
The Gulf
The Making of an American Sea
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Narrated by:
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Tom Perkins
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By:
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Jack E. Davis
About this listen
Pulitzer Prize winner, History, 2018.
Winner of the 2017 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction - the tragic collision between civilization and nature in the Gulf of Mexico becomes a uniquely American story in this environmental epic.
When painter Winslow Homer first sailed into the Gulf of Mexico, he was struck by its "special kind of providence." Indeed, the Gulf presented itself as America's sea - bound by geography, culture, and tradition to the national experience - and yet, there has never been a comprehensive history of the Gulf until now. And so, in this rich and original work that explores the Gulf through our human connection with the sea, environmental historian Jack E. Davis finally places this exceptional region into the American mythos in a sweeping history that extends from the Pleistocene age to the 21st century.
Significant beyond tragic oil spills and hurricanes, the Gulf has historically been one of the world's most bounteous marine environments, supporting human life for millennia. Davis starts from the premise that nature lies at the center of human existence, and takes listeners on a compelling and, at times, wrenching journey from the Florida Keys to the Texas Rio Grande, along marshy shorelines and majestic estuarine bays, profoundly beautiful and life-giving, though fated to exploitation by esurient oil men and real-estate developers. Rich in vivid, previously untold stories, The Gulf tells the larger narrative of the American Sea - from the sportfish that brought the earliest tourists to Gulf shores to Hollywood's engagement with the first offshore oil wells - as it inspired and empowered, sometimes to its own detriment, the ethnically diverse groups of a growing nation.
Davis's pageant of historical characters is vast, including the presidents who directed western expansion toward its shores, the New England fishers who introduced their own distinct skills to the region, and the industries and big agriculture that sent their contamination downstream into the estuarine wonderland. Nor does Davis neglect the colorfully idiosyncratic individuals: the Tabasco king who devoted his life to wildlife conservation, the Texas shrimper who gave hers to clean water and public health, as well as the New York architect who hooked the "big one" that set the sportfishing world on fire.
Ultimately, Davis reminds us that amidst the ruin, beauty awaits its return, as the Gulf is, and has always been, an ongoing story. Sensitive to the imminent effects of climate change, and to the difficult task of rectifying grievous assaults of recent centuries, The Gulf suggests how a penetrating examination of a single region's history can inform the country's path ahead.
©2017 Jack E. Davis (P)2018 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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- The Science, History and Forgotten Lore of Eclipses
- By: John Dvorak
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Eclipses have stunned, frightened, emboldened, and mesmerized people for thousands of years. They were recorded on ancient turtle shells discovered in the Wastes of Yin in China, on clay tablets from Mesopotamia and on the Mayan "Dresden Codex". They are mentioned in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and at least eight times in the Bible. Columbus used them to trick people, while Renaissance painter Taddeo Gaddi was blinded by one. Sorcery was banished within the Catholic Church after astrologers used an eclipse to predict a pope's death.
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Total Eclipse of the Ahhhhh!
- By A.H. Derman on 06-25-24
By: John Dvorak
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The Klondike Stampede
- By: Tappan Adney
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Gold was discovered in the Klondike in August 16, 1896. When news of the discovery arrived in Seattle and San Francisco the following year it triggered one of the largest gold rushes in the history of North America. Tappan Adney, a young writer and photographer who worked for Harper's Weekly, set out on a journey to uncover and record what it was like in the Klondike stampede. This audiobook is a fascinating portrayal of adventurers and prospectors who descended on the Yukon during this extraordinary event in the late 19th century.
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Great Read
- By judy on 12-10-18
By: Tappan Adney
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The Sea and Civilization
- A Maritime History of the World
- By: Lincoln Paine
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 29 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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A monumental retelling of world history through the lens of maritime enterprise, revealing in breathtaking depth how people first came into contact with one another by ocean and river, lake and stream, and how goods, languages, religions, and entire cultures spread across and along the world's waterways, bringing together civilizations and defining what makes us most human.
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Comprehensive
- By Than on 12-29-19
By: Lincoln Paine
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Gladesmen: Gator Hunters, Moonshiners, and Skiffers
- Florida History and Culture
- By: Glen Simmons, Laura Ogden
- Narrated by: James R. Marshall
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Few people today can claim a living memory of Florida's frontier Everglades. Glen Simmons, who has hunted alligators, camped on hammock-covered islands, and poled his skiff through the mangrove swamps of the glades since the 1920s, is one who can. Together with Laura Ogden, he tells the story of backcountry life in the southern Everglades from his youth until the establishment of the Everglades National Park in 1947.
