Suggestion for good book about the Canal?

Looking for suggestions for a good book about the Canal as there are many written. Would love one I can download to the Kindle.

I am reading "The Path Between the Seas" by David McCullough. I would not recommend it.

I was able to find and older thread that includes more information that may be helpful to others.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1565388&highlight=detrich

Those recommendations in the older thread are still good today as well. I have come across a couple of other books you may wish to consider. Panama Fever by Matthew Parker, covers the construction of the Canal well, not quite as heavy a read as Path Between the Seas. Another book of interest is The Panama Canal... The Invisible Wonder of the World by Ron Armstrong. This is a collection of photos and accompanying narrative from George Goethals collection at West Point. It is an amazing collection of Canal construction photographs, does a great job showing what an enormous project the Canal was. http://theinvisiblewonder.com/

Enjoy your transit!

Those recommendations in the older thread are still good today as well. I have come across a couple of other books you may wish to consider. Panama Fever by Matthew Parker, covers the construction of the Canal well, not quite as heavy a read as Path Between the Seas. Another book of interest is The Panama Canal... The Invisible Wonder of the World by Ron Armstrong. This is a collection of photos and accompanying narrative from George Goethals collection at West Point. It is an amazing collection of Canal construction photographs, does a great job showing what an enormous project the Canal was. http://theinvisiblewonder.com/

 

Enjoy your transit!

THANK YOU for this link!

I've spent an obscene amount of time trying to find this online.

Only because no one has mentioned it CRUISING THE PANAMA CANAL by Detrich (Ahem!) is designed especially for cruise passengers in the Canal and is available on Kindle. Kind of hour by hour what you are going to see and background and history. Readable. Not the end-all be-all historical tome, which Mc Cullough really is, but gives you the vital information. Lots of folks like it. Have a great cruise! Regards, Richard

Only because no one has mentioned it CRUISING THE PANAMA CANAL by Detrich (Ahem!) is designed especially for cruise passengers in the Canal and is available on Kindle. Kind of hour by hour what you are going to see and background and history. Readable. Not the end-all be-all historical tome, which Mc Cullough really is, but gives you the vital information. Lots of folks like it. Have a great cruise! Regards, Richard

Oooops! I did not mention it because I had already mentioned it in older link the OP provided in post #3. Alas, I did mention Panama Fever again only because I overlooked my earlier mention of it. So for all the Canal fanciers, Richard's Cruising the Panama Canal would be good to have with you on your transit. By all means have a great cruise and a dry transit!!

All forgiven;)?

I would recommend "The Path Between the Seas" by David McCullough. It has a lot of facts and figures, and may be difficult to read, but I took notes and outlined it.

A few Pictures from Panama Canal trip on Millennium.

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f6fe23a6e5a9ec3f&id=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F%211905

I would recommend "The Path Between the Seas" by David McCullough. It has a lot of facts and figures, and may be difficult to read, but I took notes and outlined it.

A few Pictures from Panama Canal trip on Millennium.

 

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f6fe23a6e5a9ec3f&id=F6FE23A6E5A9EC3F%211905

I also recommend this book. I read it prior to and during the first few days of our first Panama cruise and found that it truly enhanced the journey through the canal. Admittedly, some parts are a little dry but it definitely is well worth the effort.

My suggestion would be to read both "The Path Between the Seas" by David McCullough and "Cruisning the Panama Canal" by Richard Dietrich.

"The Path Between the Seas" is very lengthy and detailed but worth reading if you have the time. Dietrich's book is short and a "must read" before taking the cruise and is a good book to take along as a reference while on the cruise.

My DH listened to the audiobook version of The Path Between the Seas during his daily commute. Being an engineering history buff, he really enjoyed it. (I found it a little dry, to be honest.) I liked Anne Vipond's Panama Canal by Cruise Ship. The tear-out map was especially helpful.

"The Path Between the Seas" by David McCullough. I read this many many years ago. I remember it as being detailed and long (about 700) pages. But it will give you the full history of the Canal. I would still suggest it so don't be afraid of it because of the size and maybe you can find it on Kindle so size will not matter.

If you only read one, make it The Path Between The Sea. Really interesting, even if you are not a history buff. Best book I have read in a long time.

Richard's book about cruising the Panama Canal has some useful information, but suffers from a severe lack of editing. For me, the misspelled words, poorly worded sentences and poor punctuation made it almost unreadable.

Richard's book about cruising the Panama Canal has some useful information, but suffers from a severe lack of editing. For me, the misspelled words, poorly worded sentences and poor punctuation made it almost unreadable."

Thank you Sambamama! Some of the things I've learned: don't be your own lawyer, don't be your own dentist, don't be your own doctor, and don't be your own editor. Painful, but true! This is why I haven't been around the Panama board of CC lately! I've totally redone THE NEW ESCAPE TO PARADISE with lots of eagle-eyed editors and proof readers, and am currently working on redoing the Canal book. I promise the new book will be much, much better!

When we owned travel agencies we always gave clients who booked Panama Canal cruises a copy of David McCullough’s definitive Panama Canal book, The Path Between The Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914. It took me a while to realize that, although it is the definitive story of the Canal, it is also a long and heavily footnoted historical tome, so few people actually read it. Since 1914, over a million ships have passed through the Canal, it has be returned to the people of Panama, and is in the process of being massively expanded.

