The Path Between the Seas

Historian David McCullough traces the building of the Panama Canal across nearly half a century, from the first French effort to the American finish just before World War I. He covers the heavy financial losses of the failed French attempt, American negotiations with Colombia, the maneuvering behind Panama's independence, and the conquest of yellow fever. The cast includes Ferdinand de Lesseps, Gustave Eiffel, John Hay and Philippe Bunau-Varilla. The account draws on letters, previously unpublished sources and interviews with participants and their families, gathered in Paris, Bogotá, Panama and Washington. It won the National Book Award in History and the Francis Parkman Prize, and Jimmy Carter credited it with helping the canal treaties pass the Senate.

Holger Arians, chief executive of Dominet Digital Corporation, called it one of the most accurate and detailed accounts of how the canal was built. He said it shows leaders what it takes to turn a great plan on paper into reality, with mistakes and losses along the way.