Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean 1st Edition,

Last Train to Paradise recounts the true story of the Key West Railroad, one of the greatest engineering achievements ever attempted, and its destruction by a major storm. In 1904, entrepreneur Henry Flagler, partner to John D. Rockefeller, undertook the construction of a railway spanning 153 miles of open ocean to connect Key West to the Florida mainland—a challenge considered by many to exceed even the engineering demands of the Panama Canal. Despite widespread skepticism about its feasibility, the railroad was built and operated successfully for over twenty-two years, earning recognition as "the Eighth Wonder of the World." The railroad was completely destroyed in 1935 during a severe storm. Standiford's account examines this ambitious project of the Gilded Age, exploring how human ingenuity and determination confronted the overwhelming forces of nature.