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Colossus: Hoover Dam and the Making of the American Century
As breathtaking today as when it was completed, Hoover Dam ranks among America’s most awe-inspiring, if dubious, achievements. This epic story of the dam—from conception to design to construction—by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik exposes the tremendous hardships and accomplishments of the men on the ground—and in the air—who built the dam and the demonic drive of Frank Crowe, the boss who pushed them beyond endurance. It is a tale of the tremendous will exerted from start to finish, detailing the canny backroom dealings by Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt, the herculean engineering challenges Crowe faced, and the terrific union strikes by the men who daily fought to beat back the Colorado River. Colossus tells an important part of the story of America’s struggle to pull itself out of the Great Depression by harnessing the power of its population and its natural resources.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published May 20, 2010
136 people are currently reading
1384 people want to read
About the author
Michael A. Hiltzik
4 books33 followersAs a columnist and reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Michael A. Hiltzik won the 1999 beat reporting Pulitzer Prize for co-writing an article about corruption in the music industry, and the 2004 Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism. He earned his Masters degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1974.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
May 14, 2012
Would have been helpful to have some photos/diagrams of the actual construction included.....hard to comprehend the construction technique(s)procedures without actual images to help understand the complexities of the cement work.
July 15, 2018
The cover blurb calls it a turbulent thriller. Civil-engineering humor, I suppose. The book is an oddly slanted history, a bit turbid and containing long dry patches.
There was a good bit of background on the treatment of the Colorado river prior to the conception of Hoover dam which was well-researched and interesting. Beyond that, the book got sidetracked into decrying the Big Six companies' behavior toward the workers focusing on the number of casualties, labor strife and poor working conditions. I was hoping for more interesting insight into the design and technical details. He repeats that it was massively challenging but never clearly says why it was, or how those challenges were overcome.
The author's perspective on the difficulty of building the dam under such challenging conditions was strangely weak, making the book dull and flat. Part of the problem is that the book lacked human interest; the characters were presented in a way that made them seem dreary relics in an historical dustbin. Comparison to the overly-imaginative treatment of William Mulholland in the fictional "Chinatown" is unfair, but you get the idea.
From my experience this book reflects an underlying incomprehension of the construction industry and a broad misunderstanding of the challenge of the undertaking and the intelligence and bravery of the people who undertook it. Not recommended.
There was a good bit of background on the treatment of the Colorado river prior to the conception of Hoover dam which was well-researched and interesting. Beyond that, the book got sidetracked into decrying the Big Six companies' behavior toward the workers focusing on the number of casualties, labor strife and poor working conditions. I was hoping for more interesting insight into the design and technical details. He repeats that it was massively challenging but never clearly says why it was, or how those challenges were overcome.
The author's perspective on the difficulty of building the dam under such challenging conditions was strangely weak, making the book dull and flat. Part of the problem is that the book lacked human interest; the characters were presented in a way that made them seem dreary relics in an historical dustbin. Comparison to the overly-imaginative treatment of William Mulholland in the fictional "Chinatown" is unfair, but you get the idea.
From my experience this book reflects an underlying incomprehension of the construction industry and a broad misunderstanding of the challenge of the undertaking and the intelligence and bravery of the people who undertook it. Not recommended.
October 18, 2015
This has got to be one of the best books I have ever read (well, I listened to the audio book but same thing). From start to finish the tale of water rights, shady companies, and the American Dream all mix to create the colossus of Black Rock Canyon (or Boulder as its called even though it is not the same location).
Extremely entertaining, maliciously researched, and just mind blowing, Colossus will be the only book you ever need to read on Hoover Dam.
This book has inspired me to have my students do a project on Hoover Dam later this year.
Extremely entertaining, maliciously researched, and just mind blowing, Colossus will be the only book you ever need to read on Hoover Dam.
This book has inspired me to have my students do a project on Hoover Dam later this year.
August 3, 2010
Colossus: Hoover Dam and the Making of the American Century
is a fascinating read, authoritatively researched, and made very personal by author Michael Hiltzik, who tells stories of the personalities involved in the dam construction project, from Presidents to wage laborers. There's a problem, though. Hiltzik seems to make absolutely no mention of the environmental impact of the dam and reservoir, aside from mentioning two towns and some archaeological resources flooded as Lake Mead filled. I don't usually like to criticize books for what the author didn't write, but in this case Hiltzik seems to underline the omission by repeatedly referring to the desert landscape as "barren," devoid of life and notable only as a blank slate on which humans create their profitable projects. There is no mention of the free-flowing river's native fisheries driven toward extinction by the dam's construction. There is no description of the old-growth desert drowned by the rising waters, no description of the effect on the estuary at the river's mouth on the Sea of Cortez. The only mention I've found in the entire book of environmental effects other than earthquakes due to the weight of the impounded water is this passage, on page 400, in a discussion of the dam's chances of being built today:
An apt turn of phrase, that: "untold species of flora and fauna." Their stories remain untold by Hiltzik. It's about like writing about the engineering efforts that went into building Apollo 13 and the deadly drama of the crew's struggle to cope with equipment failure, reserving for one short passage on page 400 of your 408-page book any mention that the whole thing took place in outer space. The desert environment isn't just a backdrop. We know many of the the changes in the desert since the dam was built and they are staggering. We know the species lost and damaged. They have names: the bonytail and humpback chubs, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker near extirpated from the river below Hoover Dam; the Colorado Delta clam, once so abundant that its shells formed miles-long ridges throughout the delta, now endangered and found in only a few spots; the desert tortoise, threatened for the most part by human development of the "barren desert" that would not have been possible without Hoover Dam.
