Bookshelf
| Panama Fever, Matthew Parker |
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Panama Fever, by Matthew Parker **** I've always wanted to go through the Panama Canal. It has always seemed to me to be the most amazing human achievement, right along the lines of Macchu Picchu, Hoover Dam and going to the moon. The idea of just digging a big trench over 50 miles of land for our own convenience is so particularly ostentatious that only our species would even think of it. And who better to try than the French and Americans. This is a truly fascinating story and Matthew Parker does an admirable job of addressing the myriad issues involved. And, trust me, there were a lot of issues. From the early attempts of a French private company led by Ferdinand de Lesseps (architect of the Suez Canal) through the coup that "liberated" Panama from Columbia and all the way to the US military's final triumph, Parker keeps you engaged. Though the politics and economics involved are interesting, I was drawn in even more by his desription of the living conditions, the people and the actual engineering difficulties that had to be overcome. Of particular interest was Dr. Gorgas and his battle against malaria and yellow fever. This story has a litlle something for everyone -- political intrigue, swashbuckling battles, heroes, villians and a really, really big waterway that, contrary to everone's belief, could not be built at sea level. Parker keeps the action moving right along and this is a really nice read.
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 September 2008 11:03 |