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Title: Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad That Crossed an Ocean by Les Standiford, Henry Morrison Flagler ISBN: 0-609-60748-0 Publisher: Crown Publishers Pub. Date: 24 September, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.31 (13 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Nonfiction that reads like a novel.
Comment: "Last Train to Paradise" is a nonfiction account of the construction of the railroad connecting Key West to the Florida mainland, a project headed by Henry Flagler.
It is a well-researched and documented history of an exciting time in the exploration and development of Florida that reads like a novel.
Building a railroad over 150 miles of water under the harshest of conditions was the vision of one man, Henry Flagler. Mr. Flagler used his personal fortune to make this dream come true.
When he first arrived in Florida he was the second wealthiest man in the country. His fortune was made in partnership with John Rockefeller and the creation of Standard Oil.
The ingenuity necessary to accomplish this task is absolutely incredible. The obstacles overcome included the brutal weather (heat and hurricanes), having to import every item from drinking water to food to nails.
As I read the story I found the task more impossible with each accomplishment along the way. The closer they got to their objective, the more unattainable I thought the goal was. They truly did the impossible.
That Mr. Flagler and his crew succeeded is a testament to the pioneer spirit of America.
Dr. Standiford has written a fast paced book. He is a wonderful story teller. It is where truth and fact is so improbable, that one could not make up a superior fictional account.
The photographs are a wonderful addition.
With all the scandals in business today, it is enlightening to read the story of a man who put his reputation and own money on the line for what he believed in.
As Dr. Standiford said: "Henry Flagler evolved from acquisitive robber baron to creator."
Henry Flagler may not have discovered Florida, but he saw all the state's possibilities and created the framework and infrastructure that made Florida livable.
Rating: 5
Summary: The man who "invented" modern Florida
Comment: Ten years ago, when I visited Palm Beach, Florida, I noticed a lot of places named after someone called Flagler. At the time I had no idea who this person was, or why everything in the area seemed focused upon him, but after reading this book, I understand. It's pretty clear that, without Henry Flagler's vision, and money, Florida today might be an entirely different place. This man, almost singlehandedly, changed Florida from a hot, sleepy area into a mecca for tourists. His building of luxury hotels, the Florida East Coast Railway, and later the Key West Expansion, gave us our modern state. This story is extremely interesting, and I found it well-written. It tells something I did not know before, and that's always important to me when I read any non-fiction work. It's a tale of insight, struggle, ultimate success, and subsequent destruction by the forces of an all-powerful natural storm. Men such as Henry Flagler do not walk among us any longer, and perhaps we are all the poorer for that.
Rating: 5
Summary: Truly Awesome - Could not put it down
Comment: This book shows how fiction can never compare to real life. I only wish there were other non-fiction books by this author.
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Title: Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 by Willie Drye ISBN: 0792280105 Publisher: National Geographic Society Pub. Date: 01 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: Speedway to Sunshine: The Story of the Florida East Coast Railway by Seth Bramson, Seth H. Bramson ISBN: 1550463586 Publisher: Boston Mills Press Pub. Date: January, 2003 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: Florida's Great Ocean Railway: Building the Key West Extension by Dan Gallagher ISBN: 156164269X Publisher: Pineapple Press (FL) Pub. Date: 01 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Henry Flagler: Visionary of the Gilded Age by S. Walter Martin, Sidney Walter Martin ISBN: 0963124110 Publisher: Tailored Tours Publications Inc Pub. Date: 01 January, 1998 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: The Architecture of Leisure: The Florida Resort Hotels of Henry Flagler and Henry Plant by Susan R. Braden, Gary R. Mormino, Raymond Arsenault ISBN: 0813025567 Publisher: University Press of Florida Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
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