Winner of the National Book Award for history, The Path Between the Seas tells the story of the men and women who fought against all odds to fulfill the 400-year-old dream of constructing an aquatic passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is a story of astonishing engineering feats, tremendous medical accomplishments, political power plays, heroic successes, and tragic failures. McCullough expertly weaves the many strands of this momentous event into a captivating tale.
Like his masterful, Pulitzer Prize-winning biography John Adams, David McCullough's The Path Between the Seas has the sweep and vitality of a great novel. This audiobook is a must-listen for anyone interested in American history, international intrigue, and human drama.
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"OK... so I did not actually read this book. I listened to it an hour a day during my walks and whilst driving. DM can be better for listening. Nevertheless, I loved this story of the building of the Panama Canal and learned so much about so many people and the era 1870-1915. Superb! "
— Mom (5 out of 5 stars)
“A chunk of history full of giant-sized characters and rich in political skulduggery.”
— New York Times“Solid, entertainingly written and fair-minded…McCullough unravels the complicated and sometimes deliberately obscured story that lies behind the Panama Canal.”
— Washington Post Book World“McCullough is a storyteller with the capacity to steer readers through political, financial, and engineering intricacies without fatigue or muddle. This is grand-scale, expert work.”
— Newsweek“McCullough’s history of this extraordinary construction job between the Atlantic and the Pacific is everything history ought to be. It is dramatic, accurate…and altogether gripping.”
— Washington Star" The history was given in more of a straightforward approach without as much feeling in it, or at least that is how I felt. I was on a McCullough binge and may have starte to burn out as well. I still enjoyed it but not as much as say 1776. "
— Cameron, 6/8/2011" A great account of a major human accomplishment - full of details about every stage in the development of the Panama Canal. For me, more detail than I need but still am glad I read it. "
— Annetteb, 5/23/2011" Got a little long, but a very good read "
— Billy, 5/22/2011" Having been through the Panama Canal on a small boat in the early 80's, this was a great read to understand how it was designed, engineered and constructed. "
— Tom, 5/3/2011" Very interesting book about the Panama Canal and Yellow fever. McCullough makes about any historical topic interesting. "
— Tyler, 4/19/2011" Have meant to read this for a long time--worth the wait. Especially interesting because I also just read Wedding of the Waters about the Erie Canal. "
— Ronjoseph50, 3/25/2011" Excellent story of the building of the Panama Canal. "
— Dan, 3/13/2011" couldn't finish it but worth another visit someday. "
— Becka, 3/2/2011" An incredibly comprehensive tale of the building of the Panama Canal. I loved hearing about the French efforts and then the American efforts. What a feat. I love how McCullogh writes. "
— Kelli, 1/30/2011" A fascinating history that seems to cover every possible detail. "
— Travis, 1/30/2011" I want a real, working time machine. "
— J.M., 1/27/2011David McCullough (1933-2022), acclaimed historian and #1 New York Times bestselling author, twice won the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books are 1776, Brave Companions, The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, The Greater Journey, and The Wright Brothers. He was awarded numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, and more than forty honorary degrees. In 1995, the National Book Foundation conferred on him its lifetime Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
Nelson Runger’s voice has been recorded in dozens of audio productions and won him two AudioFile Earphones Awards. His ability to convey difficult, scholarly material with eloquence and ease has earned him critical acclaim, including an AudioFile Best Voice in Biography & History for his reading of Nixon and Kissinger.