Completely revised and updated in time for the Centennial Anniversary of breaking ground for the Panama Canal, this lively collection of historic and contemporary photographs and informative and insightful text dramatically showcases one of the true wonders of the world.
William Friar grew up near the banks of the Panama Canal. Though an American citizen, Bill has lived most of his life overseas. Besides Panama, he has called Denmark, India, and the United Kingdom home, and he spends as much time as possible traveling around the world.
He has written three Panama-related books: the guidebook Moon Handbooks: Panama (now in its third edition); an ecotourist guide, Adventures in Nature: Panama; and a photo-essay book, Portrait of the Panama Canal (now in its third edition). He also writes about England, San Francisco, and various bits of South America.
Bill began his writing career as a stringer for the metro desk of The New York Times, where he found that covering stabbings, shootings, blizzards, and hockey parades was surprisingly good training for travel writing. He has also worked as a rock-music critic, technology-news editor, human biology instructor, writing coach, fundraiser for a medical foundation and a university, software-manual author, and reporter for three daily newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bill's work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Arizona Republic, Neuen Zürcher Zeitung, San Jose Mercury News, Orange County Register, Houston Chronicle, Budget Travel, and other publications.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, Bill also holds a Stanford MA in English and American literature and an MS in journalism from Columbia University. He lives in London with his wife, Karen.
