The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea

In my life I have visited the Gulf many times and to many different places along the Gulf. Learning this history of the Gulf, different cities along the gulf was very interesting. I would recommend it.

A perfect fit in the current trend for popular history, but one that also incorporates a well-researched, easily understood and, as popular history should be, entertaining account of the economic aspects of The American Sea – both environmental economics and human. Born and raised near the Gulf of Mexico, it was my summertime playground in the 50s, 60s and 70s. I saw plenty of changes in that time, but didn't really think about them, or put what I observed into the larger context that "The Gulf" provides. Now I know why so much of what has happened needs to be repaired as best we can, and as quickly and permanently as possible. My first Jack Davis book, but it won't be my last.

Both a historical overview and an ecological polemic this book has opened up to me a world about which I knew very little. From the more familiar stories of conquistadores, civil war forts, hurricanes and oil spills to much lesser known artists, fishermen and environment campaigners, my eyes have been opened to the bays, islands and backwaters that crowd the Gulf Coast from Corpus Christi to Key West. This world teams with schools of unfamiliar fish and luxuriant coastal vegetation. It is also a world threatened by overexploitation. A great book and an important one. Braudel would have loved this.

I found the book to be veryeducational.

I have just finished reading The Gulf, and found it completely engaging. It is an excellent lens through which to view U.S. environmental history. Though environmental history is by definition an expansive field, I doubt there are many researchers who have carried out the wide-ranging artistic, literary, sociological, scientific, and even medical research, to name but a few fields, that this author has drawn on to write the book.I downloaded the book on my Kindle thinking I would skim it lightly while spending some time on the Florida coast. I did not expect to read the chapters about the Gulf's creation and evolution, nor its early history. But once engaged I could not put the book down. The author’s prose flows beautifully, resulting in a refreshingly accessible book that is also very informative. In my view it is a tour de force.I hope it will be read widely, not only because it is so informative but also because it illuminates the environmental destruction that we as a society have allowed in the U.S. May it serve as a warning against future such acts and planning, and encourage conservation and respect for the land and natural resources that are ours to enjoy if we do the right thing.