Slogged through 12 or 15 pages of this adjective-drenched drivel. Got to the line where he describes a guy's crooked pinky finger as "independent" and i had to quit. This is truly awful.

After reading (and loving!!!) Florida Straits, Sunburn, Welcome to Paradise, and Tropical Depression, I was looking forward to more of Laurence Shames books. But he disappointed me, big time, he left Bert the Shirt, Sandra & Joey and the other wonderful characters and went on to write more violent, harsh stories minus all the warm characters he had created earlier. I don't know what happened to Laurence Shames - it's as if someone else took over the writing.

This is the rare crime novel that is truly funny, charming, and eccentric without being absurd.

The plot is neatly turned, the characters well-drawn, and the dialogue extraordinarily deft--I don't know if this is how Mafia people talk, but it's certainly how they should talk.

Unlike many humorous writers, Shames seems to treat his characters with true affection. I look forward to reading more by this writer.

The title of the book "FDR and the Bonus Marchers, 1933-1935" is, in my opinion, a very misleading title for this book. The book only refers to Franklin Roosevelt a few times during the course of the entire manuscript.

Instead, the book focuses primarily on the hurricane that devastated the Florida Keys and, along with many buildings on the Keys, a large number of World War I veterans who were known as the "bonus marchers" who had been relocated to veterans camps in the Keys.

The book is relatively short (under 150 pages), and spends a considerable amount of time on the hurricane itself and the surviving veterans' recollections of that terrible storm.

In my opinion, the scholarly research is good, but not overly comprehensive; much of the data contained in the book is copies of oral interviews either from the local papers or the veterans' board that investigated the disaster.

If the reader is looking for a history of Franklin Roosevelt and his administration's efforts to work with the bonus marchers, I would recommend a different book. If the reader is looking for a book that tells the tragic story of veterans that suffered through a hurricane, then this is the perfect book for you.

We love other DK "Eyewitness Guides," but this one didn't cut the mustard. It worked well as an travel overview of the region, but failed to mention several important points such as days and hours of operation and entrance fees to attractions, which we were stung by several times. A specific example was their recommendation of snorkeling at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The book lists it as one of the best snorkeling spots in the U.S., but failed to mention that in order to see anything other than sea grass and the occassional crab, you are required to make reservations on a guided snorkeling boat. The guide also lacked directions. The maps that were included were insufficient. The restaurant recommendations we tried were fine, though, and we appreciated, as usual, the fine photos and "streetsmart" section.

This book is basically an advertisement, the only difference being that you pay for it. Although it does list a couple of places that are okay, but most of the listings are those with the biggest advertising budgets (and NOT the best deal/facilities/services). It will send you to some real stinkers!!! Save yourself some time and just Google "Florida Keys Chamber of Commerce". They have web sites, or can send you brochures that list everything this book does, plus MUCH more.