Review: Colossus: Hoover Dam and the Making of the American Century by Michael A. Hiltzik

Title: Colossus: Hoover Dam and the Making of the American Century
Author: Michael Hiltzik
Publisher: Free Press
Publication Date: June 1, 2010
Edition: Hardcover (496 pages)


Colossus: Hoover Dam and the Making of the American Century by Michael A. Hiltzik

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Hoover Dam, first called Boulder Dam, is a marvel of technology, ingenuity and personal fortitude of those who first thought of constructing it and those who finally saw it through to completion. For some, it was an all-consuming passion, fraught with financial hardship, danger, loss of life, and, in the end, a man-made triumph over nature and the Colorado river. The story is rich in characters--from President Theodore Roosevelt to President Hoover, and finally President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who dedicated it.

Michael Hiltzik explores so many facets of the process of planning, obtaining Congressional approval, personal and professional rivalries, compromises, confusion over the name (Boulder Dam or Hoover Dam), states rights vs. government control--and the list goes on. He also tells much of the story of the Great Depression and how people out of work flock to the project from all over the country in hopes of finding a job just to stave off starvation. And the hardship doesn't end there.

As I read this book, the magnitude of the undertaking became so clear, and the personalities of those involved became so real to me. The sacrifice was immeasurable, and it didn't end with the completion of Hoover Dam, as you will see.