I’m starting to get asked what I would like to receive for the holidays. As a construction attorney, I cannot say that a lot of my work reading is done for pleasure. However, these two books made it on to my reading list and were thoroughly enjoyable. If you enjoy construction issues like I do (and if you don’t, you probably should not be reading a blog called “The Construction Contract Review” - really, what are you doing here?), you will probably enjoy these books. Drop a hint at the Thanksgiving Day dinner and see if one of these ends up in your stocking.
I am not a professional book reviewer, and I’ve never played one on TV. Accordingly, I will simply refer to the blurbs from Amazon.com, and no, I will not get any referral or commission from the sale of these books.
The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the
I just saw this news story, and was reminded how much I enjoyed this related book: Construction of a new set of locks for the Panama Canal will begin in January. According to the Amazon.com review: “The story of the
I found this book absolutely fascinating. In a history class, one learns about the events, whereas in this book, McCullough tells about the personalities around the events. He tells a great story. If you’ve read any of his other books, you’ll probably enjoy this one.
The Pentagon: A History, by Steve Vogel
When the Washington Post reviewed this book, they stated: “The Pentagon was built upon a foundation of lies, secrecy and cost overruns.” Publishers’ Weekly stated: “Vogel traces the politics and design considerations involved in planning a new home for the previously scattered War Department … in the early 1940s. Wartime conservation subsequently forced builders to use the least amount of steel possible, and much concrete. The Stripped Classical building - erected in 16 months at a cost of $85 million - was made with five sides chiefly because it lay on remnant acres between five appropriately angled roads. At the time, it was a massive undertaking: five concentric rings of offices, 17.5 miles of corridors and a five-acre central courtyard.”
Like McCullough’s book above, Vogel does an excellent job of telling the story of the characters in this event. Booklist recounted: “Vivid portraits are drawn of other key figures in the drama, among them Franklin D. Roosevelt, the president who fancied himself an architect; Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson and Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall, both desperate for a home for the War Department as the country prepared for battle; Colonel Leslie R. Groves, the ruthless force of nature who oversaw the Pentagon’s construction (as well as the Manhattan Project to create an atomic bomb); and John McShain, the charming and dapper builder who used his relationship with FDR to help land himself the contract for the biggest office building in the world.” Anyone ever involved in a change order should read this book!
I wasn’t alone in enjoying both of these books, apparently. The Kirkus Reviews wrote about The Pentagon: A History: "Among books dealing with seemingly impossible engineering feats, this easily ranks with David McCullough’s The Great Bridge and The Path Between the Seas, as well as Ross King’s Brunelleschi’s Dome."
I have not yet read The Great Bridge or the Ross King book. Hint, Hint.
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