“Bond of Union: Building the Erie Canal and the American Empire” 
By Gerard Koeppel
   

AUGUSTA, GA - Sometimes it is the little things in history that mean the most. In a perfect example of this well-known treat, Gerard Koeppel offers a detailed glimpse of individuals and interactions unknown to avid history fans throughout the story of a canal. In so doing, he reminds readers of the importance of independent historical research in world often inundated with information and yet often lacking serious consideration. 

In a wonderful demonstration of historical narrative, Gerard Koeppel tells the gripping tale of how the Erie Canal came to be. A commitment to strenuous archival research, Koeppel offers an extensive view of an amazing structure in “Bond of Union:  Building the Erie Canal and the American Empire.” 

Chronicling the construction of America’s first superhighway, “Bond of Union” undertakes an arduous task that the author makes look like a hobby. With detailed precision and smooth narrative chimes, Koeppel offers a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the more impressive structures of American history. Working from the original ditch, the Erie Canal became one of the more important spaces of territory in these United States throughout the middle decades of the 19th century. In so doing, the structure earned a pivotal place in history. 

A writer, journalist and historian, Gerard Koeppel has seen his work appear in the pages of The New York Times, The New Yorker, and a wide variety of other publications.  With this latest work, he undertakes the excavation of the stories surrounding the struggles between New York and Virginia, the discovery of waterproof cement, and the “Father of American Civil Engineering” Benjamin Wright. Throughout the tale, he weaves in just enough detail and history to keep readers captivated by the exchange. 

A highly acclaimed author already (“Water for Gotham”), Koeppel calls forth his next masterpiece by revitalizing a historical occasion that hasn’t seemed so relevant in a long time.

Koeppel, Gerard.  “Bond of Union:  Building the Erie Canal and the American Empire.”  Cambridge, Massachusetts:  Da Capo Press.  2009.  $27.95 Cloth.  454pp.  ISBN:  9780306818271.