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

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Last Train to Paradise

On track!

A captivating reminder of the forces of nature versus technology

A bigger piece of Florida history than I expected

Standard Oil Magnate Turns into Florida Railroad Entrepeneur

Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean
Les Standiford
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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Storm of the Century : The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935

Florida's Great Ocean Railway: Building the Key West Extension

The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise

Henry Flagler: Visionary of the Gilded Age

ASIN: 1400049474
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Amazon.com

In Last Train to Paradise novelist Les Standiford has written a lively, felicitous account of the building of the Florida East Coast Railway, which, for a little over two decades, connected mainland Florida with Key West. Henry Morrison Flagler, John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil partner and, in many eyes, the true genius behind that company, embarked on the project in 1905 when he was 74 years old. The railroad, which crossed more than 150 miles of open sea, was an engineering feat nearly equal in scale and difficulty to the digging of the Panama Canal. Standiford's narrative skillfully blends tales of construction perils (not the least of which were escadrilles of mosquitoes) with brief, illuminating travelogues and natural histories, pocket descriptions of life in early 20th-century Florida, and a truly gripping description of an epic standoff between Mother Nature, in the form of a monstrous hurricane, and a stalled, 160-ton steam locomotive. With nary a single missed note, this fascinating tale is popular history at its best. --H. O'Billovich

Book Description

Last Train to Paradise is acclaimed novelist Les Standiford’s fast-paced and gripping true account of the extraordinary construction and spectacular demise of the Key West Railroad—one of the greatest engineering feats ever undertaken, destroyed in one fell swoop by the Labor Day hurricane of 1935. Brilliant and driven entrepreneur Henry Flagler’s dream fulfilled, the Key West Railroad stood as a magnificent achievement for more than twenty-two years, heralded as “the Eighth Wonder of the World.” Standiford brings the full force and fury of 1935’s deadly “Storm of the Century” and its sweeping destruction of “the railroad that crossed an ocean” to terrifying life. Last Train to Paradise celebrates a crowning achievement of Gilded Age ambition in a sweeping tale of the powerful forces of human ingenuity colliding with the even greater forces of nature’s wrath.

“A dramatic story . . . and Les Standiford has a good deal of fun with it all.” —Washington Post Book World
“A rousing—a deeply sobering—story.” —Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed
“A fascinating and incredibly compelling account . . . I could not put it down.” —Donald Trump
“A definitive account of the engineering feat that became known as ‘Flagler’s Folly’. . . A rousing adventure."—Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Customer Reviews:

Last Train to Paradise.......2007-09-24

This book is terrific. The history of Florida as it relates to a railroad going from Jacksonville, Florida, all the way to Key West is really fascinating.

On track!.......2006-11-10

This is a good book if you love Florida history as much as I do. The first chapter is especially fine and very dramatic, with the old 447 chugging down the line in the middle of the 1935 Labor Day hurricane with 200 plus mph winds, a movie all by itself! Its bogs down a little in later chapters only because of its historical accuracy, ie. details about building the bridges across the open water, etc. My only other criticism is it lumps Flagler's personal life in one chapter and then you have to keep going back to see whats happening with Flagler personally (eg. his problems with Ida Shroud who went insane) while the railroad is being built. These are minor criticisms and over all the book is an assett to any historical library.

A captivating reminder of the forces of nature versus technology.......2006-03-17

Flagler's grandious railroad across the Florida Keys was in itself bold and way ahead of its time, but the tale of the contest with the immense forces of the hurricanes that destroyed it is of epic dimension (you can still see the ruins of the old bridges from the highway). A great story, very well told: impossible to put down, a real page turner.

A bigger piece of Florida history than I expected.......2005-10-18

Having made the drive from Miami to Key West a couple of times, I've been curious about the abandoned bridges that you see all the way down the Keys. When someone recommended this book to me I was excited to learn how those bridges got there - which I did - but I learned a lot more too.

Henry Flagler, who made his fortune as Rockefeller's early partner at Standard Oil, spent that fortune as the pioneering developer of the East Coast of Florida. One of the most fascinating things you learn in this book is just how late in US history the development of Florida came about. As recently as the 1890s, Miami was just a small outpost called Fort Dallas that was reachable only by a trip of train, then boat, then horse-drawn carriage. In the 1890s!

