I lived in Panama for 17 years and have written 3 books on Panama. How how I wish I had this beautifully spectacular book years ago. What an inspiraton it would have been during those dreary hours of writer's block. Each of these magnificient pictures are indeed worth a thousand words -- and there are so many pictures in this book! The United States "helped" Panama separate from Colombia in 1903, the following year the great task, which had defeated the French, of building an interoceanic canal began. It would take a full and painful 10 years. The rare photographs in this book document those years. How wonderful that they have been saved and are now offered to another generation!