That, given any kind of objective point of view, is the story of the building of Hoover Dam. In omitting it, Hiltzik relegated his book to the realm of political and engineering minutiae. It is entertaining, informative, and extremely well-written, but an entertaining, informative, well-written book of trivia is still, when you get down to it, a book of trivia. And that's a damned shame.
is a fascinating read, authoritatively researched, and made very personal by author Michael Hiltzik, who tells stories of the personalities involved in the dam construction project, from Presidents to wage laborers. There's a problem, though. Hiltzik seems to make absolutely no mention of the environmental impact of the dam and reservoir, aside from mentioning two towns and some archaeological resources flooded as Lake Mead filled. I don't usually like to criticize books for what the author didn't write, but in this case Hiltzik seems to underline the omission by repeatedly referring to the desert landscape as "barren," devoid of life and notable only as a blank slate on which humans create their profitable projects. There is no mention of the free-flowing river's native fisheries driven toward extinction by the dam's construction. There is no description of the old-growth desert drowned by the rising waters, no description of the effect on the estuary at the river's mouth on the Sea of Cortez. The only mention I've found in the entire book of environmental effects other than earthquakes due to the weight of the impounded water is this passage, on page 400, in a discussion of the dam's chances of being built today:The environmental impact statements mandated today for large-scale public and private developments by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and subsequent legislation certainly would have consumed years, if not decades, of study and debate, and surely would not have become final without several rounds of litigation. Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, a further assessment of the dam's impact on wildlife habitats in the reservoir zone and downstream would be required prior to construction. America's unconcern with those issues in the 1920s and 1930s facilitated the construction of the dam, but also led, doubtlessly, to the eradication of undiscovered, unrecorded, and unrecoverable habitats and the extermination of untold species of flora and fauna.
An apt turn of phrase, that: "untold species of flora and fauna." Their stories remain untold by Hiltzik. It's about like writing about the engineering efforts that went into building Apollo 13 and the deadly drama of the crew's struggle to cope with equipment failure, reserving for one short passage on page 400 of your 408-page book any mention that the whole thing took place in outer space. The desert environment isn't just a backdrop. We know many of the the changes in the desert since the dam was built and they are staggering. We know the species lost and damaged. They have names: the bonytail and humpback chubs, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker near extirpated from the river below Hoover Dam; the Colorado Delta clam, once so abundant that its shells formed miles-long ridges throughout the delta, now endangered and found in only a few spots; the desert tortoise, threatened for the most part by human development of the "barren desert" that would not have been possible without Hoover Dam.
That, given any kind of objective point of view, is the story of the building of Hoover Dam. In omitting it, Hiltzik relegated his book to the realm of political and engineering minutiae. It is entertaining, informative, and extremely well-written, but an entertaining, informative, well-written book of trivia is still, when you get down to it, a book of trivia. And that's a damned shame.
February 15, 2016
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.
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.
May 7, 2013
3 1/2 stars. The first 40% was a drag, as it focused on water rights and political infighting. I wanted to read of the engineering challenges, bravery, and worker risks that took up the rest of the book, which was well done.
July 15, 2024
La historia de la mayor presa de hormigón construida en su momento, años 30, desde las negociaciones entre los siete estados que se benefician de su capacidad de regular el caudal del Río Colorado y de generar energía eléctrica, hasta los problemas surgidos después de su construcción. Esta fue una hazaña de ingeniería y determinación, pero con un excesivo coste de vidas humanas.
Sin entrar en muchos detalles técnicos, el libro es una historia bien contada, muy interesante para ingenieros.
Sin entrar en muchos detalles técnicos, el libro es una historia bien contada, muy interesante para ingenieros.
August 2, 2019
This book does not live up to its title. It is about Hoover Dam. It is not about the making of the American century, unless just by extrapolation and inference.
This is a painstaking history of the creation of Hoover Dam. Hiltzik goes back before the Civil War to start tracing (white) people's interactions with the Colorado river (even further back, when he discusses the Spanish explorers who "discovered" it). It was a raging, unpredictable river that nearly refused to be tamed, a river that destroyed lives and fortunes by people who thought they could master it.
Eventually, the narrative picks up with Hoover's attempt as Secretary of Commerce under Coolidge, sitting down with the seven states that surround the river, to make a deal for water rights and usage. Then the battle through Congress. Then the bids. Then the building, in minute detail. An epilogue brings us up to present day, the companies that survived, the billionaire inheritors it created, the environmental destruction.
My takeaway from this is that Hoover Dam represents the gloriousness of the human spirit, the desire to command nature and bring it to useful service for human expansion. And the gloriousness of scientific study, exploration, and creation of massive structures. But it's also the story of callousness, greed, complicity, and ridiculous shortsightedness, all of which is very interesting as I sit here, living in San Diego.
