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Title: The Commandant's Last Ride by Mark L. Evans ISBN: 0-9711980-0-4 Publisher: 10-Digit Press Pub. Date: 06 August, 2001 Format: Paperback List Price(USD): $9.95

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Average Customer Rating: 5 (3 reviews)

Rating: 5
Summary: A reason to make a trip...
Comment: This book, by Mark Evans, is a wonderful way to experience a community that is considered to be an 'Architectual Museum' of early Missouri architecture. Well written, beautifully illustrated, it focuses the attention of the reader on architecture in the best way - by giving you a perspective of how a real live person sees them.
After reading this book, I feel like I know the community better than my own.... and I have never been there!
The book has inspired me to make the trip someday, and you can bet I will take along "the Commandant's Last Ride" to be my guide.
Bret Carter in Ponca City, OK

Rating: 5
Summary: Informative and Entertaining!
Comment: Mark Evans has presented us with another gem on St. Genevieve's architectural treasures.

I highly enjoyed reading the narrative of Jean Baptiste Valle's last ride. Valle's reflections brought the history of early St. Genevieve and its buildings to life. The fascinating, detailed information about the French Creole and other important buildings was presented in a clear, easy to read format.

This book is ideal for anyone desiring an enjoyable read as well as for the student of architectural history.

Rating: 5
Summary: A Wonderful Portrayal of Early American History
Comment: Mark L. Evans takes what could be bland architectural studies and turns them into a rich weave of history and storytelling. We follow the last Commandant of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, 89-year-old Jean Baptiste Vallé, as he spends his last days touring the French Colonial town. The narrative, history and architectural studies intertwine to keep one entertained and engrossed. I found this very easy reading and at the same time educational.

Vallé takes us on a tour of remembrance from the cities beginnings in the early 1700s to the time of his death in 1849. The building descriptions take us to the present day and Ste. Genevieve as it stands today.

Ste. Genevieve is the oldest permanent European settlement in the former Upper Louisiana Territory, and therefore contains a both a rich history and incredible architectural significance. As the mother-load of French architecture in America the city is without compare and the descriptions of the individual buildings contain architectural and historical information that is presented in an easy to read narrative format.

This book should be read by anyone interested in early American history as well as those interested in Ste. Genevieve itself. It would be the perfect companion on walking tours of the city and is a wonderful reference source. There is even a section that describes architectural terms and goes into detail on those which are specific to the region.

The book is laid in sections by street or neighborhood. It includes such significant structures as the Janis Zieglar Green Tree Tavern which is the oldest standing building in Missouri and the Vital St. Gemme Beauvais House which is one of five surviving examples of "posts-in-the-ground" buildings in America. Even the home of our host, Jean Baptiste Vallé, still stands which strengthens the colonial flavor of the historic district of the city and its description adds another link to the host of the book.

Mr. Evans book is a great read and a wealth of information and I found myself hungrily digesting this book in one sitting. I believe that anyone who purchases this book will be pleasantly rewarded.