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Panama Fever: The Epic Story of One of the Greatest Human Achievements of All Time-- the Building of the Panama Canal

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This is a well written story on the building of the Panama Canal. Matthew Parker focuses on the French efforts in the 1880s to the United States taking over the project in 1904. Several key figures are discussed such as Ferdinand de Lesseps, John Stevens, Theodore Roosevelt, William Gorgas and others from various skilled backgrounds. The author is extremely effective in telling the human side of the story, which is the area I usually find most compelling. The sheer scale of this project is enough to merit praise for those who were involved in this engineering marvel, though it had negative aspects to its building as well.

From the earliest explorers, the narrowness of the Panamanian Isthmus presented great potential to those who could envision the linking of the two oceans. Over time, we see competing ideas of where the canal should be built, e.g. such as the early U.S. view of building it in Nicaragua. People like Ferdinand de Lesseps, who built the Suez Canal, wanted it to be a sea level canal, while it was later on conceded that only a lock canal would be possible. How would the building of the canal be funded? Where would the labor force come from? How would the natural environment be manipulated? These were some of the major issues faced.

The nature of the Panamanian Isthmus, and its political status are also delved into. The controversial U.S. involvement in the independence of Panama is discussed in some detail. The United States had at this time an imperialistic streak, especially when seen against the backdrop of the Spanish-American War. Panama was in essence a government propped up by the U.S. Government in its desire to have control over the canal zone.

The French effort in building the canal ended in bankruptcy. The toll the building of the canal took on its workers, such as the sad story of Jules Dingler and his family, can't be overlooked either. Yellow fever, malaria, and other diseases ravaged the work force. Parker is good at tracing the stories behind some of the workers and leaders involved in the canal project. What motivated them to travel so far, how they adapted to or struggled in their new surroundings, and the families that came over with them (usually later on) all offer powerful glimpses into the actual goings on in the Canal Zone.

The Americans took up the work the French had begun and finally completed it in 1914, just when world events were beginning to take on a whole new shape. The struggles in controlling the Chagres River, mudslides, and all the other powers of nature made the project difficult for the Americans as well As I mentioned earlier, the human element comes through most powerfully in this narrative, whether it be in the fields of construction and engineering, or fighting diseases, or just coping with living conditions on the Isthmus. The racist attitudes that resulted in better living conditions for the whites than the West Indians, the power of nationalistic feeling, and the likes also weave into this story.

The ending felt a bit rushed in my opinion. Parker briefly touched on the impact the canal had on countries like Panama and the U.S., but his primary focus was on the building of the canal. While he was certainly critical of those who oversaw the project, he also gave credit to the talents of those who were involved, from both the French and American sides. Overall, a very good read.

The very narrowness of the Isthmus of Panam'less than forty miles wide in certain sections, together with the relative calmness of the two great masses of water which caress her shores, appears to have destined Panam'rom time immemorial to become, as present day Panamanians are proud to boast, "the Crossroads of the World."

That has not been accomplished without a price; the history of Panam'whether as an exploited Spanish colony, or as a neglected sector of Colombia, or as a republic, is replete with examples of decisions fundamental to her very existence and freedom being made by non-Panamanians in far away lands.

It all began in the 1490?s with Columbus? vain search for a water passage to the riches of the Far East. He never found it.

In 1501, Rodrigo de Bastidas became the first European to set foot on the Isthmus of Panam'SPAN>. After relieving the Indians of a fortune in pearls and gold, he enslaved as many hapless souls as he could20carry off. Thus, were native Isthmians first introduced to the ways more materially advanced civilizations. Time would change the list of characters but not necessarily their behavior.

Twelve years after Bastidas, the intrepid Vasco N?de Balboa marched into history at the head of a motley band of adventurers. He led them on a fifty-mile blood strewn trek through Panam's steaming jungles to discover the Pacific Ocean.

When they reached its shores the tide was out. So Balboa and his twenty-six men, the first Europeans ever to cast eyes upon that great body of water, found themselves, in spite of their proven ability to overcome man and nature, obliged to wait. Finally, the tide came in. Balboa, put on his armor and carrying ?a flag with the coat of arms of Castile and Leon on one side and a picture of the Virgin and child on the reverse,? plunged into the ocean and lay formal claim to its waters and all surrounding territories.


Interest in a transoceanic canal blossomed and motivated many a powerful person. The enlightened Charles V sent a team to ascertain the feasibility of constructing such a passage during the mid 1500's. His son the pious and inept Philip suppressed the preliminary studies stating that ?a canal would be against God's will.?


Many nations England, France, Scotland and the United States among others all had ambitions for the narrow isthmus. Time would pass, blood would be shed, fortunes and reputations would be lost but on August 15, 1914, the SS Ancon sailed into history as the first ship to transverse the Panama Canal. It was a dream come true.

Author Matthew Parker, born in Central America and educated in England, has written a distinct ive history of the dramatic and drastic battle to build the canal. Parker?s book is unique because aside from telling the fascinating story gracefully and with style he captures the anguish and grim reality of those consumed by the endeavor. He depicts clearly and concisely the human price that was paid. He is one of the few to acknowledge the tremendous contributions made by many Jamaicans, Barbadians and other West Indians who flocked to the Isthmus to earn a living but became as enamoured as any group with the magnitude and nobility of their task. With all of its cruel challenges, it was an inspiring undertaking. Those who participated, and lived, never forgot it.

Few nations have had a closer or more intimate relationship than the United States of America and the Republic of Panam'SPAN>. The latter would not exist today had the United States not actively supported the latest of over 83 uprisings on the Isthmus in less than 80 years. President Theodore Roosevelt was not acting altruistically. He was perhaps the most impatient man ever to reside in the White House. He was determined to build a canal and quickly. He grew weary of Colombia?s vacillating negotiations and took matters into his own hands. His behavior abhorrent to many today was perfectly in keeping with how great powers acted 100 years ago.

