Image: Penguin Random House · source
Crown · Budget
Last Train to Paradise by Les Standiford is the account of Henry Flagler's railway across 153 miles of open ocean to Key West, and of its destruction in the strongest storm to hit U.S. shores.
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This is a book about one line, the Key West Railroad, built around one question: how did anyone lay a railway across open ocean? The publisher describes Henry Flagler, a partner of John D. Rockefeller, who dreamed of a railway linking the island of Key West to the Florida mainland, crossing 153 miles of open ocean, an engineering challenge the publisher says was beyond even that of the Panama Canal. Many considered the project impossible, the publisher notes, yet it was built, stood for more than twenty-two years, and was heralded as the Eighth Wonder of the World before its total destruction in a deadly storm of the century. The publisher calls it one of the greatest engineering feats ever undertaken.
The publisher calls the book a fast-paced and gripping true account of the construction and spectacular demise of the Key West Railroad, and says it brings to life a sweeping tale of human ingenuity colliding with the even greater forces of nature's wrath. It is a paperback of 304 pages measuring 5-3/16 by 8 inches, a size that fits a day bag. The publisher's page offers an ebook and two audio editions as well. Standiford, per the publisher, is the author of ten novels and several works of nonfiction, holds a creative writing post in Florida, and lives in Pinecrest, Florida. This is a narrative history to read before or after a visit, not a field guide: the publisher's description mentions no maps, route guide or practical travel information.
Strengths
Weaknesses
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Pages | 304 |
| Author | Les Standiford |
| Format | Paperback |
| ISBN-10 | 1400049474 |
| ISBN-13 | 9781400049479 |
| Published | Aug 05, 2003 |
| Publisher | Crown |
| Dimensions | 5-3/16 x 8 in |
A reader interested in the engineering and the ending of the Florida Keys railway, or a traveler heading to Key West who wants the history before the trip.
Trains: The World's Most Scenic Routes and Train: The Definitive Visual History are broader and already in the catalog; this title is the deep dive on one line.
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