Six Companies made money wherever they could--charging the men and families who lived in their apartments more than they were worth (more than they even put down on paper as paying to construct them), charging them more for food than they budgeted for, refusing all sorts of workers' compensation claims (men died not of carbon monoxide poisoning but "tuberculosis" and "pneumonia"), running off unionizers and engaging in lockouts during labor unrest, hurrying up so fast that safety was a secondary concern and cost many their lives. And the average workers tended to share their views: labor organizers were underhanded lazy leaches, any job was a good job during the Great Depression. Hiltzik's portrait of the Dam's construction emphasizes that corporations don't undertake public works projects for the sake of humanity or posterity or legacies or anything else. They do it for money, usually while deriding the federal government as a source of meaningless regulations and limitations on profit-making.
If this is the portrait of the "American century," these are its features: grandiose claims to taming nature coupled with a profound faith in the indomitable will of Man (purposeful on the gender here), the rapid expansion of technology and human settlement with little concern for or understanding of long term geological/geographical/demographic consequences, the squishing of labor whenever possible in the name of profits and "fair" business practice, and the wheeling and dealing of politics in, with, and alongside business. And more farmland in California.
This is a painstaking history of the creation of Hoover Dam. Hiltzik goes back before the Civil War to start tracing (white) people's interactions with the Colorado river (even further back, when he discusses the Spanish explorers who "discovered" it). It was a raging, unpredictable river that nearly refused to be tamed, a river that destroyed lives and fortunes by people who thought they could master it.
Eventually, the narrative picks up with Hoover's attempt as Secretary of Commerce under Coolidge, sitting down with the seven states that surround the river, to make a deal for water rights and usage. Then the battle through Congress. Then the bids. Then the building, in minute detail. An epilogue brings us up to present day, the companies that survived, the billionaire inheritors it created, the environmental destruction.
My takeaway from this is that Hoover Dam represents the gloriousness of the human spirit, the desire to command nature and bring it to useful service for human expansion. And the gloriousness of scientific study, exploration, and creation of massive structures. But it's also the story of callousness, greed, complicity, and ridiculous shortsightedness, all of which is very interesting as I sit here, living in San Diego.
Six Companies made money wherever they could--charging the men and families who lived in their apartments more than they were worth (more than they even put down on paper as paying to construct them), charging them more for food than they budgeted for, refusing all sorts of workers' compensation claims (men died not of carbon monoxide poisoning but "tuberculosis" and "pneumonia"), running off unionizers and engaging in lockouts during labor unrest, hurrying up so fast that safety was a secondary concern and cost many their lives. And the average workers tended to share their views: labor organizers were underhanded lazy leaches, any job was a good job during the Great Depression. Hiltzik's portrait of the Dam's construction emphasizes that corporations don't undertake public works projects for the sake of humanity or posterity or legacies or anything else. They do it for money, usually while deriding the federal government as a source of meaningless regulations and limitations on profit-making.
If this is the portrait of the "American century," these are its features: grandiose claims to taming nature coupled with a profound faith in the indomitable will of Man (purposeful on the gender here), the rapid expansion of technology and human settlement with little concern for or understanding of long term geological/geographical/demographic consequences, the squishing of labor whenever possible in the name of profits and "fair" business practice, and the wheeling and dealing of politics in, with, and alongside business. And more farmland in California.
August 3, 2020
This is primarily a social and political history of the Hoover Dam. The book opens with a longish discussion of the motivation and the political wrangling, starting with the flooding of the Salton Sink.
We hear a bit about the design, but the author's main topic is the organization and working conditions at the site. Turns out the builders were ferocious robber-barons, who refused to fund safety and gouged the workers as much as they could. The contracts for the dam were let by the Hoover administration on the eve of the depression and so many of the labor rules of the New Deal did not apply.
We hear a bit about the design, but the author's main topic is the organization and working conditions at the site. Turns out the builders were ferocious robber-barons, who refused to fund safety and gouged the workers as much as they could. The contracts for the dam were let by the Hoover administration on the eve of the depression and so many of the labor rules of the New Deal did not apply.
April 7, 2020
Good history but could have been greatly improved with ten times as many pictures and diagrams, especially of the dam's interior.
May 28, 2024
Excellent book that tells the story of the Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam) and the history surrounding its construction. The author uses a chronological narrative and the opening chapters of the books about the different men and companies who first attempted to tame the violent Colorado River were fascinating. There was lots of intrigue and back door dealing when it came to this river. The role it has played in the American West cannot be understated.
I enjoyed the segments of the book that described the legal battles, some of which reached the United States Supreme Court, over what states can exercise water rights over the Colorado River and how much of the power and irrigation that it creates belongs to their respective state. Wyoming v. Colorado (1922) is one such case in which the water rights of the Laramie River were being fought over and Justice Willis Van Devanter, a Hoosier, delivered an opinion that prevented Colorado from diverting a portion of the river away from Wyoming. These legal battles were incredibly important and played a crucial role in deciding which of the 7 states that were a part of the Colorado River basin would receive power from the Boulder Dam when it was constructed. Herbert Hoover, the United States Secretary of Commerce at the time, played a role in mediating between these states. Eventually, the river was divided into upper (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming) and lower (Arizona, California, and Nevada) basins and the water rights were "sort of" apportioned based on that distinction. In his memoirs, Hoover took a lot of credit for the basin division but in reality it was not his own idea and had been seriously suggested before. He would later become a rather unremarkable President and his "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" approach to the economic crisis of the 1930's was not great. It was actually really bad. He did more for the world when he wasn't President, ironically! Anyways, back to the damn dam.
