John le Carré
An epic tale of human folly and endeavour, beautifully told and researched
The Times
Parker's epic story, from the 18th century to the present day, is awesome
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I loved this book. The Panama Canal story is an extraordinary, epic tale and Matthew Parker's marvellous account more than does it justice.
The book is written with a sure feel for the grand sweep of history: the unprecedented engineering challenge, the daunting geography of the mountainous Panamanian jungles, the strategic imperatives, the complex and fascinating finances, and the heart-rending and totally unforeseen logistical difficulties that turned dreams to nightmares.
At the same time the author has a wonderful nose for characters and this book has a rich and compelling cast to propel the story along. Parker clearly is a fine historian and one of the most impressive aspects of this book is the original work he has done in scouring the archives to deliver a wealth of original written accounts - letters, diaries, company memos, political machinations, and so on.
The structure of the story is fascinating. The canal was begun by the French, expected to be the crowning glory of the man who built the Suez Canal, Ferdinand de Lesseps. It was a disaster. Panama didn't just finish de Lesseps but came close to bankrupting a generation of French investors too. The canal then went into a second, very different phase, after the rising power of the United States took it over as the keystone of a very modern strategic vision of the future. The Americans got it built with ruthless efficiency.
Parker devotes roughly half of the book to each phase, and the contrast is amazing - between, if you like, the Victorian era of Jules Verne fantasies and the modern age of skyscrapers and internal combustion engines. All this helps to make this story not just epic history but also a very modern tale of engineering on the grand scale.
All in all I heartily recommend this book. I read a lot of non-fiction and this has been one of the treats of the year. Buy it!
The book is written with a sure feel for the grand sweep of history: the unprecedented engineering challenge, the daunting geography of the mountainous Panamanian jungles, the strategic imperatives, the complex and fascinating finances, and the heart-rending and totally unforeseen logistical difficulties that turned dreams to nightmares.
At the same time the author has a wonderful nose for characters and this book has a rich and compelling cast to propel the story along. Parker clearly is a fine historian and one of the most impressive aspects of this book is the original work he has done in scouring the archives to deliver a wealth of original written accounts - letters, diaries, company memos, political machinations, and so on.
The structure of the story is fascinating. The canal was begun by the French, expected to be the crowning glory of the man who built the Suez Canal, Ferdinand de Lesseps. It was a disaster. Panama didn't just finish de Lesseps but came close to bankrupting a generation of French investors too. The canal then went into a second, very different phase, after the rising power of the United States took it over as the keystone of a very modern strategic vision of the future. The Americans got it built with ruthless efficiency.
Parker devotes roughly half of the book to each phase, and the contrast is amazing - between, if you like, the Victorian era of Jules Verne fantasies and the modern age of skyscrapers and internal combustion engines. All this helps to make this story not just epic history but also a very modern tale of engineering on the grand scale.
All in all I heartily recommend this book. I read a lot of non-fiction and this has been one of the treats of the year. Buy it!
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I picked this book up mainly on the basis that "Hell's Gorge" is an interesting title. I must admit I then reacted cynically on finding out that John Le Carre gave it the thumbs-up; I hadn't got the man down as either an historian (as he studied languages at university) or an expert on the Panama canal, so the fact that he was approving it made me slightly dubious - a little bit like me heartily endorsing something I know nothing about ("Mr Weston says our infra-red goggles are 'the best on the market'" isn't really going to persuade anyone.) In the end I was swayed by the allure of the glossy old photographs that feature, and the fact I felt I needed a third book for my trip.
And thank goodness I did. This is an exceptionally interesting work that doesn't alienate the reader, despite the complexity of how a canal actually operates (I foolishly thought it was just basically a trench filled with water, which it's not.) Parker explains things in great detail but at sufficient pace; my lack of any engineering knowledge meant only that I identified more with Lesseps than the other, rival theories of canal construction (Lesseps basically saying that to build the canal you dig a trench and fill it with water.)
The book takes the reader through both serious efforts to build the canal, one by Lesseps and the French in the 1880s and the other, successful, American effort a decade or so later. Whilst reading I suddenly realised why Le Carre was been quoted as an approved reader - this story has intregue, plotting, secrecy, double-dealing, human catastrophe - and quite a bit of pig-headedness. Stuff, essentially, from a Le Carre book. Except this was real, which makes it better.
Not only that but the characters are so vividly portrayed that I now need to go and read biographies of Lesseps and Teddy Roosevelt, as my curiousity has been aroused by this tome.
So buy and read this book. I'm not John Le Carre, but I'm with him all the way on this. Just don't trust me on infra-red goggles.
And thank goodness I did. This is an exceptionally interesting work that doesn't alienate the reader, despite the complexity of how a canal actually operates (I foolishly thought it was just basically a trench filled with water, which it's not.) Parker explains things in great detail but at sufficient pace; my lack of any engineering knowledge meant only that I identified more with Lesseps than the other, rival theories of canal construction (Lesseps basically saying that to build the canal you dig a trench and fill it with water.)
The book takes the reader through both serious efforts to build the canal, one by Lesseps and the French in the 1880s and the other, successful, American effort a decade or so later. Whilst reading I suddenly realised why Le Carre was been quoted as an approved reader - this story has intregue, plotting, secrecy, double-dealing, human catastrophe - and quite a bit of pig-headedness. Stuff, essentially, from a Le Carre book. Except this was real, which makes it better.
Not only that but the characters are so vividly portrayed that I now need to go and read biographies of Lesseps and Teddy Roosevelt, as my curiousity has been aroused by this tome.
So buy and read this book. I'm not John Le Carre, but I'm with him all the way on this. Just don't trust me on infra-red goggles.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I took a bit of convincing to buy this book - the title and the reviews of readers finally persuaded me. So pleased I did. An enthralling read - especially in the context that this could be such a dry (sorry) subject but the author expertly conveys the intrigues, tragedies and cast of exuberant characters in a historical and political context that captures the interest and imagination.Yes I would have liked a bit more on the engineering challenges as one reviewer suggested, but that is perhaps the source of a different book as its inclusion would have made this account unwieldy.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Hell's Gorge
An excellent history of the construction of the panama canal with good emphasis on the labour problems recruiting from the west Indies.
Published 4 months ago by Mr. David Faulkner
A Feverishly Good Read!
Hell's Gorge acheives that elusive goal which every non-fiction work strives for - a combination of page-turning excitement toegether with a wealth of well-researched factual... Read more
Published 12 months ago by George Gooderham
Hell's Gorge
I thought his book on the Battle of Britain was the best I have ever read. Unfortunately this book, for me, concentrated too much on politics and disease and not enough on the... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Desmond HEWITT
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