Author(s): Zachary Karabell

Non-fiction

The building of the Suez Canal was considered the greatest engineering feat of the 19th century, but, as Zachary Karabell shows in this book, there was much more to it than just a marvel of construction. In addition, Parting the Desert describes an extraordinary meeting between East and West. The idea which began with Napoleon Bonaparte was then taken up by the French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, who masterminded the project winning a concession from the ruler of Egypt. Lesseps travelled throughout Europe to raise money, and managed to win the support of Louis Napoleon and neutralize the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He was a persuasive public-speaker but he never convinced Lord Palmerston, one of the towering figures of Victorian England, who was determined to prevent the canal's completion. To carry out the enormous engineering project, Lesseps used both old tools and new ones. He set up a modern company governed by shareholders, but took advantage of forced labour, and he hired the best engineers of the day who designed machines to excavate the 100-mile long canal. The creation of the Suez Canal captured the imagination of the world. It was heralded as a symbol of progress that would unite East and West, but its legacy is mixed. The canal was supposed to strengthen the Middle East and bridge cultures; instead the gap widened. However, it opened up a trade link between West and East which had enormous repercussions.