Description

Easton Press leather edition of David McCullough's "The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914," two of the LIBRARY OF AMERICAN HISTORY series, published in 1977. Bound in royal blue leather, the books have decorative paper end leaves, satin book marker, acid-free paper, Symth-sewn binding, hubbed spine, gold gilding on three edges---in near FINE condition. COLLECTOR'S NOTES is included. Historian David McCullough, a Professor of History at JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, won the National Book Award for 1978 for these two volumes. In its time, the building of the Panama Canal was the largest, most costly peace-time endeavor ever undertaken by man, the crowning engineering feat of the Victorian era and the first assertion of American gloval power in the new century. The dream of uniting the Atlantic and Pacific by canal was first conceived by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. In the 1880s, France decided to undertake the project with FERDINAND de LESSEPS, the hero of the recently completed SUEZ CANAL as the project's director. Digging began in 1882, but a decade later the French had only scandal, bankruptcy, criminal prosecution and national disgrace to show for their effort. Bunau-Varilla took over as France's canal promotor but with little avail until help appeared from the United State. President THEODORE ROOSEVELT saw the cnal as a way to double the U.S.' naval power. The U.S. paid $40 million for the concession held by the French company and then tried to persuade the columbian government to accept a low offer for the land rights. When Columbia refused, the U.S. backed a revolt and the U.S. was granted the infamous treaty for a six-mile wide canal zone for 100 years. Mosquitoes carrying yellow fever and malaria decimated the work force, and torrential rains brought about frequent landslides but the Americans completed the gargantuan task of removing roughly 232,000,000 cubic yards of dirt to create a canal over 50 miles long. Completed in 1914, the canal's first toll-paying passage was back-news due to the outbreak of World War I. The project was completed $23 million under budget! 698 pages, including an index. I offer combined shipping.