At the same time, Key West was the most populous city in Florida with 20,000 inhabitants and a thriving economy. Flagler imagined that Key West would become the most important deep-water port on the East Coast with the completion of the Panama Canal and that his railroad would carry all of that freight to the continental US. It never happened, and by the time contruction was halfway done Flagler knew it was incredibly unlikely, but by that time he was committed to "ride his own steel to Key West before he died."

All of that is part and parcel to this story of man against nature in a manner that just can't happen in today's era of heightened environmental awareness (I guess we shouldn't block the flow of the Gulf Stream after all). In the end, all is undone by the biggest Gulf storm in recorded history, the Labor Day storm of 1935.

A great read for any fan of history or anyone who is interested in the Keys or Florida.

Standard Oil Magnate Turns into Florida Railroad Entrepeneur.......2005-04-04

Henry Morrison Flagler, multimillioniaire and second richest man in the world (John. D. Rockefeller being the first), came to Jacksonville, FL with his first wife, to help her recover from bronchitis, a chronic condition which plagued her in Long Island, New York, their home up north. First, he fell in love with Florida, and second, his businessman's acumen took over ... he saw opportunity where others only saw a wilderness. He built the first railroad traversing across Florida from Jacksonville to Miami. He built the "eighth wonder of the world" ... many bridges across the Florida Keys, across miles of water, connecting the southern most point in the United States with the mainland. He opened south Florida as a resort to the wealthy by building hotels in St. Augustine and Palm Beach. And when he visited the bustling port of Key West, the closest link to the Caribbean and South America, he got the brilliant idea to build a railroad from what is now Homestead, FL to Key West which at the time was the largest city and busiest port in Florida. Initially, he was ridiculed, he was criticized, he could not even get investors to put their money into the project. As the ultimate risk-taker, he used up his own savings, approximately 28 - 30 million dollars to make his dream, his vision for the future come true. He left a legacy in Florida which will not be forgotten But there was a steep cost ... not just in money ... but in men's lives.

Henry Morrison Flagler did his market research. He determined that for economic reasons Florida was ripe for development. It had huge tracts ready for orchard farmers to grow tropical fruit to transport to the rest of the USA. The cites of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Miami benefited from the golden touch of Flagler ... he built hotels for himself and his wealthy friends which included the finest amenities of his day. The wealthy flocked to the pristine white beaches and newly built golf courses. They viewed the beautiful sunsets and heard the waves crashing on shore ... but they would *not* risk their money on Flagler's vision. Flagler's project needed capital and also labor. He hired the best trained bridge-building engineers and project managers, men who relished his vision and the supreme challenge of a lifetime.

In this book, we learn how men were recruited from all the major cities of the USA and many from Europe (primarily Italy and Spain) and the Caribbean islands (specifically, the Cayman Islands) to do the back-breaking labor in the hot tropical climate of Florida amidst mosquitoes and slimy boggy waters ... but the most menacing threat was not even recognized until it struck unexpectedly and with deadly force ... the hurricane. The camps were destroyed, men lost their lives, bodies and body parts were hurdled with abandon, and men simply disappeared under water, swallowed up by the ocean. Yet, the "conchs" (as people living on the Florida Keys were called) recovered despite the devastation. Even with huge losses of money and lives, Henry Flagler pursued his dream until it became reality. After nearly going into debt and with failing eyesight and poor health, Henry Morrison Flagler lived to view the monument he thought would last beyond his lifetime ... a living legacy for all Floridians ... a railroad connecting all the Florida Keys to the mainland. Sadly, the railroad only lasted about 22 years before progress took a different turn ... automobiles were gaining popularity and a highway was built. However to his credit, the bridges he built were of such superior quality (some still stand today) they were used for the infrastructure of the highway. This book is a testimony to the man, the times, and his vision ... it is a magnificent opus which is highly worth reading. It is an adventure story that also includes some surprisingly spicy romance (after his first wife died, Flagler had two other wives each about 35 years younger than himself). Most importantly, the book includes descriptions of 'man against nature' with harrowing details that cause ripples of uneasy sensations to crawl on one's skin ... Having lived through *four* hurricanes in 2004, two disastrous ones named Charley and Ivan, this reader appreciates and respects the forces of nature. This is one book I could not put down until the very end. It leaves me wanting to know more about Henry Morrison Flagler, the man, the millionaire, the visionary railroad entrepeneur. Erika Borsos (erikab3)

