Rating: 
Summary: Nonfiction that reads like a novel.
Review: "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:
Summary: One of the most facinating & exciting history narratives
Review: A truly fabulous book. I strongly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: An intrinsically fascinating story told moderately well
Review: As a long time (40 years) Florida resident, I was generally aware of Henry Flagler's role in sparking Florida's huge growth. His Florida East Coast Railroad from Jacksonville to Miami and then to Key West was the catalyst in changing Florida from a sub-tropical, thinly settled frontier to a fast-growing state. Standiford is generally clear and readable in describing the incredible determination of Flagler and the extraordinary skill and hard work of the engineers and laborers who brought his dream to fruition.
Yet I came away vaguely dissatisfied. The actual facts should have resulted in a couldn't-put-it-down narrative. It didn't. The photos were good, but more of them would have been a big plus. And, finally, Standiford made such an egregiously inaccurate statement about 1992's Hurricane Andrew that I inevitably came to question the other "facts" in his tale. Specifically, he said of Andrew on p.122: "Residents of Coral Gables... experienced heavy rains and wind gusts that felled tree limbs, the sort of weather most people associate with a strong summer thunderstorm. It was the sort of day to stow the lawn chairs in the garage and have a drink or two inside, feeling cozy while the rain spattered the windows." How can Standiford, a resident himself of Miami, not know that the National Hurricane Center, then located in the heart of Coral Gables (and about a half mile from where I lived) recorded winds as high as 167 mph - before the hurricane blew away its wind gauge? Coral Gables residents did not calmly sip drinks that night, they cowered in fear as huge banyans and other trees fell left and right and roof tiles - or roofs themselves - blew away. If he is that careless/inaccurate about an event in his own experience, can his account of events a century ago be trusted?
Rating:
Summary: The Last Train to Paradise
Review: Driving home from work the other day, my radio was tuned to National Public Radio, and I heard someone reading from a section of book describing the 1935 hurricane. Reaching my driveway, I sat in my car listening the harried tale of the greatest storm to hit American shores. Curiousity peaked, I ordered the book to find out more. Let me say, the two chapters about the hurricane, alone, are worth the price of the book. Well writen and captivating. It's one of those books that's hard to put down. Les said in an interview, "To me, the question of whether a story is true or fictional has never been as important as the question of whether or not it's a good one." TLTTP is a "good one."
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Summary: A good book to read while in the Keys.
Review: I bought a copy of this book while camping in Big Pine Key and read it over the course of a day or two. The book made me look at the Keys in a different way and really added to my trip by giving me a sense of some of the history surrounding the region. No complaints here.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic read !!!
Review: I have to admit that I did not expect this book to be as good as it is. Being a "Keys" freak, I purchased this book to learn more about that old bridge I see when I drive down to Key West. WOW, I got a lot more from this book.
Well Done !!!!
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: I loved this book. Standiford is a tremendous storyteller, as good as Sebastian Junger, or David McCullough. The rise and fall of the Key West railroad, which was built over 150 miles of water by tycoon Henry Flagler, is a story I knew little about. Great fun and I learned a tremendous amount as well. One warning--be prepared to go to work a little bleary-eyed tomorrow--you won't be able to put this down until the last hurricane has hit...
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book......a page-turner
Review: If you love history, Florida, the Keys, Flagler, or just a really good, interesting book, you'll love this effort by Les Standiford. He does an excellent job setting up the story and then delievering the oustanding events of the Overseas Railroad. It is definitely a page-turner and written like a novel of sorts.
Very informative and very entertaining at the same time. Pick it up today!
Rating:
Summary: A superficial look at Flagler and the Florida East Coast RR
Review: Last Train is a short book about a big project...one that essentially created the state of Florida as we know it today. The book focuses on the last leg of Flagler's railroad that crossed ocean and swamp to connect Key West with the mainland. The book seems more like an expanded magazine piece rather than a thorough treatment of this fascinating man and his amazing project. Yes, buy the book, but don't expect a Steven Ambrose-like treatment of the subject (considering my opinion of Ambrose's writing ability this is faint praise indeed).
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Summary: Go To Key West!
Review: Les Standiford has put together a spell-binding tale of the last of the privately financed infrastructure projects undertaken by the larger than life 19th century businessmen. Here Henry Flagler races against his own mortality to complete a railroad from Jacksonville to Key West, with the final run south from Miami requiring herculean engineering, management, and financial resources. Flager was a partner of John D. Rockefeller in an earlier venture known as Standard Oil who decided in his 70's to pursue a second career in railroading, land development, and luxury hotels in the then desolate country of South Florida and the Keys. Standiford weaves together Flagler, Rockefeller, their arch-rival trust-busting Teddy Roosevelt, WWI bonus armies, and big-game hunting author Ernest Hemingway. While Rockefeller also owned vacation homes in Florida, he and Flagler ultimately had a parting of the ways, with Rockefeller pointedly not attending Flagler's funeral. Flagler had been an early supporter of Roosevelt in his successful bid for the New York governorship after Roosevelt's success in the brief Spanish American war. Later Roosevelt brought antitrust action against Standard Oil and at least in Flagler's mind was behind government resistance to his plan to build a deep water harbor in Miami. Ironically, the US victory in the Spanish American War, together with confirmed plans to build the Panama Canal, were the motiviation for Flagler's railroad adventures, as Flagler projected, incorrectly as it turned out, that Miami and Key West would grow in stature as ports. The final thread introduces Hemingway into the mix. The author was already a well-known Key Wester when the hurricane of Labor Day 1935 ravaged the Keys. Although Hemingway's home and his beloved boat Pilar were not seriously damaged, Flagler's railroad was destroyed. A group of WWI bonus army veterans were working on road construction. Many were killed, despite a daring railroad rescue attempt. By 1935, Flager was long dead and the railroad was in bankruptcy. It was never rebuilt, although some bridges are still standing, for the exclusive use of fishermen and birds.
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