The BunauVarilla Brothers And The Panama Canal Gabriel J Loizillon 9781300558408 Books
Download As PDF : The BunauVarilla Brothers And The Panama Canal Gabriel J Loizillon 9781300558408 Books
Philippe Bunau-Varilla, A Frenchman, Signed With Secretary Of State John Hay, In 1903, The Treaty Giving Birth To The Panama Canal, Which Opened In 1914. This Book Celebrates The Centennial Of The Canal.
The BunauVarilla Brothers And The Panama Canal Gabriel J Loizillon 9781300558408 Books
After reading Mc Cullough's account of the Panama Canal, I was hungry for a more detailed biography of its true central character. Only Philippe Bunau Varilla was part of the entire story from A to Z, over almost four decades. It was fair to say the Panama Canal truly IS the Bunau-Varilla Canal. Without him, it simply would not have happened. Thanks to Gabriel Loizillon and his superbly researched book, Philippe Bunau Varilla finally gets what was owed him for quite some time: the recognition that being central to the Panama Canal actually means being central to both words in "Panama Canal": Philippe Bunau Varilla not only made the Canal, he also made Panama, and for the first time he is recognized as such by Loizillon's masterful and detailed biography.This is a MUST for any history buff who has been mesmerized by one of the greatest accomplishment in mankind.
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The BunauVarilla Brothers And The Panama Canal Gabriel J Loizillon 9781300558408 Books Reviews
Loizillon gives Bunau-Varilla his due in this well-researched, thorough, and novel account of the Panama Canal. This is a must-read for any serious student of how the Canal came to be, and the intrigue, politics and science behind it.
This book sheds a new light on the decisions to use the Panama route and
lifts the cloud over the revolt that separated Panama from Columbia. The role of the B-V brothers firmly establishes their key role in the making of the canal and proves that they were not just in it for the profits
History, geography, politics, engineering, and epidemics are all interwoven to create this history of the Bunau-Varilla brothers and the building of the Panama Canal, which reads more like and adventure story than a history. The writing is realistic enough to make one wonder at times whether the canal will ever get built through Panama, even though one of course knows the true outcome. An excellent exposition of a much neglected area of history.
This is a very interesting book, full of happenings that keep you on your toes until the end. The detailed story of Philippe Bunau-Varilla has never been documented as well as in this book. The competition between Panama and Nicaragua adds a new light to the story of the Panama canal, ignored by many to date. The skills that Philippe Bunau-Varilla put forward to convince the Americans to build the canal in Panama are a key to the story.
I liked very much the book and offer congratulations to the author.
While examining the first pages I considered the book with a certain interest, because I found it very complete, well documented and agreeable to read. The more I advanced, the more the book changed into a real thriller and I sometimes wondered, though I obviously new the final outcome, whether the Panama Canal would one day really exist. It is very funny to notice that Philippe BUNAU, a high level engineer, was in fact far more efficient in financial and political lobbying than in correctly evaluating the cubic meters that had to be excavated. Reading the book during the current sub-prime crisis was instructive, because you come to the conclusion that few things have changed in the banking sector and that subscribing to a large project was just as risky some 120 years ago than nowadays.
Panama became independent from Colombia in Novenber 3, 1903. Orginally under the influence of Simon Bolivar, Panama who had declared itself free of Spain, joined Gran Colombia, a group of 5 Latin American republics under Bolivar, in the 1820. That experiment did not go well and a broken hearted Simon Bolivar died in 1830 as he began his self exile. He died of a broken heart.
Things did not go much better for Panama. It quickly became a much neglected province of Colombia not a co-equal as promised. Panama would spend the next 80 years trying to separate from Colombia. Along the way many European countries looked with avarice and lust on the ithmus. They hoped to build or at least control a canal. The U.S. had similar ambitions and for a while associated itself with England to keep other countries away. Later the U.S. signed treateies with Colombia guaranteeing her hegemony over the ithmus.
The U.S. also tried to secure an arrangement with Colombia to build acanal. After agreeing, Colombia balked. It was a matter of money and, of course, national control. Unfortunately for Colombia, the US had a very forceful president. Theodore Roosevelt was not to be denied what he thought the world needed-- a trans oceanic canal.
But why Panama? Enter a swashbuckling figure of Phillipe Bunau-Varilla behind the scenes and further behind we find his brother. This book is an excellent presentation of their side of the story. Phillipe has been much maligned. But he was a figure of his time and a successful one. Although an engineer, his forte was politics and wheeling and dealing.
It is rare to find a Panamanian history book that does not excoriate him. In the 1920s the National Assembly passed a resolution labelling him persona non-grata. It is true as Panamanians point out that not a single Panamanian was present in Weashington, DC when the treaty between the U.S. and Panama was signed establihing their close relationship. Bunau-Varilla was there, he was still Panama's Minister to the U.S. but a delegation of Panamanians had already docked in New York and were on their way to Washington. Bunau-Varilla advised the White House that he would not be able to sign a treaty once the Panamanian delegation arrived. That very same evening the U.S.-Panamanian treaty was penned -- using Abraham Lincoln's inkwell.
The next day Bunau Varilla met the Panamanian delegation at the train station and joyfully announced the treaty had been signed. The leader of the group, medical doctor Manuel Amador Guerrero nearly fainted dead away. He was later to comment "at least there won't be anymore yellow fever in Panama."
So Bunau-Varila became to some a selfish villian to others,including the author of this book, a hard working, intelligent man who made it all fall into place.
Thus this book is a good contribution to the literature. Time to restudy the whole reality. Including the fact that Colombia sent a delegation, actually several of them, to Washington proposing the same and later better terms to the U.S. if the U.S. would allow Colombia to regain control over Panama once again. The U. S. and Roosevelt refused to do so.
Mr. Loizillon's research of the true source of the Bunau-Varilla brother's wealth and how they used these resources went above and beyond what others contributed in the past. It is a must-read for anyone interested PBV's role in the history of the Panama Canal.
After reading Mc Cullough's account of the Panama Canal, I was hungry for a more detailed biography of its true central character. Only Philippe Bunau Varilla was part of the entire story from A to Z, over almost four decades. It was fair to say the Panama Canal truly IS the Bunau-Varilla Canal. Without him, it simply would not have happened. Thanks to Gabriel Loizillon and his superbly researched book, Philippe Bunau Varilla finally gets what was owed him for quite some time the recognition that being central to the Panama Canal actually means being central to both words in "Panama Canal" Philippe Bunau Varilla not only made the Canal, he also made Panama, and for the first time he is recognized as such by Loizillon's masterful and detailed biography.
This is a MUST for any history buff who has been mesmerized by one of the greatest accomplishment in mankind.
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