The Path Between the Seas

The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914

| 4.40 | 17,239 ratings and reviews

Recommended by Bill Gates, Holger Arians, and 2 others. See all reviews

Ranked #3 in Cruises, Ranked #53 in World History — see more rankings.

On December 31, 1999, after nearly a century of rule, the United States officially ceded ownership of the Panama Canal to the nation of Panama. That nation did not exist when, in the mid-19th century, Europeans first began to explore the possibilities of creating a link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the narrow but mountainous isthmus; Panama was then a remote and overlooked part of Colombia.

All that changed, writes David McCullough in his magisterial history of the Canal, in 1848, when prospectors struck gold in California. A wave of fortune seekers descended on... more
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We've comprehensively compiled reviews of The Path Between the Seas from the world's leading experts.

Bill Gates CEO/Microsoft[On Bill Gates's reading list in 2013.] (Source)

Holger Arians Historian David McCullough wrote one of the most factually accurate and detailed books about the construction of the Panama Canal. Why would such a book interest a leader? Because it shows how a great thing was achieved, and what it took to take the project from the paper and make it a reality. Great things are never simple and easy to achieve. It takes creativity. Mistakes happen and losses are sustained. You have to rethink your strategy. You need a B, C or even a D plan. You do whatever it takes to make it happen. This is a valuable lesson for any leader and entrepreneur. (Source)

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