Through Roosevelt's leadership, passion, and consuming determination to build a canal, thousands of his countrymen would brave the tropical desolation that was Panam'n the first decade of the 20th century. They would succeed where the French had fa iled reaping financial scandal, political turmoil and embarrassment.
The book in enriched by Parker?s extensive use of first hand sources such as letters sent back home to the Caribbean Islands, the United States, England and other countries. They relate the daily reality and routines of tens of thousands of common men and women who succeeded admirably.
Parker fleshes out the human contributions of these tens of thousands from scores of countries who built the engineering marvel that is the Panama Canal. It is a refreshing and inspiring story elegantly written.

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!

Parker provides a fairly through history of the building of the Panama Canal, including both the French efforts and the final American success. There is a lot of social history (life of the laborers, that sort of thing) and some but not a lot about the engineering involved.

David McCullough's THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS is still the best account of the Canal and its construction, but you won't regret buying this book.

This book is subtitled "The Epic Story of One of the Greatest Human Achievements of All Time - the Building of the Panama Canal." It should have been subtitled "The Tragic Story of American Racism, Imperialism, and Exploitation during the Building of the Panama Canal," because this is clearly the theme.

The heroes of this tale are the West Indian blacks, chiefly British subjects, who provided the bulk of the unskilled workforce. The villians are the Americans, who are depicted as ruthless opportunists and bullies. The French are cast as an idealistic people intending a great service to humanity who were misled and robbed by a few frauds and charlatans involved in their canal project.

The social history is an interesting and worthy topic, but suffers from being told out of context. There is a palpable pro-European, anti-American bias. The casual reader might well infer that the evils of racism and imperialism were uniquely American, because the British author gives few details that would allow a reasoned comparison of American attitudes and practice to those then prevailing in British India and South Africa.

But all histories are biased to some extent. The chief fault of "Panama Fever" is that the social history is told to the near-exclusion of the details of the engineering project that is the ostensible subject of the book. The technical aspects are glossed over, and the building of the canal appears merely as a picturesque but indistinct backdrop for the social and political themes.

Upon finishing this book, I feel much like the protagonist West Indian canal worker: thinking that I was to vicariously participate in a great engineering project, I have been brought to a strange land under false pretenses and cheated by one who clearly believes himself to be my social, moral, and intellectual superior. It is a bad feeling; my sympathy for the victims of racism and imperialism is increased. But I would still like to learn a bit about the canal.

This book goes in to great detail on the 'prehistory' of the canal. The competing European and American plans and interests are well covered, as is the French canal building experience. The initial American experience (and the reptition of many French mistakes) is also well covered. Then in a few words, 5-10 years pass by and the canal is open and operating. It feels that the author ran out of time and sent the book out with only the executive summary of the last 10 chapters. Thus we know, in fairly strong detail what the French did that didn't work, but we know very little about the actual engineering behind the currently existing canal.

The part of the story that is complete also suffers from a disjointed narrative. At times the author inserts long excerpts from the journals of workers on the canal, but fails to convincingly connect them to the surrounding story. Various 'subplots', such as the plight of the West Indian workers, the Panamanian revolution and the medical efforts to eradicate mosquito-born diseases are interesting stories of there own. However, they seem to be artificially patched in to this work, rather than part of a complete narrative.

I also found the production of the audiobook to be less than stellar. The narrator occasionally tried to talk with 'accents' appropriate to the characters, though many of these felt half-hearted and annoying. (Thank goodness there were no attempts at French accents!)

There are a lot of books out there that describe the epic building of the Panama Canal 100 years ago, but most of them focus on facts, the engineers, have lots of pictures or are in fact straight historical works. Panama Fever is different.

It does cover the basic facts of the building of the Canal, but rather than focusing on the timeline, facts, medical, and engineering feats, Panama Fever focuses more on the workers who toiled behind the scenes in this great endeavor.

Tens of thousands of normal people worked on the construction of the Panama Canal. They came from the United States and many of the Caribbean Islands. The pay was good, the work was hard and especially in the beginning the risks from disease were huge. Thousands died during the construction from both disease and accidents.

I grew up and worked in the Panama Canal Zone from 1947 to 1972. I loved my time there and have a large collection of historic books on Panama most of which I have read.

Panama Fever is the first book, especially published recently, that covers the stories of the workers rather than the engineering. It is fascinating and well worth the read. You will appreciate the tremendous effort and sacrifices made by the workers on the line during the construction and next time you take a cruise through the Canal have a much deeper understanding of how difficult it was to actually build the Canal.

One fact that is still not really understood by most who travel to Panama or transit the Canal is that for over 80 years following the completion of the Canal tens of thousands of Americans and Caribbean Islanders continued to work on the daily operation and maintenance of the Canal. They lived, worked, had families, and even died in the Canal Zone. And then they were gone, relocated back to the United States following the final return of the Canal and the Canal Zone to Panama in 1999.

Someday their stories need to be told.

Ewald Wiberg
author of The Perfect Vacation: One Couple's Adventures at Sea With and Without the Kids

This book offers an accessible description of the events surrounding the building of the Panama Canal from the failed French attempt to the completion of the canal by the USA. It provides good detail and narrative without being terse or burdensome. The story is exciting, the players are passionate and colorful. The read is well worthwhile.

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.

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I read this book while cruising the panama canal. It was a great accompaniment to the trip and really made me more appreciative to my surroundings. More interesting than a travel guide and more in detail than a pamphlet, I really recommend this book for travelers wanting to learn more about their locales while wanting to be entertained as well.