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

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Last Train to Paradise Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean
Les Standiford
Manufacturer: Crown Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J151XG

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Last Train To Paradise - Henry Flagler And The Spectacular Rise And Fall Of The Railroad That Crossed An Ocean
Les Standiford
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JZZ9IY

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Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad That Crossed an Ocean
Les Standiford
Manufacturer: Crown Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LNV190

Book Description

Murray "Moe" Norman has always been a little different. When he took up golf, at the age of 12, he spent hours hitting balls, swinging the club until his hands bled. He soon became a phenomenon on the amateur golfing circuit. Humbly aware of his special gift, Moe went on to set 33 course records, including three 59s, and has shot 17 hole-in-ones.

Customer Reviews:

The story of one of golf's greats.......2005-10-13

This is the tale of Moe Norman, one of golf's greatest, but probably least well known heroes. Born into poverty, he used the extra time he had to turn himself into the greatest ball striker ever known. Overcoming financial problems, numerous brushes with the RCGA and other ruling bodies, he carved a place out for himself in golf history, and is now one of its immortal figures.

This book is geared mostly towards adolescent readers with a general interest in sports greats, preferably with a rudamentary understanding of golf. It will not satisfy the golf fan, though, as so much that was unique about Norman's game is not discussed. Many of the tales that surround him, such as the exhibition with Snead in which Norman launched a drive and rolled it over a bridge rather than lay up in front of a creek, are noted, but some of his greatest feats are left out. Many of those, such as being told by his caddy that a hole was a driver and a wedge to the green and Norman playing a wedge from the tee and a driver from the fairway, probably will be lost on non-golfers.

For a simple read into Moe Norman's life, this book more than fits the bill, but it treads too carefully. His problems with tournament organizers and golf's ruling bodies sets the plot, but that plot is very much a "disadvantage person carving his own way" sort of story, and not the tale of bravado golfers have come to expect regarding the greats. Good reading for a summer book report, but lacking for serious golf readers.

A Brilliant Golfer!! Moe Norman Rules!!.......2004-07-01

The reknowned author,Stan Sauerwein has written a great biography of a brilliant golfer,Moe Norman.He rules!!

Book Description

This is the first book on enduring Hollywood star Eleanor Parker, long underrated despite three best actress Academy Award nominations (Caged, 1950; Detective Story, 1951; Interrupted Melody, 1955). Parker was a beauty as well as a versatile actress, and her achievements approach those of more publicized colleagues Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn. With Parker's blessing and her son Paul Clemens' cooperation, Doug McClelland has written one of the most thorough examinations of a film star's career. The book is valuable to librarians, academies, and film enthusiasts for its extensive documentation and analyses of all of Parker's work, for the bibliographies of her coverage in books and periodicals, for the portrait of a glamorous, creative era in filmmaking, and for the insights into the careers of Eleanor Parker's associates, many among the most heavily researched motion picture artists of cinema's "Golden Age." The book contains a forward by noted screenwriter William Ludwig, who won an Academy Award for Parker's Interrupted Melody, and afterword by Marjorie Lawrence, the opera singer whom Parker portrayed in Interrupted Melody, and photos of Eleanor Parker that show her in many of her "thousand faces." Reviews of Eleanor Parker, Woman of a Thousand Faces: "...wonderful...the first chapter had me hooked." --Leonard Maltin "This is a book of astute knowledgeability and no little passion...illuminates the fascinating and often obscure facts." --FILMS IN REVIEW "McClelland's book gives some possible explanations as to why the freeze on Parker; if she hasn't an Oscar to her name, this book-tribute may be the next best thing." --HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "...a remarkable amount of documentation...an extraordinary labor of scholarship and love...Recommended." --CLASSIC IMAGES

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An outstanding reprint from the folks at Applewood Press!

