Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean Audiobook

" Good book about the development of Florida and the railroad built in the keys. "

" An entertaining little book of pop history. The writing alone would probably only be worth three stars, but the author's approach to his rather obscure subject is entertaining enough to bump it up to a solid four stars. A lovelorn millionaire decides to spend his fortune to build a railroad across the sea to Key West? With cameos by J.D. Rockefeller, Ernest Hemingway, and the Storm of the Century? How can you go wrong? "

" I am fascinated by the subject of the railroad to Key West, so this book hooked me immediately. It is easy-to-read, almost narrative and shows how unemotional Flagler was. I was just in St. Augustine, so I wish I had read this book a month ago and could have done more exploring of Flagler history. "

" I wanted this book to be more but I blame my disappointment not on the book itself but on the fact that I read it directly after finishing Grunwald's fine tome "The Swamp," which blew my little mind. In "Last Train," Standiford tells the story of how Henry Flagler, the financial brains behind Rockefeller's Standard Oil, sunk much of his fortune into developing Florida and building a railroad down the east coast and across the ocean from the mainland to Key West. But having just read "The Swamp," I am in a mindset that southern Florida should never have been developed to the level that it has been; it just cannot sustain the population that now lives there. This is not Flagler's fault; he did not build all the cookie-cutter Miami burbs in the middle of the swamp and turn southern Florida into a hellscape of concrete and strip malls. But his railroad created Miami; and Palm Springs; and the whole east coast of southern Florida. It brought people to paradise. And they stayed. Too many of them stayed. And they built what they built. And they're running out of water and nature is disappearing. And what now? But all of those concerns aside, the book itself is inherently readable. A bit heavy on the Flagler-as-hero; Standiford finds few character flaws in the man, if any. I wanted a little more about the people; a little more in-depth biography of the engineers who sacrificed, and even died, to see Flagler's dream achieved. A little more about the societies Flagler's project created. I wanted an anthropological study of the culture Flagler created. Standiford gives a play-by-play of how the rails were built. There is no doubt that the railroad was a engineering feat of monumental magnitude. And having seen the bridges that still stand and imagining a day when you could get on the Havana Express in New York, arrive in Key West and immediately board a steamship for a short jaunt to Cuba gave me the requisite chills. I picked this up because I was curious about the era but there's very little here to assuage my curiosity; very little tangible atmosphere. A disappointment, moreso, given how Standiford starts the book, with a description of driving US Highway 1. His sense of place and how he communicates it to the reader is exquisite in this section. "It's an osprey's-eye view here at MM 84, out over the patchwork-colored seas. Splashes of cobalt, turquoise, amber, beige, and gray alternate, then fall away to deeper blue and steel, and off toward a pale horizon where sky and water meet at a juncture that's almost seamless on the brightest days ... the urge begins to creep in the back of the traveler's mind at about this moment: ... desert island, private island, island paradise. Buy myself one of these little dots, get a boat, and build a dock, kiss the world good-bye ..." But Standiford gives us none of that atmosphere in his history. It's like there are three separate books stories here; the 1935 hurricane and Ernest Hemingway, driving Highway 1, and Henry Flagler. And Standiford gives the Flagler story the least of his cultural, narrative and descriptive energy. It's almost just a chronology. I wanted more. "In a sense, the highway is what remains of one of the last great gasps of the era of Manifest Destiny and an undertaking that marked the true closing of the American Frontier. The building of "the railroad across the ocean" was a colossal piece of work, born of the same impulse that made individuals believe that pyramids could be raised, cathedrals erected, and continents tamed." "

" Very good. A Must-read for every Floridian. "

" Read this book after spending a week in the Keys in Florida. Really meant so much to try and imagine how they built the railroad after seeing the area. "

" Henry Flagler was a far more interesting character than John D. Rockefeller. "

" I thought this was fiction but it wasn't. It was a very interesting description of the building of the railroad down to Key West. We visited there last summer and some of the old destroyed tracks are still there. "

" Fascinating non-fiction piece about Flagler's railroad that led down to the Keys and the hurricane(s) that made it a hellish project to complete. "

" Keys History - Flagler's Folly, I think not. "

" I have to admit that I was hesitant about reading this book. I was glad I did. Although I am not great fan of Florida, the author did a very good job overall in getting me fascinated with some Florida lore. Very interesting read. "

" Interesting account of railroad building through Florida Keys. "

" While not wonderfully written, this is still an enjoyable, quick read from a solid storyteller. Flagler and his Florida interests are definitely a topic worthy of more in-depth examination. "

" Great book, amazing story of determination and the fact that nature always bats last "

" my bookclub selection for the month - really enjoyable and informative - can't wait to drive that Overseas Highway with all of this new info in my brain. What a monumental undertaking the railroad was! "

" History of Henry Flagler's building of an empire and his trials and tribulations to build a railroad to Key West. "

" great historical book about Florida. I had no idea in regards to Mr. Flagler's love for the state of Florida. "

" A very poorly written account of an amazing event. "

" Learned a lot about the trials of building the railroad through the Keys.....hurricanes, mosquitoes, etc. "

" This was a great introduction to Florida history and a well-crafted story. "

" Fantastic read about the history of building the first transportation to Key West. Henry Flagler was a very interesting man. "

" Another of the amazing feats during the times of American expansion (trans-continental railroad, panama canal, etc.) when we thought nothing was impossible. Especially interesting if you have a familiarity with the Keys so you can picture much of the terrain and the remains of the bridges. "

" Had no idea one man was so responsible for developing Florida. "

" great historical book about Florida. I had no idea in regards to Mr. Flagler's love for the state of Florida. "

" This is a really great historical fiction. I find myself not being able to put the book down. "

" Love the keys. Love reading anything about them. "

" I am fascinated by the subject of the railroad to Key West, so this book hooked me immediately. It is easy-to-read, almost narrative and shows how unemotional Flagler was. I was just in St. Augustine, so I wish I had read this book a month ago and could have done more exploring of Flagler history. "

" Really fascinating piece of history. Well written. "

" True account of the building of the Key West railroad, considered the 8th wonder of the world. The railroad was destroyed by a hurricane in 1935. This is a fast paced adventure tale which holds the reader from page one. A lively account of an extraordinary construction story. Wonderful! "

" Interesting review of history of Flagler's building of the Florida railroad - probably of more interest to those of us who live in Florida. "

" I thought this was fiction but it wasn't. It was a very interesting description of the building of the railroad down to Key West. We visited there last summer and some of the old destroyed tracks are still there. "

" This was a well-told history. Can't drive down to Key West without the book's images coming to mind. "

" Fantastic read about the history of building the first transportation to Key West. Henry Flagler was a very interesting man. "