Quotes

The least sunny characters in Sunshine State history

About the Author

Robert Redd is a native Floridian with a longtime interest in history. He is a graduate of Stetson University with a bachelor's degree in American studies and received his master's degree in public history from American Public University System. Robert is a member of the Florida Historical Society, the Southern Historical Association, American Battlefield Trust and several local history organizations. He is the author or coauthor of nine books published by Arcadia Publishing. Robert previously served as executive director at the New Smyrna Museum of History and now works in the cultural arts field.