COUNTRY WALKERS

Panama: Canal, Highlands & Pacific Coast

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

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Lonely Planet Panama

Lonely Planet Panama

by Scott Doggett

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 348 PAGES

The usual comprehensive Lonely Planet treatment, with a good overview of the history, culture and nature of Panama along with regional maps and excellent detail on where to go, sleep and eat. (PNM12, $21.99)

The Building of the Panama Canal in Historic Photographs

The Building of the Panama Canal in Historic Photographs

by Ulrich Keller

  • HISTORY
  • 1983
  • PAPER
  • 111 PAGES

These archival photographs tell the story of the people who built the Panama Canal, the engineers who designed it and the changes wrought on the landscape through its construction. (CAM41, $12.95)

The Path Between the Seas, The Creation of the Panama Canal: 1870-1914

The Path Between the Seas, The Creation of the Panama Canal: 1870-1914

by David McCullough

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 700 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Admirably told in vivid, page-turning detail. McCullough reveals the full scope of the Panama Canal, its characters, technical difficulties and Byzantine politics. (CAM32, $20.00)

Panama Wildlife Guide

Panama Wildlife Guide

by Rainforest Publications

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2009
  • PLASTIC CARD
  • 14 PAGES

This handy 14-panel fold-up card features expert color illustrations of dozens of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. (PNM27, $7.95)

Panama Map

Panama Map

by ITMB

  • 2006
  • MAP

A full-color, double-sided map of Panama for the traveler at the detailed scale of 1:480,000. (CAM25, $12.95)

 
Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish

Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish


by Joseph Keenan

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 215 PAGES

Idioms, common mistakes in word usage, and other helpful advice on tackling spoken Spanish. You'll need some foundation to take full advantage of this book -- but even a complete novice will appreciate the author's playful sense of humor. (CAM06, $19.95)

Culture Smart! Panama

Culture Smart! Panama


by Heloise Crowther

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 168 PAGES

This practical guide to local customs, etiquette and culture is concise and well-illustrated. (PNM30, $9.95)

Walking

Walking


by Henry David Thoreau

  • REFERENCE
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 92 PAGES

Slip this pocket edition of Thoreau's meditations on the spiritual benefits of this most civilized form of travel in your daypack for inspiration. (WLK04, $9.99)

A Brief History of Central America

A Brief History of Central America


by Hector Perez-Brignoll

  • HISTORY
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 223 PAGES

A good overview of the region's economic, political and social history through the 1980s by a professor at the University of Costa Rica. Well-written, informative and concise. (CAM49, $25.95)

Forgotten Continent

Forgotten Continent


by Michael Reid

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

Economist editor Reid draws on his years in the cities, presidential palaces and shantytowns of Central and South America in this portrait of a region rich in oil, farmland and culture, and its prospects in the face of globalization. (SAM123, $22.00)

How Wall Street Created a Nation: J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt, and the Panama Canal

How Wall Street Created a Nation: J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt, and the Panama Canal


by Ovidio Diaz Espino

  • HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 276 PAGES

An intriguing look into the treachery, behind-the-scenes financial wrangling and Roosevelt-era dollar diplomacy that resulted in both the Panama Canal and the establishment of Panama as an independent nation. (PNM23, $16.95)

The Captain and the Enemy

The Captain and the Enemy


by Graham Greene

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 208 PAGES

Graham Greene returns to classic themes of mystery, deceit and espionage in this accomplished short novel, his 23rd and last book, set in Panama. (CAM53, $15.00)

The Tailor of Panama

The Tailor of Panama


by John Le Carre

  • LITERATURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 512 PAGES

Set in Panama, this thriller by master storyteller John Le Carre includes spymasters, corrupt officials, arms manufacturers and other unsavory types. (CAM51, $7.99)

A Neotropical Companion

A Neotropical Companion


by John Kricher | Mark Plotkin

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 536 PAGES

From plants and animals to birds and bugs, it's all here in this wonderfully written overview of the ecology, habitats, plants and animals of Central and South America. (GPS11, $35.00)

The Monkey's Bridge, Mysteries of Evolution in Central America

The Monkey's Bridge, Mysteries of Evolution in Central America


by David Rains Wallace

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 280 PAGES

Opening this absorbing account of the history and biogeography of the Central American isthmus with the tale of Columbus, Wallace then weaves his own travels in the region with a crisp overview of exploration, nature and evolution. Natural history buffs and ecologically minded travelers will appreciate this valuable resource. (CAM56, $18.95)

The Tapir's Morning Bath

The Tapir's Morning Bath


by Elizabeth Royte

  • SCIENCE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

An engaging account of ecological research and ecologists at Barro Colorado Island, the Smithsonian Institution's Tropical Research Station in Panama. (AMZ74, $18.95)

Tropical Nature

Tropical Nature


by Adrian Forsyth | Ken Miyata

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1984
  • PAPER
  • 248 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

A lucid portrait of the tropics as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforest. (GPS13, $16.00)

A Guide to the Birds of Panama with Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras

A Guide to the Birds of Panama with Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras


by Robert Ridgely | J.A. Gwynne

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 534 PAGES

This comprehensive field guide, noteworthy for its beautiful color plates, covers additional species found in Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica. (CAM07, $55.00)

Panama Wildlife Guide: Birds

Panama Wildlife Guide: Birds


by Rainforest Publications

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • PLASTIC CARD
  • 14 PAGES

Featuring 250 color illustrations of the birds of Panama, this is a handy 14-panel foldup card. (PNM28, $7.95)

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