Fieldbook of Wild Birds and their Music
F Schuyler Mathews , and F. Schuyler Mathews
Manufacturer: Applewood Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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The Music of Wild Birds

ASIN: 1557095183

Book Description

In this beautifully written and well-illustrated guide to birds' songs from 1904, Mathews describes 127 bird species, mostly of Eastern United States, and their songs. This fieldbook contains descriptions of the physical characteristics and habits of each, as well as detailed comments on their songs and calls. He includes musical scores of at least two songs for each species.

Customer Reviews:

An outstanding reprint from the folks at Applewood Press!.......2002-12-30

Originally printed in 1904, G.P. Putnam's Sons. Reprinted 2000, Bedford, MA: Applewood Books.

The modern American field guides we are used to -- Peterson, Kaufman, Sibley, etc. -- offer detailed migration information, pithy descriptions of each bird, and digitally enhanced images. On the internet, dozens of bird-identification sites can be found, and many more websites allow bird songs to bubble forth from our computers. It wasn't always this way, though, and F. Schuyler Mathews' 1904 Field Book of Wild Birds and Their Music, reissued by Applewood Books, is a pocket-sized reminder of what bird books used to be. Whereas our modern field guides are bent on helping us quickly and accurately identify birds, many popular field guides of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries blended the goal of identification with encouragement for readers to revel in the beauty of birds and their music.

Mathews writes this about the Ruffled Grouse (our Ruffed Grouse): "There is no doubt about it at all, here is the kettledrum of Nature's orchestra!" About the Red-winged Blackbird: "A beautiful slim and smooth black bird with scarlet epaulets sways unsteadily on the supple stem of a cattail on the margin of the pond ..." About the White-throated Sparrow: "This handsomely attired Sparrow is one of the most distinguished members of the family." Contrast this with Sibley's description of the same species: "Smaller and plumper than other Zonotrichia sparrows. Rufous on wings and sharply outlined white throat distinctive." Looking at older field guides, one starts to wonder, in our rage to identify identify identify, has something been lost?

Mathews' Field Book of Wild Birds and Their Music describes the Eastern birds (or most of them) in elaborate passages, but what is most ambitious about this book is the music. Mathews renders each bird's song on a musical scale, complete with liner notes and commentary. Don't read music? Don't worry. Mathews offers both a quick primer on how to read music and a glossary of musical terms. Paging back to Mathews' handy glossary, you'll know just what he means when the lark's song is described as affettuoso or the robin's melody as sostenuto. On the other hand, if you do happen to read music, this guide breathes new life into bird songs.

Mathews concedes that

"Of course it is a more or less problematic matter to deal with wild music. It is not amenable in any respect to law. However, the question involved is not whether the bird's song is radically different from ours - we may admit that point - but whether it may be truthfully and logically recorded upon the musical staff. That question, it is the object of this book to answer affirmatively, and with due regard for all the difficulties involved" (xvii).

F. Schuyler Mathews' Field Book of Wild Birds and Their Music is not the only book of its time that attempted to capture bird songs on the printed page. S. Miller Hageman's Bird Songs (also of 1904), for instance, presents bird songs in the form of poems. In that book, Hageman not only poetically recreates the rhythm and tone of each bird, but works to capture the poetic essence, if you will, of each species. Many authors writing about birds have focused first on the joy of listening to birds, then on the joy of watching them, as bird songs have been considered a primary enhancement to everyday life. Mathews is simply following along in this tradition.

F. Schuyler Mathews, author of numerous books and field guides in the early twentieth century, was also a careful watercolorist, and this field guide includes 53 plates. Whereas the early editions of Field Book of Wild Birds and Their Music, still available in many libraries, featured Mathews' water colors in the three-color lithographic process, the black-and-white reproductions in this volume pale in comparison. That said, this field guide is still a startling little book with the very great potential of helping us see and think about what we've come to take for granted every time we open a field guide.

