The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914
Score Classic
What it's about
David McCullough tells the story of the Panama Canal, from 1870 to its opening in 1914. First, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the hero of the Suez Canal, led a French attempt that ended in scandal and disaster, after tens of thousands of workers died of yellow fever and malaria. Then the United States, under Theodore Roosevelt, backed a revolution in Panama, conquered the diseases and finished the job, in one of the greatest engineering projects in history.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award for history. It's a great story of ambition, engineering and politics.
You'll love it if you liked
The Great Bridge
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New YorkGood to know
There's a lot of engineering detail, and it's long.
By the numbers
- Readers82 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics61 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #68 of the 198 history books we rank
- #115 of the 762 classics we rank
- #362 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Adventurous
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Quick answers
Is The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914 worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award for history. It ranks #362 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914 about?
David McCullough tells the story of the Panama Canal, from 1870 to its opening in 1914. First, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the hero of the Suez Canal, led a French attempt that ended in scandal and disaster, after tens of thousands of workers died of yellow fever and malaria. Then the United States, under Theodore Roosevelt, backed a revolution in Panama, conquered the diseases and finished the job, in one of the greatest engineering projects in history.
How long does it take to read The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914?
About 18 hours (708 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914 won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (1978).
What should I read after The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914?
If you liked it, try The Great Bridge by David McCullough, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris or The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro.