Prize Possession: The United States Government and the Panama Canal 1903-1979

Description

Prize Possession is a comprehensive history of U.S. policy toward the Panama Canal between 1903 and 1979, focusing on five key themes: the Canal's defense and its place in American strategy; the Zone's autocratic system of government; its strictly segregated labor force; its commercial development at the expense of Panama; and the equally controversial issue of U.S. intervention in Panamanian politics. The book is based for the most part on the hitherto largely untapped sources of U.S. government agencies, namely the State, War, and Navy Departments, and the Canal Zone administration, as well as on the papers of notable dramatis personae such as Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and Philippe Bunau-Varilla.

"John Major has produced a diplomatic historian's history of the United States' Panama Canal policy: meticulously sourced and laden with documentary evidence, this jewel will be the standard on the subject for years to come...Every possible document that is currently available has been used... these many sources are woven into a narrative that is a pleasure to read." Margaret E. Scranton, International History Review "In reviewing this work, one must begin by congratulating John Major and thanking him for his attention to detail and painstaking scholarship. He has labored hard and thoughtfully for his reader. The documentation is so complete and the discussion of issues so thorough that the work takes on the character of a reference book. It is the sort of book one keeps handy on the shelf. It is document-driven and demanding of the reader, but the rewards are high. One acquires a deep understanding of U.S. policy toward the Panama Canal, particularly as it affected the defense of the waterway, the governance of the Canal Zone, and relations with the Republic of Panama." Charles D. Ameringer, The Americas "This work is a jewel of information." Gustave Anguizola, Journal of American History "The study is both informative and substantive and as such deserves inclusion on any short list of works dealing with the United States and Panama." Canadian Jrnl of Latin American & Caribbean Studies