Wedding of the Waters: The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation

Rating:
Summary: Good Account of this Important Project
Review: The Erie Canal was one of the most important and substantial engineering feats of the 19th Century. Bernstein provides extensive coverage of the personal and political events which lead up to the eight year dig. At page 199 he begins a well organized outline of the 300 mile excavation and the 100 plus locks required to deal with the elevation issues. The book had few maps and drawings, and the reader needs a separate atlas to grasp what is happening. Except for that lack, the work is highly recommended.
If you are expecting the equivalent of McCullough's "Path Between the Seas", you will be disappointed. That book deals extensively with the physical aspects of construction on the Panama Canal. Bernsteins book is mostly about the history of the period, the people, politics, and financing of the Erie Canal. The actual dig is treated lightly. It depends on your taste: people or shovels.