Panama Fever: The Epic Story of the Building of the Panama Canal

If you enjoy history and engineering, like the Hoover dam, this is the book for you!

To see the Panama Canal has been a wish of mine for years and I finally got the opportunity to fulfill my wish in 2006. It was by way of a cruise ship so I must confess that I did not experience any of the hardships and difficulties of those who were a part of its' construction. Still, I got to travel just about the whole distance. The cruise ship moored in Lake Gatun and I and my family took a smaller boat to travel the rest of the way. We stopped at the last lock from which we could see the Pacific Ocean. All along the way I was able to listen to the history and the particular noteworthy sites we passed. After reading Matthew Parker's "Panama Fever", I'm ready to go back and take an even closer look.The author spend a short amount of time covering the prior plans of creating a shortcut from the lengthy travels around the South America and back up the other side. Of note, as I recall, was the impact that the Gold Rush in 1849 had on the isthmus of Panama. However, after all the formalities, the book focuses on the two great attempts at creating the canal. I had heard of the French efforts prior to the American's eventual success. I was impressed that the French attempts were so extensive and lengthy. Indeed, the efforts of the French and the American seem to take equal space in "Panama Fever" although, looking back it's more 1/3 French and 2/3 American. Maybe it seemed so equal in scope because the French were the ones who broke the ground (as well as their investors). They discovered all the miriad of challenges which eventually left them going home in patriotic and financial defeat. However, the American initative found its way some years later meeting up with most of the same challenges yet perservering and, generally conquering the many impediments.Perhaps the most fascinating aspect to the story of the Panama Canal was the diseases, borne by mosquitos, that ravaged the many thousands who succumbed to the Yellow Fever and Malaria. The concept that those pesky little mites could be the cause of all the illness and death was contiually dismissed until President Roosevelt himself took a stand on the issue.There are plenty of other side stories to go along with the construction itself. I note some of the reviewers found that aspect to be too much detail. Personally, I was fascinated by the way author Parker brought in so many aspects of the life and struggles of the people involved. Many came from far and wide but the work horses seem to generally come from Jamaica and Barbados. Their lives were depicted as well as those of American (and, earlier, French) workers. With so much going on, the actual conclusion of the canal almost caught me off guard.I thoroughly enjoyed "Panama Fever". I rated it with four stars because it is a very good book. I try to hold back on the 5 stars unless I am completely overwhelmed. For the authors very readable prose, the variety of fascinating sub-topics, and gigantic subject itself, I'd give "Panama Fever" a 4.5.

Great read of a tragic episode of human labor abuse and towering achievement that changed the world and introduced practical GLOBALTRADE.My Mother’s oldest brother went to Panama as youngest of ten to balm his craving to “build something big”! It almost killed him and to exacerbate his disappointments my Grandfather called him home just before the Yellow Fever got him.But he had lessons, memories, letters home, photos and stories that formed the basic tenent of his life.He brought home 1–a fantastic engineering work ethic, and 2--an impression of the feckless French that proved true at Dien Bien Phu: “C’est bon to Surrender to Defeat or Cowardice and not finish the job! “.This history makes a fantastic book.

The Panama canal is an epic story,decades long, from a hundred years ago -- a monumental writing challenge.Panama Fever does an amazing job of organizing all that history into a surprisingly readable, memorable, and enjoyable story that I recommend.

When I read that the book was about the building of the Panama Canal I was most interested. As I have an engineering and technical background, I was looking forward to seeing how the technical challenges of the canal were dealt with 100 to 150 years ago. Unfortunately this was not the central focus of the book and in fact this area was poorly done. "One picture is worth a thousand words" or so goes the saying. While the author provides many old maps, a few sketches of dredging equipment, and some lovely old photos, the engineering portion of the canal work is mostly described rather than more appropriately supported with descriptive illustrations. We all have heard stories or seen movies/TV programs about the yellow fever and other tropical diseases that blunted the French effort and how Teddy Roosevelt's politics enabled America to barge in and take over and this is very well explained, but less so the physical work in building the canal and its associated infrastructure.

The story of the canal is political, with lots of power play battles behind the scenes. In addition to describing the engineering works, people in key roles in the construction and workforce issues, perhaps half of the book relates to politics. Developments such as the US involvement in the independence of Panama are key to the canal and the book offers an interesting insight into how the Americans came to dominate and how their attitude developed in to what it is today. It is an epic story of an epic event in many different ways and Parker has woven it all together very well.

Background reading before transiting the canal

I'm not a history buff, BUT this book is a wonderful history of how the Panama Canal came to be going back to the 1500's. We are taking a cruise through the canal, the history of it's construction will give me a very different view of it's development. Also visited the Roosevelt Dam in AZ this week, so interesting to see these massive engineering projects similarity. The disease issues were particularly surprising to me.

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.

great information on a truly massive undertaking by humankind

Great book and the history is just amazing.