There were many unique characters in this book as well. Frank Crowe was a steadfast and incredibly determined engineer and businessman who was responsible for building/overseeing the Boulder Dam. Walker "Brig" Young, another Hoosier and graduate of the University of Idaho, was another figure that I really enjoyed reading about. He was a project engineer for the Bureau of Reclamation and played a pivotal role in the design and construction of this colossal monolith. Elwood Mead, for whom Lake Mead is named after, was another Hoosier who oversaw this project, he was the Commissioner of the United States Bureau of Reclamation at the time the dam was constructed.
The author does a really nice job contextualizing the conditions that the thousands of laborers had to work and live in while the Hoover Dam was being built. The conditions swung between unbearable and inhumane to moderately livable. The sacrifices they made to build the dam are heroic and their place in history can never be forgotten. The chapters detailing the actual construction and engineering of the dam were my favorite. It was incredible what these men, both the executive engineers and the laborers, could accomplish. The amount of manpower and material that went into the construction of the Hoover Dam is mindboggling and having recently toured the dam itself, it is hard to appreciate until you actually lay eyes on it and explore its vastness.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the American West, the Great Depression, or just a fan of general history. It was a fun and informative read.
I enjoyed the segments of the book that described the legal battles, some of which reached the United States Supreme Court, over what states can exercise water rights over the Colorado River and how much of the power and irrigation that it creates belongs to their respective state. Wyoming v. Colorado (1922) is one such case in which the water rights of the Laramie River were being fought over and Justice Willis Van Devanter, a Hoosier, delivered an opinion that prevented Colorado from diverting a portion of the river away from Wyoming. These legal battles were incredibly important and played a crucial role in deciding which of the 7 states that were a part of the Colorado River basin would receive power from the Boulder Dam when it was constructed. Herbert Hoover, the United States Secretary of Commerce at the time, played a role in mediating between these states. Eventually, the river was divided into upper (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming) and lower (Arizona, California, and Nevada) basins and the water rights were "sort of" apportioned based on that distinction. In his memoirs, Hoover took a lot of credit for the basin division but in reality it was not his own idea and had been seriously suggested before. He would later become a rather unremarkable President and his "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" approach to the economic crisis of the 1930's was not great. It was actually really bad. He did more for the world when he wasn't President, ironically! Anyways, back to the damn dam.
There were many unique characters in this book as well. Frank Crowe was a steadfast and incredibly determined engineer and businessman who was responsible for building/overseeing the Boulder Dam. Walker "Brig" Young, another Hoosier and graduate of the University of Idaho, was another figure that I really enjoyed reading about. He was a project engineer for the Bureau of Reclamation and played a pivotal role in the design and construction of this colossal monolith. Elwood Mead, for whom Lake Mead is named after, was another Hoosier who oversaw this project, he was the Commissioner of the United States Bureau of Reclamation at the time the dam was constructed.
The author does a really nice job contextualizing the conditions that the thousands of laborers had to work and live in while the Hoover Dam was being built. The conditions swung between unbearable and inhumane to moderately livable. The sacrifices they made to build the dam are heroic and their place in history can never be forgotten. The chapters detailing the actual construction and engineering of the dam were my favorite. It was incredible what these men, both the executive engineers and the laborers, could accomplish. The amount of manpower and material that went into the construction of the Hoover Dam is mindboggling and having recently toured the dam itself, it is hard to appreciate until you actually lay eyes on it and explore its vastness.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the American West, the Great Depression, or just a fan of general history. It was a fun and informative read.
June 1, 2025
Agree with average of four star. Got bogged down with all the political stories but big projects call for big politics I guess. The engineering parts are of more interest to me and the last chapter is strong to show where the companies and business leaders went in subsequent decades.
October 21, 2025
The building of the Hoover Dam is a remarkable story about an achievement that took decades in the making. The dam addressed the initial need for irrigation, flood control and water for Los Angeles. The mammoth undertaking employed more than 5,000 men working for Six Companies -- a consortium of firms organized to have the financial and engineering skills to build the largest dam in the US. Amazingly the dam was finished ahead of schedule by more than two years. The story features engineers who were up to the task of designing and building a stupendous concrete structure that could hold back a lake more than 100 miles long. A great story well told.
March 27, 2017
Ordered from Amazon before a trip to Nevada. Got about halfway through (they hadn't started building the dam yet) before I went to the dam. Finished it after my trip.
February 27, 2015
What this book is about: First, the development of the American West, with emphasis on the Southwest and Southern California. Hoover Dam as the centerpiece of water development is a great foundation for this discussion. Second, the book is a tribute to the many people who died and suffered so Hoover Dam could be built.