I’ve always been amazed at how many cruise ships continue to play McCullough’s video about the Canal … which was filmed on a Royal Viking ship. A lot has happened with the Panama Canal since Royal Viking went out of business in 1998.

While lecturing on ships transiting the Canal I realized that there was a need for a simpler, more readable, and current book written for cruise passengers that included information about the Canal as well as information about Panama. I've been trying for a book that would be helpful to folks planning a Panama Canal trip as well as serve as a guide during the voyage.

I remember one time when I had just completed a lecture in the show lounge on a ship scheduled to transit the Canal. After the talk, as I walked out of the lounge, I was behind two ladies, both in their early 60s and I overhead one say to the other, “I didn’t know the Canal was man made.” Here these gals were, taking the “bucket list”, trip-of-a-lifetime through one of the great wonders of the world, and they didn’t have a clue!

The more you know about Panama and its unique place in the world, and the history and role of the Canal, the more your will enjoy your cruise through the Canal.

A good trip has three memorable parts: anticipating and planning, taking the trip, and reliving the experience when you get home. Preparing and reading before you go will help you understand the history of Panama and its Canal, let you know what to expect, and, if you have a port call in Panama, know what there is to see and do. The Canal is special, and I want you to fully enjoy and appreciate your voyage.

So read as many books as you can and get as much information before hand as possible. If you like to read, I'd recommend THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS, understanding that it is by definition about the Canal construction up through 1914, not all the history since. I also really like PANAMA FEVER.

Regards, Richard

 

Thank you Sambamama! Some of the things I've learned: don't be your own lawyer, don't be your own dentist, don't be your own doctor, and don't be your own editor. Painful, but true! This is why I haven't been around the Panama board of CC lately! I've totally redone THE NEW ESCAPE TO PARADISE with lots of eagle-eyed editors and proof readers, and am currently working on redoing the Canal book. I promise the new book will be much, much better!

 

When we owned travel agencies we always gave clients who booked Panama Canal cruises a copy of David McCullough’s definitive Panama Canal book, The Path Between The Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914. It took me a while to realize that, although it is the definitive story of the Canal, it is also a long and heavily footnoted historical tome, so few people actually read it. Since 1914, over a million ships have passed through the Canal, it has be returned to the people of Panama, and is in the process of being massively expanded.

 

I’ve always been amazed at how many cruise ships continue to play McCullough’s video about the Canal … which was filmed on a Royal Viking ship. A lot has happened with the Panama Canal since Royal Viking went out of business in 1998.

 

While lecturing on ships transiting the Canal I realized that there was a need for a simpler, more readable, and current book written for cruise passengers that included information about the Canal as well as information about Panama. I've been trying for a book that would be helpful to folks planning a Panama Canal trip as well as serve as a guide during the voyage.

 

I remember one time when I had just completed a lecture in the show lounge on a ship scheduled to transit the Canal. After the talk, as I walked out of the lounge, I was behind two ladies, both in their early 60s and I overhead one say to the other, “I didn’t know the Canal was man made.” Here these gals were, taking the “bucket list”, trip-of-a-lifetime through one of the great wonders of the world, and they didn’t have a clue!

 

The more you know about Panama and its unique place in the world, and the history and role of the Canal, the more your will enjoy your cruise through the Canal.

 

A good trip has three memorable parts: anticipating and planning, taking the trip, and reliving the experience when you get home. Preparing and reading before you go will help you understand the history of Panama and its Canal, let you know what to expect, and, if you have a port call in Panama, know what there is to see and do. The Canal is special, and I want you to fully enjoy and appreciate your voyage.

 

So read as many books as you can and get as much information before hand as possible. If you like to read, I'd recommend THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS, understanding that it is by definition about the Canal construction up through 1914, not all the history since. I also really like PANAMA FEVER.

 

Regards, Richard

Richard,

I was on the old Royal Odyssey or new Royal Odyssey (ships change names frequently) which was a Viking ship owned by Royal cruise line at the time. The new bridge over the canal had not been built.

Now the makings are in the works to build new larger locks.

Just back from a trip to Nicaragua and the guide stated that the Chinese were looking to build an canal between Atlantic and Pacific oceans using Lake Nicaragua which has the San Juan River to the Caribbean. The US originally had favored Nicaragua as a canal site.

I wonder if this will ever happen.

Path between the Seas is a bunch of facts and difficult to read, but when one reads it just make notes for all the facts that serve as a good review before taking another trip through. I have only done two, but would do it again.

Path between the Seas is a bunch of facts and difficult to read, but when one reads it just make notes for all the facts that serve as a good review before taking another trip through. I have only done two, but would do it again.

Hello, Scapel. Call me crazy but I think I remember seeing on a Panama Canal roll call a post from you that was the condensed version of The Path Between the Seas. I remember being so impressed and thinking it was so wonderful and generous of you to take the time to post this for us. I told another CC friend about this and she wants to read this "mini version". Well, so would I ...I do have the book but am not confident I'll get to it before I tour the canal. I tried to look up all your posts but I'm getting the message that it's disabled. Is there any way to retrieve this? If you have a link, that would be fantastic!