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Younger Generation Gladesman
- By Jeff D. on 02-22-20
By: Glen Simmons, and others
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The Rules of the Game
- Jutland and British Naval Command
- By: Andrew Gordon, Sir John Woodward - foreword
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 27 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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When published in hardcover in 1997, this book was praised for providing an engrossing education not only in naval strategy and tactics, but in Victorian social attitudes and the influence of character on history. In juxtaposing an operational with a cultural theme, the author comes closer than any historian yet to explaining what was behind the often-described operations of this famous 1916 battle at Jutland.
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Absolutely fascinating dissection of naval strategy
- By A personal on 09-25-21
By: Andrew Gordon, and others
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The Pirates Laffite
- The Treacherous World of the Corsairs of the Gulf
- By: William C. Davis
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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At large during the most colorful period in New Orleans' history, from just after the Louisiana Purchase through the War of 1812, privateers Jean and Pierre Laffite made life hell for Spanish merchants on the Gulf. Pirates to the US Navy officers who chased them, heroes to the private citizens who shopped for contraband at their well-publicized auctions, the brothers became important members of a filibustering syndicate that included lawyers, bankers, merchants, and corrupt US officials.
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Incredibly Detailed
- By David on 03-21-25
By: William C. Davis
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The Great Deluge
- Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
- By: Douglas Brinkley
- Narrated by: Kyf Brewer
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Abridged
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In the span of five violent hours on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed major Gulf Coast cities and flattened 150 miles of coastline. Yet those wind-torn hours represented only the first stage of the relentless triple tragedy that Katrina brought to the entire Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Mississippi to Alabama.
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Unabridged version
- By Leonora on 11-19-06
By: Douglas Brinkley
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A Florida State of Mind
- An Unnatural History of Our Weirdest State
- By: James D. Wright
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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There's an old clip of Bugs Bunny sawing the entire state of Florida off the continent - and every single time a news story springs up about some shenanigans in Florida, someone on the internet posts it in response. Why are we so ready to wave goodbye to the Sunshine State? In A Florida State of Mind: An Unnatural History of Our Weirdest State, James D. Wright makes the case that there are plenty of reasons to be scandalized by the land and its sometimes-kooky, sometimes-terrifying denizens, but there's also plenty of room for hilarity.
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Not very good
- By CJFLA on 07-13-19
By: James D. Wright
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Life on a Young Planet
- The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth
- By: Andrew H. Knoll
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Australopithecines, dinosaurs, trilobites - such fossils conjure up images of lost worlds filled with vanished organisms. But in the full history of life, ancient animals, even the trilobites, form only the half-billion-year tip of a nearly four-billion-year iceberg. Andrew Knoll explores the deep history of life from its origins on a young planet to the incredible Cambrian explosion, presenting a compelling new explanation for the emergence of biological novelty.
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The Earliest Life
- By Arden on 02-16-20
By: Andrew H. Knoll
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History of Florida
- A Captivating Guide to the People and Events That Shaped the History of the Sunshine State
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jason Saffir
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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If you want to discover the enchanting history of Florida, pay attention! Sunshine, beaches, sports teams, amusement parks, and more contribute to Florida being ranked as the second most visited state in the United States of America. People flock to Florida to enjoy its weather, culture, people, and its rich history. Florida’s history spans thousands of years, lasting from prehistoric times up to today. The Ice Age, European exploration, wars, the Cuban Revolution, and the Space Race have all woven together to create today’s Florida.
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short, but full of info
- By kristy a. palmer on 06-27-22
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Railroaded
- The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America
- By: Richard White
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 23 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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The transcontinental railroads of the late 19th century were the first corporate behemoths. Their attempts to generate profits from proliferating debt sparked devastating panics in the US economy. Their dependence on public largess drew them into the corridors of power, initiating new forms of corruption. Their operations rearranged space and time, and remade the landscape of the West. As wheel and rail, car and coal, they opened new worlds of work and ways of life.
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Correcting the Myth of the Transcontinentals
- By Keith on 06-23-18
By: Richard White
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Sanibel Flats
- Doc Ford #1
- By: Randy White
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Its cool gulf breezes lured him from a life of danger. Its dark undercurrents threatened to destroy him. After 10 years of living life on the edge, it was hard for Doc Ford to get that addiction to danger out of his system. But spending each day watching the sun melt into Dinkins Bay and the moon rise over the mangrove trees, cooking dinner for his beautiful neighbor, and dispensing advice to the locals over a cold beer lulled him into letting his guard down.