I love history books like this that connect the event they’re covering to a sense of the politics, economy, culture, and thinking of the times. Colossus did this really well for most of the narrative. The book’s Introduction was just outstanding. A great summary of the dam’s meaning with looks back and ahead using FDR’s dedication as the pivot point. Really good stuff.
Colossus also does a great job — at least initially — at capturing all of the drama over a period of many years preceding the dam’s construction and through to its completion. The many episodes of Colorado River disasters, political brinksmanship, and both company and personal competition carried a really exciting narrative for me. This is the kind of book that has me saying, “You can’t make up stuff this good.” I couldn’t put the book down for most of it.
However, I was very disappointed in the last third of the book. Starting with the chapter entitled The Pour, I felt the narrative of Colossus take an unwelcome turn. This was the most technical chapter. It was interesting after a fashion, as I’m not an engineer. But I felt the book drag at that point. And from The Pour on, the narrative seemed pro forma to me. Even a bit scolding about the human cost of this damn. Gone was the drama and human interest that made the book such a compelling read for me. I kept thinking that Hiltzik’s editor had probably showed up at that point demanding a completed manuscript. That was my only beef; otherwise, I’ve been recommending this book.
A couple of themes that I enjoyed in this book:
1. Vegas has always been Vegas. Even back in the day. The counterpoint with Boulder City was just wonderful. Although after learning about what vile man Pat McCarran was, I’ve got yet another reason to hate the place (and its airport).
2. One person can make a huge difference. I know this is sentimental, but guys like Frank Crowe, Henry J. Kaiser, Dad Bechtel, George Chaffey and Philip Swing, Hiram Johnson (who I really want to know more about) individually moved history. And then there’s the river. The Colorado River was a fascinating character in this book.
3. Making it up as we go along. This largest engineering project, largest dam by far project was amazingly seat of the pants. Parts of the project exhibited careful planning, well executed. But I was surprised how much was made up on the spot in special equipment, construction techniques, and work procedures. Sometimes with really bad consequences. The fact that after the dam was completed, a large 2nd project was required to shore up its foundations was pretty shocking. The risk of failure was so great — tossing in the St. Francis Dam disaster was a great reminder of that.
4. Human life is truly cheap, even in our country. Between the effects of the Depression on folks living in the shantytown, the carbon-monoxide poisonings and coverups, the many worker deaths, and the horrific labor practices, Hoover Dam was a pretty shameful tale. Hiltzik lavished tons of attention on this aspect of the story — a bit too much in my opinion. Particularly toward the end, it got repetitive.
I love history books like this that connect the event they’re covering to a sense of the politics, economy, culture, and thinking of the times. Colossus did this really well for most of the narrative. The book’s Introduction was just outstanding. A great summary of the dam’s meaning with looks back and ahead using FDR’s dedication as the pivot point. Really good stuff.
Colossus also does a great job — at least initially — at capturing all of the drama over a period of many years preceding the dam’s construction and through to its completion. The many episodes of Colorado River disasters, political brinksmanship, and both company and personal competition carried a really exciting narrative for me. This is the kind of book that has me saying, “You can’t make up stuff this good.” I couldn’t put the book down for most of it.
However, I was very disappointed in the last third of the book. Starting with the chapter entitled The Pour, I felt the narrative of Colossus take an unwelcome turn. This was the most technical chapter. It was interesting after a fashion, as I’m not an engineer. But I felt the book drag at that point. And from The Pour on, the narrative seemed pro forma to me. Even a bit scolding about the human cost of this damn. Gone was the drama and human interest that made the book such a compelling read for me. I kept thinking that Hiltzik’s editor had probably showed up at that point demanding a completed manuscript. That was my only beef; otherwise, I’ve been recommending this book.
A couple of themes that I enjoyed in this book:
1. Vegas has always been Vegas. Even back in the day. The counterpoint with Boulder City was just wonderful. Although after learning about what vile man Pat McCarran was, I’ve got yet another reason to hate the place (and its airport).
2. One person can make a huge difference. I know this is sentimental, but guys like Frank Crowe, Henry J. Kaiser, Dad Bechtel, George Chaffey and Philip Swing, Hiram Johnson (who I really want to know more about) individually moved history. And then there’s the river. The Colorado River was a fascinating character in this book.
3. Making it up as we go along. This largest engineering project, largest dam by far project was amazingly seat of the pants. Parts of the project exhibited careful planning, well executed. But I was surprised how much was made up on the spot in special equipment, construction techniques, and work procedures. Sometimes with really bad consequences. The fact that after the dam was completed, a large 2nd project was required to shore up its foundations was pretty shocking. The risk of failure was so great — tossing in the St. Francis Dam disaster was a great reminder of that.
4. Human life is truly cheap, even in our country. Between the effects of the Depression on folks living in the shantytown, the carbon-monoxide poisonings and coverups, the many worker deaths, and the horrific labor practices, Hoover Dam was a pretty shameful tale. Hiltzik lavished tons of attention on this aspect of the story — a bit too much in my opinion. Particularly toward the end, it got repetitive.
