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17 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 A well done historical novel, excellent for learing about PM Jul 09, 2003
By Panama Traveler
"Panama" is a fictional story about a man who lived in the Canal Zone as a kid, then returns to Panama as an adult during the end of the Noriega years. The hero has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and inadvertently influences history on several occasions. Although he returned to Panama just to write a tourism article, Hank Duque gets caught up in the turmoil between Noriega's PDF and the CIA, and almost gets himself killed in the process. There are a couple of chapters in the book that are set further back in history, and the reader is given a sidesaddle view of Balboa's arrival in Panama in 1514, the English pirate Morgan's sacking of on Panama City 1671, Teddy Roosevelt's visit to the canal construction site in 1906, and the January 1964 riots that ultimately resulted in the Torrijos-Carter Treaty and Panama's independence from the United States. Miller handles all of these complex issues with ease, and the reader is simultaneously entertained and educated The book is an easy and entertaining read, and is an exceptional book for anyone who has ever set foot in Panama. The narrative takes the reader from one easily recognizable landmark to another. The political, sociologic, demographic, geographic, and historical settings are all accurate throughout the book, a testament to the writer's research and attention to detail. I arrived in Panama in July of 1987 and lived through the events leading up to Operation Just Cause. I never considered it an "invasion" because I was already here. Carlos Miller's book "Panama" does justice to the events of 1987-1989. It is an exceptionally well written book. Miller does for Panama what James A. Michener did for the Chesapeake, Alaska, and Hawaii. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but it is an absolute must read for anyone who lives here now, has lived here at some time in the past, or who has spent any time in Panama at all. "Panama" is a great book.
13 of 13 found the following review helpful:
 Panama by Carlos Ledson Miller Feb 11, 2000
By Kathy Adams
This book was a GREAT read. This type of novel, historical fiction and adventure, is not my typical choice in reading. But this book grabbed me and I couldn't let go. It was like escapism! I enjoy novels that leave me with a sense of knowing something more than I knew when I started. I knew very little about the history of Panama and this book inspired me. The Panama Canal is no doubt one of the best things that happened to modern industry and economy, as is true for the Suez Canal. And the US just returned control of the Canal Zone to Panama at the end of 1999. Perfect time for this book to show up! This work is informative, and it kept me wanting more adventure! "Panama" includes romance, adventure, as well as a history lesson, not to mention the intrique. As for the main character, I hope we get to hear more about him--this guy's a trip! He changed his life with no fear! I want to go to Panama! This author has another novel out called Belize, and I'm definitely going to read it.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Panama read and enjoyed Sep 22, 2003
By Thomas L. Harman
"Professor"
I have found Carlos Miller's book exciting and informative. It is a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in an excellent adventure story.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Miller Knows Panama and Makes It Real Jun 13, 2002
By Barbara Ewing
I enjoyed Panama, Carlos Ledson Miller's story of a man who embarks on an innocent journey to re-visit his roots and becomes entangled in a life-or-death struggle to save himself and his new found love and her son in the Panamanian upheaval of 1989. The novel offers much more than the gripping personal saga of Hank Duque. It take us into the history and background of the politics and culture of a fractured nation. Miller's flowing style immerses the reader in Panama, its troubled past and dangerous present when no one can be trusted. It's a great read for vacations (you won't want to put it down) or any other time.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Panama of the Heart Dec 30, 2001
By Charles H. Russell, PhD
Browsers be aware that this book is no travelogue or tour guide for Panama. It is a tense account of an American who returns to the Canal Zone, where he lived to his teen years, as a free-lance writer and rediscovers his Panamanian roots while reporting the complex plots to overthrow the vicious dictator Manuel Noriega. Readers of James Bond adventures and Michael Crichton novels will find themselves caught up in this gripping book. Besides, they will discover a crucial piece of American life and history when thousands of technical and military personnel lived in "the Zone" and finally withdrew in the 1980s. This is the first novel to bring to life the triumphs and tensions of that era. The events of the period are made completely real by this fictional account of one man who lived through it.
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