The Path Between the Seas

The National Book Award–winning epic chronicle of the creation of the Panama Canal, a first-rate drama of the bold and brilliant engineering feat that transformed global trade routes and shaped modern American history, as told by Pulitzer Prize–winning author and master historian David McCullough. A national bestseller and testament to human determination, The Path Between the Seas tells the stories of the men and women who fought against all odds to fulfill the 400-year-old dream of constructing a maritime passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. McCullough masterfully recounts astonishing engineering and medical accomplishments, political power plays, heroic successes, and tragic failures. Applying his remarkable gift for writing lucid, lively exposition, McCullough weaves the many strands of the momentous event into a comprehensive and captivating tale. Winner of the National Book Award for history, the Francis Parkman Prize, the Samuel Eliot Morison Award, and the Cornelius Ryan Award (for the best book of the year on international affairs), The Path Between the Seas is a must-read for anyone interested in American history, technological innovation, international intrigue, and human drama.

David McCullough (1933–2022) twice received 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 include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, Brave Companions, 1776, The Greater Journey, The American Spirit, The Wright Brothers, and The Pioneers. He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. Visit DavidMcCullough.com.

Contents PREFACE BOOK ONE: THE VISION 1870-1894 1. Threshold 2. The Hero 3. Consensus of One 4. Distant Shores 5. The Incredible Task 6. Soldiers Under Fire 7. Downfall 8. The Secrets of Panama BOOK TWO: STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER 1890-1904 9. Theodore the Spinner 10. The Lobby 11. Against All Odds 12. Adventure by Trigonometry 13. Remarkable Revolution 14. Envoy Extraordinary BOOK THREE: THE BUILDERS 1904-1914 15. The Imperturbable Dr. Gorgas 16. Panic 17. John Stevens 18. The Man with the Sun in His Eyes 19. The Chief Point of Attack 20. Life and Times 21. Triumph Afterword ACKNOWLEDGMENTS NOTES SOURCES INDEX MAPS Panama During the French Era Panama, the Canal, and the Canal Zone PICTURE SECTIONS