November 10, 2010
This is a terrific true account of man vs. nature, telling the epic saga from the 1920s and 1930s of the taming of the mighty Colorado River, and the building of Hoover Dam. Author and L.A. Times writer Michael Hiltzik has a Pulitzer Prize under his belt for investigative reporting, and his talent is definitely on display in this exhaustively researched book.
Colossus reads like a political thriller, and Hiltzik's cast of characters, both famous (Teddy Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, FDR) and obscure (master dam builder Frank Crowe) come to life on its pages. Starting with the earliest attempts to dam or divert the Colorado in the 1800s, Hiltzik takes us through every phase of the project's development; from the complex negotiations required for seven different state governments to cooperate on a Colorado River treaty, to the search for a private contractor large enough to tackle the building of what would be the largest man-made concrete structure ever. He does all this without glossing over the human toll which resulted from death-defying construction work in an era where worker safety was not yet at the forefront of anyone's minds.
The book is loaded with interesting digressions, anecdotes and trivia. For instance, what is now Boulder City, NV began its life as a workers' camp, first for just the workers, and later, as construction dragged on, for the workers’ families as well. Then there was the war of words and politics over what to call the project: in 1930, a toady of then-President Herbert Hoover pulled an end-run and announced, without counsel or forewarning, that the structure was to be christened 'Hoover Dam' (better to ask for forgiveness than permission!), even though no such edifice had ever been named after a sitting President. Hoover's detractors felt this new name was especially insulting, since Hoover was originally opposed to the project, so they continued referring to it by its original name, Boulder Dam. The disconnect between these factions was so profound that when Hoover’s successor, FDR, dedicated the mostly-completed dam in 1935, he did without referring to the former President or the name 'Hoover Dam' at all. The dam remained in this state of limbo until Harry Truman finally signed its present name into law in 1945.
Colossus is weighty and thorough, yet also easy-to-read. Hiltzik is probably correct in suggesting that the American West as we know it today would be much different had the dam never been built, while wondering if a project of such magnitude would ever even get off the ground today. He acknowledges the Dam as an engineering marvel, while shining a bright light on some of the more unsavory methods used to ensure its timely completion.
Colossus reads like a political thriller, and Hiltzik's cast of characters, both famous (Teddy Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, FDR) and obscure (master dam builder Frank Crowe) come to life on its pages. Starting with the earliest attempts to dam or divert the Colorado in the 1800s, Hiltzik takes us through every phase of the project's development; from the complex negotiations required for seven different state governments to cooperate on a Colorado River treaty, to the search for a private contractor large enough to tackle the building of what would be the largest man-made concrete structure ever. He does all this without glossing over the human toll which resulted from death-defying construction work in an era where worker safety was not yet at the forefront of anyone's minds.
The book is loaded with interesting digressions, anecdotes and trivia. For instance, what is now Boulder City, NV began its life as a workers' camp, first for just the workers, and later, as construction dragged on, for the workers’ families as well. Then there was the war of words and politics over what to call the project: in 1930, a toady of then-President Herbert Hoover pulled an end-run and announced, without counsel or forewarning, that the structure was to be christened 'Hoover Dam' (better to ask for forgiveness than permission!), even though no such edifice had ever been named after a sitting President. Hoover's detractors felt this new name was especially insulting, since Hoover was originally opposed to the project, so they continued referring to it by its original name, Boulder Dam. The disconnect between these factions was so profound that when Hoover’s successor, FDR, dedicated the mostly-completed dam in 1935, he did without referring to the former President or the name 'Hoover Dam' at all. The dam remained in this state of limbo until Harry Truman finally signed its present name into law in 1945.
Colossus is weighty and thorough, yet also easy-to-read. Hiltzik is probably correct in suggesting that the American West as we know it today would be much different had the dam never been built, while wondering if a project of such magnitude would ever even get off the ground today. He acknowledges the Dam as an engineering marvel, while shining a bright light on some of the more unsavory methods used to ensure its timely completion.
August 22, 2010
Fittingly, noted the San Francisco Chronicle, the history of Hoover Dam is "just as roiling and dirty as the silt-laden Colorado." Critics felt that what could have been a dry, technical story of the creation of the dam became, in Hiltzik's hands, a fascinating social, political, and labor history. Although Hiltzik spares readers few engineering details, he also looks closely at key political compromises and issues and captures the colorful personalities of the main players. He also offers new insight into the tragic worker deaths. A few reviewers commented that the book doesn't live up to the promise of its subtitle; that quibble notwithstanding, Hoover Dam is a standout popular history. This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.
December 17, 2013
This is a history of the 30 years leading up to the building of the Hoover Dam through its completion. It was an engineering marvel in the 1930s and it could never have been built in the modern age with all the modern environmental restrictions.
The reader will be surprised at the poor treatment of the workers on the dam. Because it was built during the depression, the workers were happy just to have a job, but the contractors were always finding ways to dock their wages for anything they could get away with. The contractors didn't even want to pay any property taxes to cover the cost of the schools in the town where the workers lived. Workers who died on the job were often designated as dying from natural causes so as not to pay benefits.
The weather was brutal and the Colorado River unforgiving. I am sure it would have been a reality show if those had existed back in the day.
