Review by Choice Review
Buker's book is really a study of the St. Johns River. Beginning with an unsuccessful French attempt to settle along the St. Johns in 1562, the author discusses this area during the two Spanish periods, the British period, and the acquisition of Florida by the US. Buker describes the building of a canal between the St. Johns and the St. Marys rivers, and jetties at the mouth of the St. John before the Civil War, and discusses Confederate blockade runners in the 1860s. The steamboat era following the war was ending by the time the modern port of Jacksonville began in 1912. Commerce grew steadily until the late 1930s when it declined and Prohibition brought rum-runners to the St. Johns. The revival of Jacksonville trade was tied to the coming of container-type cargo after WW II. During Operation Desert Shield, Jacksonville's port played a substantive role in shipping supplies overseas. Maps, illustrations, and endnotes complement this excellent maritime history. All levels. J. Jackson; Southeastern Louisiana University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
