Recommended Books and Movies to make the Canal more interesting

I advise all travelers who have the slightest interest in the Canal's History to read "The Path Between The Seas", and to see the PBS Nova video "A Man, A Plan, A Canal: Panama" These can often be picked up used on eBay or Half.com (And sold when you are finished with them.)

I also suggest "Panama Canal by Cruise Ship" by Anne Vipond (2001). It gives an excellent guide to the canal, cruising, and many Carribean and Mexican ports that are likely to be on your itinerary. A bit pricy at $18.95, but my new-condition copy is up on eBay at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6914704374

Cruising the canal is the trip of a lifetime!

A word of caution - Path Between the Seas is by the noted historian David McCullough. It is the definitive account of how the canal was constructed, from the aborted French attempt through Teddy Roosevelt's political maneuvering. It takes quite a while to read and absorb the information contained in the book, i.e., it is not light reading. Get it at least two months ahead of your trip and take your time reading it ...they had it for sale in the gift shop on the ship but it's not my idea of something to read in a deck chair, poolside. I found it fascinating and am glad I read it. Now I am trying to work myself up to reading the author's well known biography of John Adams, but haven't been able to face it - now if it was somehow related to a cruise, I'd be motivated!

We are going through the canal in December. I picked this book up for my husband about 3 weeks ago for $10.99 at Costco. He is almost finished with the book already and really enjoying it. I don't think I have the patience to read it so will just depend on him to provide me with all the tidbits he is learning as we transit the canal. I should add that we are retired so hubby has lots of reading time.

An excellent book, but as has been stated, not a light or quick read. Very intriguing and well-written. Fascinating stuff, not only about the engineering aspects of the canal, but also the political aspects that I was only vaguely aware of previously.

I read a lot, so I've been fitting 'Path Between the Seas' between lighter/different types of books. I'm about half-way through and should be done by the time we cruise next month.

Well worth it if you've got the time.

Ell

David McCullough's book is excellent - I could'nt put it down - finished the 600 plus pages in 10 days. Abridged versions of this book also exist on audio cassette and audio CD. Another book on the canal, The Impossible Dream, The Building of the Panama Canal, was written in the 70's by Ian Cameron. It is about 300 pages but doesn't have anywhere near the drama and excitement of Path Between the Seas.

Also, for those interested in navigational charts of the canal, you can go to

http://historicals.ncd.noaa.gov/historicals/histmap.asp - Enter Panama in the search engine. There are various maps of the canal from 1915 to 1948.

The viewer allows you to enlarge specific sections of the map - I'm in the process of printing out a complete set with the resolution that shows the bouy numbering (about 30 pages for the complete canal).

I ordered Path Between the Seas for my husband from Amazon and he finished it it 4 days. He could not put it down either. But then the History Channel is his favorite show.

Thanks to Hurricane Frances, I had plenty of time to finish "The Path Between the Seas." Some of it was a little hard to plow through, but I'm really glad I perservered. I'm sure it will really enhance the experience.

Other people tell me that they think the transit will be boring. They think it's just a canal cut through a narrow piece of land!

I can't wait! Only 8 more weeks! I know I'll be the first one out on deck that morning!

Thanks for the websites and other recommendations.

Thanks for the information. I'll try to find Path Between the Seas for my husband and Panama Canal by Cruise Ship for me.

We're booked for a full transit in January.

I picked up both books on Amazon, but I see there are now 3 copies of Path Between the Seas on ebay for a low starting bid. The guide book is interesting. It has a pull-out map of the canal which I plan to have with me as we go through :). Also information with small maps on most of the ports you may be stopping at.

This was a great idea. I went to the library and checked out the David McCullough's audio on CD and have been listening to it during my daily commute.

Although the narrative was a bit slow at first, the drama picked up by the second and third CD.

Thank-you.