The reader will be surprised at the poor treatment of the workers on the dam. Because it was built during the depression, the workers were happy just to have a job, but the contractors were always finding ways to dock their wages for anything they could get away with. The contractors didn't even want to pay any property taxes to cover the cost of the schools in the town where the workers lived. Workers who died on the job were often designated as dying from natural causes so as not to pay benefits.
The weather was brutal and the Colorado River unforgiving. I am sure it would have been a reality show if those had existed back in the day.
January 23, 2011
I generally like history of technology and there were parts of this book that I did like a lot, but there was something wrong with the flow of the information and with the presentation. I wanted to know a lot less about the early politics and a lot more about topics like the design and the photographer who documented the building and the health and safety issues. It certainly is worth reading but it was somewhat of a chore with good bits. I kept wondering how David McCullough would have handled the topic.
August 9, 2020
This was an excellent book. A lot of politics, but not too much. Could have used some maps, couldn't place Boulder City in my head. You get a good introduction to characters and once the dam was built and how their lives moved on and were impacted by the dam. A really fast read for history. You'll have to draw your own conclusions, but what seemed like a grand project, especially during the Depression, was tainted by greed and discrimination of course.
April 17, 2013
There were very dry parts to the book - it's seemed repetitive, even though it may not have been. Just an OK read.
June 29, 2017
Pretty good but too much about the politics and not enough about the dam.
July 17, 2022
Excellent book. Couldn’t put it down. It’s amazing that they were able to erect such a huge damn in 1932. A true testament to man’s ability to harness nature.
August 22, 2025
As a person who lives on the East Coast of the U.S., I'm often confronted with the stereotype that 'everything is bigger out west.' That is definitely true in the case of Hoover/Boulder Dam, which is the 28th largest dam by reservoir volume in the world. Standing at over 700 ft tall, Hoover Dam is a monument to humanity's faith in the future and in ourselves. The story of its building is also a testament to inherent virtues, vices, and state of mind as well.
Less than most books, the story of the men who built this object, while always larger than life, do not obscure or eclipse the work or the dam itself, which is a surprise. What is surprising is how much a product of the Great Depression the Dam ultimately became, and in a real sense, still is. With nealry one quarter (25%!!!) of all working age men and women out of a job, the construction contractors had the choice of labor, and routinely exploited them with unpaid overtime, expensive charge acounts and monopolistic company services, as well as unsafe working conditions. Throughout it all, nearly 22 thousand men and women worked on building it, and consider it a unique and significant memorial to those who lived and died for its completion, two and a half years ahead of schedule.
The construction also led to the creation of Boulder City, a modern company town and model city that stood out amidst the shanties and Hoovervilles that dotted the American landscape all throughout the 1930s. This book does well to encapsulate that age, in that everyone (from Will Rogers to Shirley Temple) made their way to the dam site to see the spectacle. The only downside to the book in my mind is that it lacks appendices with a detailed timeline of the construction, or a table of vital statistics related to construction (itemized cost, amount of materials used, manpower over time, etc.), which I believe would enhance the story immensely. Perhaps this is my analytical mind, but only a single photo of plan for the damn exists.
In today's modern world, we seldom think of such things as Dams, any more than we consider bridges or tunnels when we cross them. But to me, the significance of these great builds and the story told through the ages about them makes me all the more appreciative of their existence, no matter how mundane, obscure, or ubiquitous they may be. Unlike a website or a computer, a dam or bridge is built to last, and its erection is itself an adventure quite unlike any other. I hope to one day be a part of such a project, just as it must have felt like for those workers over in Black Canyon, more than 90 years ago.
Less than most books, the story of the men who built this object, while always larger than life, do not obscure or eclipse the work or the dam itself, which is a surprise. What is surprising is how much a product of the Great Depression the Dam ultimately became, and in a real sense, still is. With nealry one quarter (25%!!!) of all working age men and women out of a job, the construction contractors had the choice of labor, and routinely exploited them with unpaid overtime, expensive charge acounts and monopolistic company services, as well as unsafe working conditions. Throughout it all, nearly 22 thousand men and women worked on building it, and consider it a unique and significant memorial to those who lived and died for its completion, two and a half years ahead of schedule.
The construction also led to the creation of Boulder City, a modern company town and model city that stood out amidst the shanties and Hoovervilles that dotted the American landscape all throughout the 1930s. This book does well to encapsulate that age, in that everyone (from Will Rogers to Shirley Temple) made their way to the dam site to see the spectacle. The only downside to the book in my mind is that it lacks appendices with a detailed timeline of the construction, or a table of vital statistics related to construction (itemized cost, amount of materials used, manpower over time, etc.), which I believe would enhance the story immensely. Perhaps this is my analytical mind, but only a single photo of plan for the damn exists.
In today's modern world, we seldom think of such things as Dams, any more than we consider bridges or tunnels when we cross them. But to me, the significance of these great builds and the story told through the ages about them makes me all the more appreciative of their existence, no matter how mundane, obscure, or ubiquitous they may be. Unlike a website or a computer, a dam or bridge is built to last, and its erection is itself an adventure quite unlike any other. I hope to one day be a part of such a project, just as it must have felt like for those workers over in Black Canyon, more than 90 years ago.
