“Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean,” by Les Standiford

Les Standiford’s Last Train to Paradise is a captivating historical account that chronicles the extraordinary vision of Henry Flagler, a co-founder of Standard Oil, and his ambitious quest to build a railroad stretching across the Florida Keys. This remarkable feat of engineering—known as the Overseas Railroad—linked the mainland to Key West, turning an almost uninhabitable […]

Bubble in the Sun: The Florida Boom of the 1920s and How It Brought on the Great Depression

“Bubble in the Sun: The Florida Boom of the 1920s and How It Brought on the Great Depression” by Christopher Knowlton offers a fascinating look at one of the most extravagant and speculative real estate bubbles in American history. Knowlton expertly traces the rapid rise and dramatic fall of Florida’s land boom during the 1920s, […]