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Author seems to have a sexual double standard.
- By ShySusan on 02-01-11
By: Randy White
What listeners say about The Gulf
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- William
- 05-05-21
What a book!
Every summer in my childhood from before I can remember, we vacationed on the gulf coast, somewhere from Pensacola, Florida to Gulf Shores, Alabama and later also to Biloxi, Mississippi. At least one day was on a deep sea fishing charter boat and I joined my dad starting when I was 8. It was a world of wonder to a child and even a teenager and you couldn’t keep your line in the water more than a few minutes before catching something.We saw sharks and flying fish and porpoises raced the boat. The pure white sandy beaches and emerald green water were what I thought all beaches were until I visited the Atlantic coast in my late teens and Texas’ coast in my 20’s. We had a family friend who operated a motel in Biloxi and I remember the devastation of Hurricane Camille. So, this book was fascinating and brought back many memories.
And much that I didn’t know, too. When we think of American history, we think of the Atlantic coast and the western movement that eventually led to the plains and finally to the Pacific. But, the gulf was one of the most powerful influences on the development of America. The gulf is the 10th largest body of water in the world and for the most part is relatively shallow compared to the Caribbean or any of the oceans. It is fed by one of the world’s mightiest rivers bringing nutrients down from most of the continent along with a multitude of other rivers feeding it making it one of the most fertile and productive salt water regions in the world. It is the source of the great Gulf Stream which wanders down around the tip of Florida and up the Atlantic coast bringing warm water and warmer weather to the northeast and even over to England and provided a push for the heavily laden Spanish galleons laden with gold. The gulf is lined with long barrier islands and many bays providing lots of protection to pirates, wildlife, and fishing fleets, while also being filled with moving sand shoals that made navigation sometimes treacherous. Most of the gulf is surrounded by the United States, leading to the book’s subtitle, “The Making of an American Sea.”
Davis gives us a well-researched history of the Gulf from the formation of the Gulf in prehistory and explains the geography and the changes that we know about over the centuries or more including how the water has risen at different times so that much of the Mississippi valley was once under water. He talks about the advanced civilizations that once existed along the Gulf which we are still learning about, but which died out (mostly due to disease) with the arrival of Europeans from the Spanish, to the French, the English, and Americans.
He goes on to describe significant events that affected the Gulf, or where the Gulf affected the US. Included are various environmental events. It is this section where it’s really handy to open Google Maps and view the locations that Davis is talking about. You’ll learn who Marjorie Stoneman Douglas was, long before the high school named after her became world famous. And, when you look closer at Florida from the sky, it’s easy to see the work of the developers who created canals to drain land as well as to give every home boat access. Almost a century before Disney World, Florida developers were already trying to create an artificial reality. He explains the usefulness of the great barrier islands that stretch from Florida all the way around and into Mexico and the various other islands and shoals that are constantly moving due to regular wave action and storms. He talks about many of the environmental blunders that have reduced the marine harvest and caused the loss of a lot of shoreline, especially in Louisiana which is losing the equivalent of the state of Delaware each decade, leaving New Orleans ever more vulnerable to disastrous hurricanes, even when they aren’t major storms. And yes, he also talked about fishing.
This is a superb book, but you have to open Google Maps and turn on the satellite view to really get the most out of it. It will slow your reading down a bit, it is certainly worth it. Davis has brought a wealth of information together and put together a history, an ecological treatise, a geography lesson, and so much more and yet made it easily readable and interesting.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Wilton Bland
- 06-25-19
Great history nearly ruined by horrible narration
I enjoyed this thoroughly researched history. My complaint is with the narrator. One would think he would have researched proper pronunciations, especially in what is a regional-specific history book. It is obvious he has never been to the Gulf South, much less spoken to anyone living in these communities. I almost turned this off multiple times due to the cringe-worthy mispronunciations every 5 or 10 minutes.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Shane Morris
- 09-16-22
A cultural ecology for all who love America's sea
Appreciating where you live and knowing its story--both the good and the bad--is a gift. Jack Davis gave this Floridian reader/listener that gift in his brilliant and richly detailed cultural ecology. I grew up with the Gulf lapping at my toes, collecting shells and fossils, tasting its salty water, and watching the sun disappear over the liquid horizon. I instinctively recognized the riches of this unique region, even when I knew little about it. Sanibel Island (whose history and preservation Davis covers) played an especially large role in my childhood. This book sets Florida's beautiful Gulf coast in its larger context, chronicling what we know about this rich sea's origins and sketching a kind of family portrait of the land, water, estuaries, barrier islands, reefs, animals, and communities that make up our emerald cornucopia.
