- Hardcover: 464 pages
- Publisher: Hutchinson; First Edition First Printing edition (1 Mar 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0091797047
- ISBN-13: 978-0091797041
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 16 x 4.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
604,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #13 in Books > History > Countries & Regions > Central America & Caribbean > Central America > Panama
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More About the Author
Product Description
John le Carré
An epic tale of human folly and endeavour, beautifully told and
researched
researched
Daily Telegraph, 3 March 2007
'If this book isn't a candidate for all the non-fiction prizes
going, I shall be disappointed ... enthralling'
going, I shall be disappointed ... enthralling'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an enthralling account of the history of the various endeavours to construct a canal to unite the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the Isthmus of Central America, particularly at Panama. The descriptions of the hardships undergone by the mainly British West Indian labourers leaves one wondering why it was permitted. The books intensity is spellbinding. But it comes to an abrupt end once the canal is open to traffic - nearly 100 years' ago; what has happened since then?
Just one adverse comment; the editing is a bit lax, for example the author refers to the uniform that the labourers were requited to wear and describes the "shirt and trousers" but the "r" in "shirt" is missing.
You should read "El Caballo de Oro" by Juan David Morgan first - this is an account of the construction of the railway across the Isthmus woven around the romance of the marriage of one the principal promotors. Fascinating.
Just one adverse comment; the editing is a bit lax, for example the author refers to the uniform that the labourers were requited to wear and describes the "shirt and trousers" but the "r" in "shirt" is missing.
You should read "El Caballo de Oro" by Juan David Morgan first - this is an account of the construction of the railway across the Isthmus woven around the romance of the marriage of one the principal promotors. Fascinating.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a great book, I learned a lot that I did not know about Panama, a very good read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
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 clearly 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: and the years of disaster didn't just finish him but came close to bankrupting a generation of French investors. 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, it should be said, also completed it.
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 a historical epic 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 clearly 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: and the years of disaster didn't just finish him but came close to bankrupting a generation of French investors. 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, it should be said, also completed it.
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 a historical epic 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!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Quite a large project!
Heavy going - I'd love someone to take the strain out of reading it by producing a TV programme. Needs careful reading to pick the bones out of the very detailed writing.
Published 18 months ago by arteebee
A captivating account of human endeavour
Matthew Parker's Panama Fever offers a captivating account of the building of one of the world's greatest engineering achievements, weaving together an impressive range of first... Read more
Published on 31 Oct 2007 by Ealhstan
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