Colossus is the story of the Hoover Dam (built in the 1920s-30s on the Colorado River near Las Vegas). Very much in the same vein as The Path Between the Seas (by David McCullough, reviewed here), it covers not only the construction of the dam, but the necessity of it, planning, political factors, environmental concerns, logistics, labor conditions, short biographies of the leaders, and more. Pre-dam realities and attempts to corral the Colorado near the Imperial Valley in California are also covered. In short, if it has to anything to do with the Hoover Dam, it's discussed.
This book is pretty good. Hiltzik did his homework, that's for sure. I enjoyed learning about the topic, and seeing just how many different things have to be considered when attempting an undertaking of such magnitude. More explanation and graphics pertaining to the actual construction would have been nice, but overall, it's a good effort. If you like stories of significant feats, you'll like this.
Rating: A-
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