{"product_id":"the-big-ditch-noel-maurer-9780691147383","title":"The Big Ditch: How America Took, Built, Ran, and Ultimately Gave Away the Panama Canal","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn incisive economic and political history of the Panama Canal\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOn August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened for business, forever changing the face of global trade and military power, as well as the role of the United States on the world stage. The Canal's creation is often seen as an example of U.S. triumphalism, but Noel Maurer and Carlos Yu reveal a more complex story. Examining the Canal's influence on Panama, the United States, and the world, \u003ci\u003eThe Big Ditch\u003c\/i\u003e deftly chronicles the economic and political history of the Canal, from Spain's earliest proposals in 1529 through the final handover of the Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999, to the present day. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe authors show that the Canal produced great economic dividends for the first quarter-century following its opening, despite massive cost overruns and delays. Relying on geographical advantage and military might, the United States captured most of these benefits. By the 1970s, however, when the Carter administration negotiated the eventual turnover of the Canal back to Panama, the strategic and economic value of the Canal had disappeared. And yet, contrary to skeptics who believed it was impossible for a fledgling nation plagued by corruption to manage the Canal, when the Panamanians finally had control, they switched the Canal from a public utility to a for-profit corporation, ultimately running it better than their northern patrons. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA remarkable tale, \u003ci\u003eThe Big Ditch\u003c\/i\u003e offers vital lessons about the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects, American overseas interventions on institutional development, and the ability of governments to run companies effectively.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Noel Maurer, Carlos Yu\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0691147388\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780691147383\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Princeton University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/28\/2010\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 440\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.65lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.30h x 6.30w x 1.40d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/01\/2011","brand":"Noel Maurer","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44045657374975,"sku":"9780691147383","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_53d80a52-a952-40d5-9722-4f3099fe03db.jpg?v=1684979976","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-big-ditch-noel-maurer-9780691147383","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}