The Gulf

The Making of an American Sea

By: Jack E. Davis

Narrated by: Tom Perkins

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 Tantor

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

americacentric

ignored almost completely the massive mexican side of the gulf ie veracruz, tamaulipas, campeche, merida, etc not to mention cuba

Comprehensive history and current status of the Gulf.

The author provides a thorough and very interesting history of discovery, competition, industry, ecology, sea life, and interactions of humans with the gulf.

The book makes a firm case for what can be done to improve our enjoyment and the productivity of the Gulf.

I would recommend this book as a must read for anyone living along the Mississippi River or Gulf Coast. And in addition, to anyone who has enjoyed a respite along the coast as I have.

Turn OFF the TV and listen to this book!

If you love the coast, history, science and politics, listen to this well written .

This book is a masterpiece

Stunning writing from Jack Davis about a very special and complicated place. I loved the layout and design of the chapters.

A Treasure

Anyone who loves or lives by the Gulf should read/listen to this amazing book. Meticulously researched and penned with love and wry humor. I will reread it often.