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FIELDBOOK OF WILD BIRDS AND THEIR MUSIC

Manufacturer: G. P. Putnam's Sons New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I9W600

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Fieldbook of Wild Birds and Their Music

Manufacturer: G. P. Putnam's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000E4OF2Q

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Fieldbook of Wild Birds and their Music
F. Schuyler Mathews
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU83H0

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Fieldbook Of Wild Birds And Their Music- A Description Of The Chgaracter And Music Of Birds, Inended To Assist In The Identification Of Species Common In The Eastern United States

Manufacturer: Putna,m
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GVI4ZQ

Customer Reviews:

Not really much to do with Matchpoints, just how to get extra tricks.......2006-03-01

Playing a hand in Match Points can be very different than in IMPS. First you need to look at the bidding and see if you are in the field contract, or a good/bad contract. Secondly, you need to estimate if you got a favorable, neutral, or unfavorable lead. You also need to figure out what the risks are in the quest for over tricks.
Example: AKQxx vs xxx, at MPs play for a 3-2 split, at IMPs duck once to cater to the 4-1 break.

The problem with this book is there is little of this. Its more about how to get an over trick in general. The problems are ok, but they could be IMP problems as well.

I'm not saying the book is bad. But I didn't think the problems were especially good (they don't have to be super hard like Kelseys) nor were they "Matchpoint" decision hands.

The book is ok, nothing special, nothing bad.

Book Description

The Evolution of a Brand Powerhouse

The candles that lit the nights of Union soldiers during the Civil War. The synthetic detergent that eradicated hours of toil for women in the 1940s. The disposable diapers that added convenience to the lives of busy parents.

All of these breakthrough "firsts" and a host of others came from the same source: consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble. Rising Tide chronicles this company's extraordinary 165-year climb from a small, family-operated soap and candle company to a global powerhouse whose market-leading brands improve the lives of consumers everywhere.

Authors Davis Dyer, Frederick Dalzell, and Rowena Olegario were granted unprecedented access to P&G's corporate archives and exclusive interviews with key executives and employees. They describe the introduction and evolution of such household brands as Ivory, Tide, Crest, and Pampers and illustrate how P&G learned to satisfy consumers and compete in markets all over the world. They also recount insightful lessons about product innovation, global expansion, leadership transformation, business reinvention, and brand building.

Compelling and candid, Rising Tide is a fascinating journey through business history and material culture from colonial times through the Industrial Revolution and into the Information Age.

Customer Reviews:

SLICK CORPORATE NOSTALGIA FROM THE 'IVORY' TOWER.......2004-08-10

Little needs to be said for an account, any account, much less a peppy one that reads like a veritable 'soap' opera, of a company that spends close to US$ 5 billion p.a. on advertising alone.

It is by definition a must-read for anyone even on the periphery of the marketing industry, and Yours Truly can vouch for the insightful trivia you'll pick up along the way if you hang your shingle in the media circles.

But the sheer strategic sweep that the authors have packed into this treatise on what kept Ivory afloat (beyond watery puns) will make it a worthwhile read for just about anyone in business. The singular most significant take-away being the allocation of media budgets a century ago versus how things stand today.

Interesting thoughts and riveting reminiscences wrapped in sprightly prose. Recommended in a blink.

Book Description

This volume, the fourth of five planned in Joseph Frank's widely acclaimed biography of Dostoevsky, covers the six most remarkably productive years in the novelist's entire career. It was in this short span of time that Dostoevsky produced three of his greatest novels--Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and The Devils--and two of his best novellas, The Gambler and The Eternal Husband. All these masterpieces were written in the midst of harrowing practical and economic circumstances, as Dostoevsky moved from place to place, frequently giving way to his passion for roulette. Having remarried and fled from Russia to escape importuning creditors and grasping dependents, he could not return for fear of being thrown into debtor's prison. He and his young bride, who twice made him a father, lived obscurely and penuriously in Switzerland, Germany, and Italy, as he toiled away at his writing, their only source of income. All the while, he worried that his recurrent epileptic attacks were impairing his literary capacities. His enforced exile intensified not only his love for his native land but also his abhorrence of the doctrines of Russian Nihilism--which he saw as an alien European importation infecting the Russian psyche. Two novels of this period were thus an attempt to conjure this looming spectre of moral-social disintegration, while The Idiot offered an image of Dostoevsky's conception of the Russian Christian ideal that he hoped would take its place.

Customer Reviews:

Great Insight Into A Great Genius.......2007-06-20

Joseph Frank, generally considered the world's foremost expert on Dostoyevsky, provides all the background you would ever need to truly understand the great mind that was Dostoyevsky. An indispensable guide to the master's great works.