In the smart, smooth prose of a writer as fascinated with his topic as he wants his readers to be, Davis leads us through centuries from native habitation and Spanish conquest to American dominion and industrial exploitation. While his environmental and ethical sensibilities are evident, this is far from a misanthropic and anti-American screed (don't listen to reviewers who say it is). The story he tells shows how generously nature can provide for human needs, if only we respect its integrity. Davis thinks humans have a place on the Gulf, and he acknowledges that place in countless ways, from praising Native ingenuity and sustainable modern fishing practices, to celebrating the art, language and music that have grown up on these shores since conquistadors and colonists first landed.
The impression he leaves readers with is that this underappreciated Eden is not invincible. America has been given an embarrassment of riches in the Gulf, but we can destroy it. We've come close many times. There is still plenty of hope, and what we do matters--not just for our sea and its creatures, but for all of us human creatures who depend on its bounty. The environmental struggles of this region are a microcosm, and even those who've never visited can take precious lessons from the complicated, shell-strewn, bird-festooned, oil-slicked surf of our American sea.
I have only two criticisms of this book. First, Davis often assumes his moral sensibilities are self-evident. Even where he is right, he could have done a better job making the case and heading off those who want to dismiss him as a hippie, mangrove-hugging commie. Second, he neglects to mention one of the most bizarre and potentially disastrous human projects ever undertaken on the the Gulf: the Cross-Florida Canal. This modern monument to the Army Corps of Engineers' hubris would have sliced my state from the nation and connected the Atlantic to the Gulf. Thankfully, the project was scuttled in 1971, but its ghostly remnants haunt the forests of northern Florida, and no story like this is quite complete without such a wacky chapter.
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-29-23
Check pronunciation!
Fascinating story and very well told. Narrator should have checked pronunciation. I am from Gulf area and did not initially recognize some places mentioned.
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- Kay Murphree
- 01-15-24
Interesting Read
So much information packed into this book! Initially I purchased this book in print, and had started and stopped reading it several times. The narrator was excellent and made listening to the story of the gulf very enjoyable!
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- Richard E. Poulin Jr.
- 06-01-19
Must read for all with ties to the Gulf Coast
I liked the book from a historical aspect which covers the Gulf Coast. Much information that I was unaware of especially the importance of this body of water. Although I am from the St. Augustine, Florida, I remember as a young boy pulling a seine net at the beach and hauling in all types of fish, crabs and shrimp and cooking everything up on the beach. I’m am far from a climate change believer however, the book does drive home some of the disastrous effects of man concerning the Gulf Coast. It made me aware of my playground as a young boy, the St. John’s river. I did a lot of fishing and swimming (against my parents wishes) and now understand the importance of less interference is the best action we can take to protect these valuable resources.
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- Ebenezer
- 03-10-20
Criticisms of narrator are not fair
I don't know the guy, but I listened to the book and I've got no serious complaints about his narration style. Yes, he mispronounces a place name or two, but try reading a book that long and not make a little error or two... and I'll call you a world champion. Mr. Perkins reads just fine in my book.
As for the text, Gulf is an outright masterpiece. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Cajun Ocean down in south Louisiana.
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- Indian springs
- 10-21-23
Excellent book about a critical part of our environment!
I , and my family, have lived on the Gulf Coast for generations . I have personally observed the declines referenced in this book regarding water quality and the loss of traditions and fishing industry that have followed. I learned much. The book is very well researched, and very well presented by the narrator . It is a compendium of inconvenient truths that all who love the Gulf need to face up to and be inspired to do our part to protect this amazing resource. I thank the author for his hard work.
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- kevin
- 12-17-24
An eye opener to our gulfs history and continued struggle,
A well written story that coveys the struggle of of ecology as well as the recklessness of economic and greed
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- Tom Schultz
- 05-05-20
americacentric
ignored almost completely the massive mexican side of the gulf ie veracruz, tamaulipas, campeche, merida, etc not to mention cuba
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5 people found this helpful