Panama 1914 - The Early Years of the Big Dig: The early years of the Big Dig

by Ken Rossignol, Udo J. Keppler (Illustrator)

PANAMA 1914 IS NOW BOARDING! Ripped from the headlines and original news stories from 100 years ago!This book is a "must read" prior to taking a cruise through the Panama Canal, as the reader will not only learn the history of this project but will also learn how the canal operates.Join this great voyage through the history of the Panama Canal, which is, one hundred years after its completion, on the eve of a new chapter in its spectacular history.From the early explorers, many seeking a critical water connection between two of the world’s great oceans to the determination of the best engineers of America, the BIG DIG finally opened for shipping – you can be on board!What stood in the way of making this canal a reality?Dense jungle, bottomless swamps, snakes and wild animals, endless mountain slides, vicious mosquito borne illnesses, hostile Indians, marauding pirates and buccaneers, and jealous colonial-era world powers, just to name a few.The story of the Panama Canal is told in this book through the original news reports of the day along with great photos of the construction efforts, gripping illustrations and editorial cartoons that appeared in many publications.In addition, the detailed chronicles of veteran newspaperman Logan Marshall have been restored, edited and abridged by the author. The story told so well one hundred years ago has been newly enhanced, researched and the verbiage brought up to date.PANAMA 1914 provides the reader with a full understanding of the aborted tries, the competing routes, and the lambasting of President Teddy Roosevelt at the hands of the press as well as interesting anecdotes of history.For learn about the practice of renting gravesites, much like today’s storage lockers. What happened when the relatives of the deceased failed to pay the rent?Scotland sent settlers to establish a colony at Panama. What happened? Of eight hundred Chinese workers who arrived to work on the canal and railroad, hundreds committed suicide and all of them either died or left, due to pestilence and turmoil. Why did hundreds of them fling themselves into the ocean?A custom-made $40,000 Pullman car for a French canal company big shot was only part of the way the funds of investors were squandered in the failed effort that led to the takeover by the United States. What was the real cost to build this spectacular ditch?What happened when the U. S. House of Representatives had to decide whether to build the canal through Panama or plan a trip through Lake Nicaragua?The desperate dash of the USS Oregon to travel the long distance from the west coast around South America to help defend the east coast from a Spanish Armada reportedly heading to attack!That episode helped push the decision to enable America to quickly move ships from one ocean to the other – with the construction of the Panama Canal.Corruption, charges and counter-charges went on for many years after in March, 1899, Marshall wrote “Congress authorized the President to make an exhaustive investigation as to the most practicable and feasible Isthmian route for a canal that should be under the complete control of the United States and the absolute property of the nation”.A lobbyist stepped in and the key legislators learned about an explosive potential in one country which led to a decision being finally made to build the $375,000,000 water connection between the Atlantic and the Pacific.Step aboard the ship of history and don’t forget your mosquito netting.– Ken Rossignol

Genres: History

429 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2012

About the author

Writing in true crime, maritime history and cruise thrillers occupies most of Ken Rossignol's time.
As a maritime history speaker, Rossignol enjoys meeting audiences around the world and discussing the original news stories of the sinking of the RMS Titanic and other maritime history topics.
In recent years Rossignol has appeared on dozens of ships in the Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean and Caribbean discussing the stories of the heroes of the Titanic, the explorations of the new world voyagers, the Bermuda Triangle and the history of piracy.
Rossignol appears at the Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Branson, Missouri for book signings and to talk with visitors about the RMS Titanic.
He has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC 20/20; ABC World News Tonight and in a 2012 production of Discovery Channel Investigation Motives & Murders Series, A Body in the Bay.
News coverage of Rossignol’s landmark civil rights case, represented by Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz re: United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Rossignol v Voorhaar, 2003, included articles in most major news outlets, as well as a column by syndicated columnists James J. Kilpatrick.
The story of the St. Mary's Today newspaper is now available in ebook and paperback: The Story of THE RAG! The book includes nearly 200 editorial cartoons that appeared over the years.
A strong highway safety advocate, Rossignol also publishes the DWIHitParade.com which focuses on impaired driving and the monthly publication, The Chesapeake.
News coverage of Rossignol’s DWIHitParade won an Emmy in 2012 for WJLA reporter Jay Korff and coverage of the St. Mary’s Today newspaper by WUSA reporter Bruce Leshan was awarded an Emmy in 2000.