An Outstanding Biography.......2000-05-09

Joseph Frank's biography of Dostoievsky is a picture of the artist in the context of his century. It is not only a brilliant portrait of a great man but an image of nineteenth century Russia. It is neither patronizing nor overly analytic, but provides a taste of Dostoievky's life - making his thoughts, actions, and writings fuse into a coherent whole. I have probably read hundreds of biographies in my life and this one is the best.

Customer Reviews:

thirteen years later and no conclusion.......2000-07-25

One of the greatest revisionisms of the contemporary Middle Eastern history has been the readoption of the term "GULF WAR" for refering to the conflict to expel Saddam's forces from Kuwait. As noted by many experts, this conflict was neither a war nor was it fought in the Persian Gulf. It was mainly a one-sided air campaign fought over the skies of Iraq-- very much like the officially declared "non-war" against Serbia in Spring of 1999.

We read about the real gulf war (80-87 Iran-Irq war) in this classic by Bulloch & Morris. Written before August 1990, we read this book knowing the ending better than the authors. And this makes the fast-paced read gain an eery beat. What were the Americans thinking when they established friendly relations with Iraq as Saddam's troops lobbed mustard gas on Iranians-- or when US provided the satellite info which was used to launch the most horrific of the battles, the nerve gasing of the Iranians at Fao? The same goes with the rest of the "liberal" West who help strengthen the monsterous war machine which has been only contained at the price of the Iraqi people's suffering.

The Iran-Iraq war changed two nations-- and the strategic and historic center of the world-- forever. Iran is married to its religious rulers not because of any fanatic obsession, but because of the images of the young boys who sacrificed themselves in the marshes around Shatt-ol-Arab. It's like a mother wearing only black because of her dead children's memory. And Arab nationalism's death as a political movement happened in Iraq, not because of any courntry's peace deal with Israel.

I said we know the conclusion better than the authors-- but we really don't. All we know is that there have been a couple more chapters and that the real conclusion takes place sometime in post-Saddam Iraq and post-Fahd Saudi Arabia. And how it turns out, as in the Iran Iraq War, will depend a lot on where the US-Iranian relations will be then.

Book Description

Written by one of its own graduates, Class 11 is a gripping insiderÂ's look at the first post-9/11 CIA training classÂ—the most elite and secretive espionage training program in the country.

Like all Americans, T. J. Waters was stunned, angry, and griefstricken by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. More than that, he wanted to take action to help prevent such an event from ever happening again.

Waters was not alone. In the weeks following the attacks, the Central Intelligence Agency received over 150,000 resumÃ©s from people wanting to serve their nation as spies. More than one hundred students were admitted to the CIAÂ's Clandestine Service to become Class 11, the first postÂ-9/11 CIA training class. It was the largest and most diverse class in the agencyÂ's history. Joining Waters were a World Trade Center victimÂ's fiancÃ©e, an NFL alumni, a New York City comedian, a college athletics coach, a hostage negotiator, and a single mother. Class 11 is the real story of how this band of everyday Americans joined together to endure the challenge of a lifetime and serve their country. Against the backdrop of Osama bin LadenÂ's videotaped taunts; the Washington, D.C., sniper attacks; and the loss of a CIA field officer in Afghanistan, Waters takes readers behind the scenes, where the trainees learned methods of subterfuge, mastering disguises, withstanding interrogations, and crossing into hostile territory without being detected.

Class 11 is a fascinating and moving portrait of an extraordinary group of Americans with the courage and resolve to make a difference in the war on terror.

Customer Reviews:

Self important but unique.......2007-08-23

The author is someone who seems very full of himself. He often takes time to tell the readers about how his class is the greatest in the Agencies history and likens them to Tom Browkaws "Greatest Generation." One does get the feeling that if he was really that good and that gung-ho that he would not have left the Agency this very quickly and run out, written a book and made a quick buck. That said the fact that I can get this book here at Amazon at a greatly reduced price makes it worth it, because it is along with maybe the book "The Big Breach," one of 2 books that gives a good idea of what the esoteric traing of a intelligence operative in recent times looks like. And so for that reason it is worth buying if you're an aficianado of the spy trade.