David McCullough's book is excellent - I could'nt put it down - finished the 600 plus pages in 10 days. Abridged versions of this book also exist on audio cassette and audio CD. Another book on the canal, The Impossible Dream, The Building of the Panama Canal, was written in the 70's by Ian Cameron. It is about 300 pages but doesn't have anywhere near the drama and excitement of Path Between the Seas.

Also, for those interested in navigational charts of the canal, you can go to

 

http://historicals.ncd.noaa.gov/historicals/histmap.asp - Enter Panama in the search engine. There are various maps of the canal from 1915 to 1948.

The viewer allows you to enlarge specific sections of the map - I'm in the process of printing out a complete set with the resolution that shows the bouy numbering (about 30 pages for the complete canal).

fateknows - Thanks for resurrecting this thread! We're sailing through the canal in December. Can't wait!!

I picked up Path Between the Seas, and also found a newly published book "The Canal Builders" by Julie Greene. Just started it, but seems like an interesting read.

Read it, loved it. Finished it the day after we visited the canal.

brownie1005 and jeffski,

Thank-you for the new book idea. I'm going to go check that one out!

We just got back from the Jewel of the Seas Panama Canal cruise, and I picked up Panama Fever by Matthew Parker at the bookstore before the cruise. I have to confess that I only managed about the first 100 pages--too much other important stuff to do, like watching the ocean from my balcony, getting some sun, etc., but I've enjoyed it so far. I also thought that the Path Between the Seas was excellent.

The Canal is an amazing site to see. The Panamanians are planning to put in an additional set of locks and hope to have them operational by the centennial anniversary of the Canal--in 2014. Supposedly you can see the progress they are making on Google Earth--I'm going to check that out as soon as I can.

Happy cruising!

If you have Netflix, they have A Man, A Plan, A Canal: Panama. Also two other videos. I have them on order.

I purchased a used audio CD of Path Between the Seas from Amazon for my husband. We listened to it on our boring commute. Excellent CD…..We enjoyed stopping the CD, and discussing what we heard. We have a full transit booked for February 2010. This has made the trip seem much closer!

Now I am trying to work myself up to reading the author's well known biography of John Adams, but haven't been able to face it - now if it was somehow related to a cruise, I'd be motivated!

I read both John Adams and Truman by McCullough and they are both fantastic. It's well worth making time to read these.

Perhaps a New England/Canada cruise will help you get in the mood for John Adams?:D

cheers,

Lemur

From my reading list for travel http://richarddetrich.wordpress.com/richards-must-read-travel-books/

for "Panama

*David McCullough, THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS – “The” definitive history of the construction of the Panama Canal: don’t take a Canal cruise without first reading this book.

Douglas Galbraith, THE RISING SUN – No, it’s not about Japan. “The Rising Sun” was the name of a Scottish ship that established the first settlement in Panama with high hopes of digging a canal by hand! Based on actual notes of the expedition’s clerk who was one of the few to survive, this is a fantastic historical novel and amazingly is a “first book.”

Matthew Parker, PANAMA FEVER – Another version of “The epic story of one of the greatest human achievements of all time – the building of the Panama Canal.”

Julie Green, THE CANAL BUILDERS – The newest “groundbreaking history of the Panama Canal offers a revelatory workers’-eye view of the momentous undertaking and shows how it launched America’s Twentieth-Century empire.”

Regards, Richard

I just finished reading Paths Between the Seas by McCullough. I read it in 5 days ... but then again I am a retired history teacher. It is an excellent read. Now my wife is reading it. I had forgotten that I bought and read most of it back in the 70's when it first came out. I am glad I was reminded of it. I did find it in my library after all these years and I had to blow dust off of it!

My only problem is that now I am paranoid about mosquitoes ..LOL. I do have a serious problem in that I have reserved an excursion to see the Indians. However after reading this book, I am beginning to think I should spend the day seeing as much of the canal as possible. But then again I am taking a full transit of the canal the day after the Indian excursion. . Decisions ... decisions???