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much interesting information that really let the reader know how much danger and hard work was involved in creating that mammoth canal. The dangers were real and the cost was extremely high. In money, in lives and livelihood.

I loved the real accounts of the event. There are so much history and newsworthy times. The photos and illustrations were such a lovely feature of the book.
The newspaper accounts that are shared in the book showed just what an important and huge event this was.
Advertisers even included the building project in their ads. It was on everyone's mind. I really enjoyed learning all these facts. The way it was written was engaging.

As a lover of history, I was in heaven reading this.

Everyone that loves history should read this book.

[Earl Guy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most poorly written book I have ever read!

This is the most poorly written book I have ever read. One sentence paragraphs , misspelled words, words put in that make no sense to the reader, names of characters who just pop up in the narrative with no explanation of their background are just a few of the problems with this book. It is so bad I cannot continue reading!

[ZorroG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detail oriented

Like all books of this nature (using newspaper articles only,) this book can be daunting to read continuously and is dry plowing. Good for someone with a burning passion to “know” about the canal.

[Jan Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting little book on the Panama Canal.

[Kenneth Aspan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of the canal, but read more like a textbook for me.

[Kyle Beggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Mostly an interesting read toward the end starts to have a couple of areas that are harder to follow. Worth the time to learn some of the history of the canal.

[Tarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, historic look at how the Panama Canal was built. Ken Rossignol has pieced together newspaper editorials and a plethora of articles on the subject of the canal, dating back several years before 1914, to when the original plans, arguments, and questions first arose about making a slice through land, disconnecting two continents forever...

"An interoceanic canal was recommended as the only means of connection of the oceans that could adequately meet the future demands of commerce."
- Panama 1914

I love how the book covers the full story of the Panama Canal -- from the financial, governmental and legal angles, to the gritty, humanized angles about local issues -- disease (yellow fever, malaria), food supplies -- and how who got chosen to be hired as canal workers. Plus there's a lot of good photos alongside the documents to help you better visualize what it was like building the canal over a hundred years ago.

The way that Rossignol doesn't write about the history, but shares the history itself with you is a unique approach; it makes the reader feel like they're getting to research and discover history from its original form, directly from the eyes of the people who lived it! It's a good read!

And for a history book, the ending nabbed me. It set me into a fit of laughter -- just you wait.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite work by the author, yet - at least of those I have read. Here the blend of newspaper accounts tells a fascinating story rich in detail from the 19th Century beginnings of the vision to the U.S. success in 1914. One of the most interesting things is the whiff of scandal around how Teddy Roosevelt appears to have abetted letting his brother-in-law Douglas Robinson, William Taft's brother Charles, and financier J.P. Morgan benefit financially from an overpriced acquisition of the previous canal company while denying it publically. There is much more on the project's life from military and engineering angles to the history of Panama as a country and is independence with press accounts supporting and denying fishy U.S. involvement there...

[Andrew Western · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book by Ken Rossignol. I have only one complaint. I am not sure if the problem was due to the conversion to ebook format or what. The pictures and other graphics included were a bit hard to see on my tablet. Again, these might be easier with the printed version of the book, but I am not sure. I found the rest of the book quite interesting and I learned a lot more about the Panama Canal and its history that I did not know before.

[keith sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In summary

I found this book very interesting. It had a few slow spots. I was taking a cruise this year and wanted to know the history of the canal. This book gave me a great insight into the building, politics, and struggles to complete this great water way. If you like history pick up a copy.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been to Panama and also gone through the Canal. In spite all the speakers I heard, I never learned a small portion of what I learned from Ken Rossignol's book. This book is not for the light reader. I wished for a large map of the area so that I could follow along as the names and countries changed. I recommend it for someone who really enjoys reading about history

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable for real students of the carnal

I have been a fan of th Panama canal and it's stories since an early flight I've it. I think it was a bit of over kill that almost forty percent of novel was on the mistakes of the early attempts and could have condensed .

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brings the effort behind the achievement to vivid life

[Judy]

BOring