Eh........2007-08-18

I read a great deal of intelligence literature prior to reading this book. A college course taught by an old Intelligence professional interested me in the subject, so I sat down and read a few books on it. Perusing through Amazon one night, I came across this book in the "bargain" pile and decided to give it a shot. My response is a definite "eh".

The good first - this book delves a great deal, obviously, into CIA training. It discusses things I had not read in any of the dozen or so other books I had read on the subject. It does discuss the challenges of going through this training with family. The "family day" in particular was interesting to me. There are a few - not many, a few - moments where you might chuckle while reading it. Is it worth picking up at the bargain book price for this alone? Perhaps. I did so more to satisfy a bit of curiosity than anything else.

On to the bad - the writing is absolutely horrible. Childish beyond compare. The author delves into many portions of his personal life that the public could go without knowing and expresses his opinions in such a manner to make one wonder just how much thought - if any - he put into politics before signing up. He is obsessed over a silly t-shirt. His writing speaks of a person desperately trying to convince himself of his own determination when, in fact, we can see from how quickly he left the agency that it is all a façade - or he is no where near as talented as he portrays himself to be. He can scarcely go five pages without reminding the reader of his age. HIs platitudes will send your eyes rolling constantly. There is no sense of humility, no sense that the person we are reading about in all of this is genuine. He thumps his chest constantly, seeking to mix it up with the enemy, but appears to have bailed - or been shown the door - at the first possible opportunity.

The nuggets of information this book provides move it from a 1 to a 2 - but only barely. I constantly wondered how much of what he said here was true, and whether the information on his training was accurate. Still, with its legion of faults, the book is not entirely useless.

Great Insight.......2007-08-16

This book offers a compelling insight into the world's foremost intelligence agency. From a fledgling recruit to graduated case officer, this book examines one man's journey through that process. Class 11 reveals the camaraderie and dedication of the thousands of unsung hero's who answered their nation's call during a time of great trepidation following the Sept. 11 attacks.

TJ Waters makes friends, Wow!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-29

Do not waste your time and money on the piece of garbage book. The book is filled with chummy sentiment about how close the recruits become, anyone that has served or went through military training/service will likely be annoyed by this theme. I have better stories through 10 years of military service than the a drunk dog-pile, I could barely contain myself.

Keep you money and dont buy.

not really that fascinating--must've did it for the money.......2007-06-10

It starts as a good book. You would think that this guy happens to be an expert or a veteran CIA analyst. When you pass page 80, you'll realize, however, that this man knows about the CIA as much as someone who likes to watch movies like Spy Wars, the Recruit, and Asyriana. Nothing in there was fascinating that makes the book special. It appears that he just got into the agency to brag about it and say the "I used to be in the agency," but decided to leave.
I'm giving two stars because the book could be interesting sometimes. His description of the training could be useful for people interested in working with the agency. I don't recommend the book for researchers, college students, or even high school students. It's just a personal account of his experience and how things worked out with his wife.

Class 11: My Story Inside the CIA's First Post-9/11 Spy Class

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Class 11: My Story Inside the CIA's First Post-9/11 Spy Class
T. J. Waters
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

A gripping insiderÂ's look at the post-9/11 CIA

In the weeks following the attacks of 9/11, the Central Intelligence Agency received over 150,000 rÃ©sumÃ©s from people wanting to serve their nation. T. J. Waters became one of more than a hundred students admitted into the CIAÂ's Clandestine Service to become Class 11, the first post- 9/11 training class. Filled with more information about the CIAÂ's Clandestine Service Training Program than has ever been allowed into the public domain, Waters takes readers behind closed doors, where the trainees learned methods of subterfuge, mastering disguises, how to withstand interrogations, and how to cross into hostile territory undetectedÂ—and provides a moving portrait of ordinary Americans with the courage and determination to go to any lengths to protect their country.

Book Description

Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

Customer Reviews:

In a pinch.......2000-08-18

This small easy to read booklet contains the basics you will need if you come across an injured or orphaned bird. Some of the information is redundant, like the constant reminder that you're not qualified to do this so call a rehabilitator. There is also a section on large birds such eagles, which probably isn't relevant. But overall it does give you what it promises, the basics the keep a bird alive until you can get it to help.

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