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A review by alexctelander
Panama Fever: The Epic Story of One of the Greatest Human Achievements of All Time-the Building of the Panama Canal by Matthew Parker, William Dufris
5.0
In this brilliant historical epic that rivals and in some ways exceeds David McCullough’s mighty tome, The Path Between the Seas, from the author of The Battle of Britain and Monte Cassino, Matthew Parker tells a tale that will not be ready lightly in Panama Fever. For those looking for a quick, short story about how the Panama Canal got built, turn away now. For those wanting to know how much back-breaking labor, how many lives were lost, how many companies and families were bankrupted, and how many countries were brought to both war and shame, Panama Fever is the book for you.
Divided into three large chunks, Parker begins at the absolute beginning with the discovery of American by Columbus and the original idea that was developed to create a passage across the narrowest part of Central America, providing access to the great Pacific Ocean. It wasn’t until centuries later that plans were begun to see about creating a canal through Central America, linking the two great oceans.
In the second part, “The French Tragedy,” readers learn that France was one of the first countries to begin an excavation in an attempt to create a canal. Organized and run by the great Frenchman, Ferdinand de Lesseps, who was already popular and famous after the successful and completion of the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal project was to be his life’s greatest work. His undoing lay in his demand that the canal be made all on one even level, which in reality was an impossibility. Thousands and thousands died from malaria or yellow fever, due to the swamps and ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, coupled with primitive medical techniques. Labor was imported from Jamaica, but the fever had no preference for skin color or class standing. The project was forced to stop and restart multiple times due to a combination of these factors, and the extreme cost and incorrectly predicted timeline.
In “The American Triumph,” President Theodore Roosevelt proclaims that an US-controlled Panama Canal was vital to American industry and to protect and defend the United States from attack. With Panama under Colombian control, Roosevelt instigated a coup – though profusely denied it – for Panamanian rebels to overthrow their Colombian rulers. Then the US went in, taking over Panama after lying to them about their proposed freedom, and work was begun on the canal which was finally completed in late 1913.
Panama Fever is a book that holds nothing back, giving all the gritty details, the body counts, the political slandering and corruption, as well as the amazing history of how this little canal became such a historical undertaking. Filled with numerous photos, illustrative maps, and diagrams where necessary, readers will feel satiated with knowledge about the Panama Canal and its historic albeit tainted creation.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.
Divided into three large chunks, Parker begins at the absolute beginning with the discovery of American by Columbus and the original idea that was developed to create a passage across the narrowest part of Central America, providing access to the great Pacific Ocean. It wasn’t until centuries later that plans were begun to see about creating a canal through Central America, linking the two great oceans.
In the second part, “The French Tragedy,” readers learn that France was one of the first countries to begin an excavation in an attempt to create a canal. Organized and run by the great Frenchman, Ferdinand de Lesseps, who was already popular and famous after the successful and completion of the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal project was to be his life’s greatest work. His undoing lay in his demand that the canal be made all on one even level, which in reality was an impossibility. Thousands and thousands died from malaria or yellow fever, due to the swamps and ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, coupled with primitive medical techniques. Labor was imported from Jamaica, but the fever had no preference for skin color or class standing. The project was forced to stop and restart multiple times due to a combination of these factors, and the extreme cost and incorrectly predicted timeline.
In “The American Triumph,” President Theodore Roosevelt proclaims that an US-controlled Panama Canal was vital to American industry and to protect and defend the United States from attack. With Panama under Colombian control, Roosevelt instigated a coup – though profusely denied it – for Panamanian rebels to overthrow their Colombian rulers. Then the US went in, taking over Panama after lying to them about their proposed freedom, and work was begun on the canal which was finally completed in late 1913.
Panama Fever is a book that holds nothing back, giving all the gritty details, the body counts, the political slandering and corruption, as well as the amazing history of how this little canal became such a historical undertaking. Filled with numerous photos, illustrative maps, and diagrams where necessary, readers will feel satiated with knowledge about the Panama Canal and its historic albeit tainted creation.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.