Oldest City: St. Augustine, Saga of Survival

by George E. Buker, Jean Waterbury (Editor)

Oldest St. Augustine, Saga of Survival

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History

262 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A readable overview of North America's oldest city, St. Augustine, Florida. Readers would benefit from a glossary since some terms were used frequently or explained little which meant the language sometimes felt a bit "insider," particularly in the earlier chapters. The citations were sparse and gave the reader less to go forward with than desired, and the connections with Europe were not always explained as fully as possible. Nonetheless, packing over 400 years of history into a book was never going to be an easy task, and it was accomplished fairly well.

[Anne Vandenbrink · Rating 3 out of 5]

A broad history of St. Augustine. Ponce De Leon wasn't the only explorer to try to settle St. Augustine. Many came before and after him. Battles between the Indians, French, British and Spaniards destroyed St. Augustine on many occasions. It wasn't until America took over and Henry Flagler built his hotels and railway that St. Augustine prospered. Only to fall in disrepair again when Flagler extended his railway to the south part of Florida. Then Miami became the hot spot for tourism. Attempts my many entrepreneurs and the historical society made St. Augustine what it is today.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Buker is one of the authors in "Oldest City: St. Augustine, Saga of Survival". This rather unique book takes a look at the history of the city but it's done in a very unique way where that each chapter in the city's storied history is written by a completely different author. While the book itself is fascinating and would give this reader cause to visit this city in Florida, the differing authors as well as their styles does serve as a minor detractor to this overall decent book.

[Eyani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is surprisingly comprehensive concerning not just the history or St. Augustine but also Florida in general, giving roughly equal focus to every era, even the most obscure of eras. Each chapter is written by a different author many of whom are genuinely talented historians.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

History comes alive in this account.