
Must Read Quotient—Overall value to an expat.
Difficulty—Amount of brain power needed to power through the book.
Educational Value—Level of contribution to your Panama education.
Snooze Factor—Likelihood of falling asleep while reading.
Character Development—Ability to connect with the book’s characters.
The Path Between the Seas is pretty much the Bible of the Panama Canal. David McCullough’s level of detail about the Panama Canal—from conception through completion—is mind boggling and firmly establishes him as the undeniable expert on one of humanity’s greatest engineering feats.
Panama was not yet a country, just a remote and dangerous territory of Colombia, when the French began to explore the possibility of connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans with a 51 mile canal. McCullough takes you from France’s conception of the idea and first attempt at constructing the canal through the rescue and eventual completion of the project by the United States.
I won’t sugar coat it—I groaned often as I read this book and fantasized about turning the last page almost on a daily basis. My hopes of a Michener-style fictionalized story with fascinating characters were immediately dashed by McCullough’s academic writing style. Being a nighttime reader, there were times when the level of detail was downright torturous and had the same effect as Benadryl—BUT, just like childbirth, the pain faded and I am very glad I stuck with it to the end. I’m grateful for the invaluable insight into Panamanian history that helps me understand both present day mindsets and current events. This is a must read for seasoned readers who are passionate about learning all there is to know about Panama!
TYPE:FictionLENGTH:615 pagesBUY:Amazon