June 24, 2021
Good stuff on the construction of Hoover Dam. "A place called Black Canyon on the wild Colorado. I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below. They could not leave me buried in that great tomb (because of structural integrity)."
The author Michael Hiltzik begins with how the idea for damming the Colorado River came about, in particular about the irrigation of the Imperial Valley and the flood that refilled the Salton Sea when the Colorado River surged and destroyed the canals irrigating the southern California farmland. Colossus goes into pretty good detail about how the project was passed through the US Congress and the disputes over water rights between the seven states belonging to the Colorado watershed.
Good stuff on the surveys to determine where to build the dam and on the backgrounds of the key players who built the dam. The author was pretty informative on how the bidding process worked and how the cooperation building the dam, Six Companies was formed.
The rest of the book is primarily focused on the construction of Hoover Dam. Good stuff on the working conditions and labor relations on the project, in addition to the living conditions from the start to finish of the project. Really excellent descriptions of the dam's engineering, the hard work and extreme temperatures of the Black Canyon, as well as explanations of the builder's methods, not too mention the atrocious safety record of Six Companies even for the time.
I agree with other reviews critical of the work's lack of illustrations.
"A man would pay two dollars a week, for lunches and a bed. My mother made lunches for all of them. One man would get off at 7:00 in the morning, the man that was going to work at 7:00 would get up, fold his sheets, put them on the shelf. The next man coming in would take his sheets off the shelf, make up the bed and go to bed. At 3:00 he got up, another one came in, put his sheets on the bed, and we had three beds that were occupied that way for months (p. 258)." -recalled by Ann Stebens, the daughter of a motor pool mechanic living in Boulder City
"No amount of storage could erase the fundamental truth that there would not be enough water to fill it. Indeed, the profligate construction of reservoirs only contributed to waste, for 20 percent of the river's production was lost each year to evaporation. In the desert reservoirs of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, enough water disappeared into the arid skies on a single weekend to serve the domestic needs of seventeen thousand households per year (p. 397)." - Michael Hiltzik
The author Michael Hiltzik begins with how the idea for damming the Colorado River came about, in particular about the irrigation of the Imperial Valley and the flood that refilled the Salton Sea when the Colorado River surged and destroyed the canals irrigating the southern California farmland. Colossus goes into pretty good detail about how the project was passed through the US Congress and the disputes over water rights between the seven states belonging to the Colorado watershed.
Good stuff on the surveys to determine where to build the dam and on the backgrounds of the key players who built the dam. The author was pretty informative on how the bidding process worked and how the cooperation building the dam, Six Companies was formed.
The rest of the book is primarily focused on the construction of Hoover Dam. Good stuff on the working conditions and labor relations on the project, in addition to the living conditions from the start to finish of the project. Really excellent descriptions of the dam's engineering, the hard work and extreme temperatures of the Black Canyon, as well as explanations of the builder's methods, not too mention the atrocious safety record of Six Companies even for the time.
I agree with other reviews critical of the work's lack of illustrations.
"A man would pay two dollars a week, for lunches and a bed. My mother made lunches for all of them. One man would get off at 7:00 in the morning, the man that was going to work at 7:00 would get up, fold his sheets, put them on the shelf. The next man coming in would take his sheets off the shelf, make up the bed and go to bed. At 3:00 he got up, another one came in, put his sheets on the bed, and we had three beds that were occupied that way for months (p. 258)." -recalled by Ann Stebens, the daughter of a motor pool mechanic living in Boulder City
"No amount of storage could erase the fundamental truth that there would not be enough water to fill it. Indeed, the profligate construction of reservoirs only contributed to waste, for 20 percent of the river's production was lost each year to evaporation. In the desert reservoirs of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, enough water disappeared into the arid skies on a single weekend to serve the domestic needs of seventeen thousand households per year (p. 397)." - Michael Hiltzik
August 11, 2025
Colossus tells the story of the building of the Hoover Dam, one of the most prominent engineering works of the last century.
For anyone who has visited Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, it is clear that this was an incredible feat. It holds back trillions of gallons of water to form Lake Mead. It generates 4 billion kilowatt hours of power every year. And the terrain in the area is inhospitable - a desert area with little vegetation and high rock walls all around.
Millions of people and an enormous part of the US economy is dependent on this dam. So much so that they have armed guards protecting it. It provides water to 16 million people and water for the huge agriculture industry in SoCal.
The importance of this dam is hard to understate, but somehow Hiltzih has managed to do exactly that. Instead of focusing on the big picture challenges of constructing the dam, or the importance of the dam in the big picture, we get a rather detailed look into the politics of funding the dam, the politics of naming the dam, water right negotiations, land rights and the concerns of the people who were flooded out, labor problems, corporate behavior, and the working conditions.
As an engineer, my expectations may have been biased. As a major engineering work, I would expect a larger discussion of the engineering challenges and problem solving involved, but there's not much of that here, leading to a rather tedious academic walk through politics and corporate bickering.
For anyone who has visited Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam, it is clear that this was an incredible feat. It holds back trillions of gallons of water to form Lake Mead. It generates 4 billion kilowatt hours of power every year. And the terrain in the area is inhospitable - a desert area with little vegetation and high rock walls all around.
Millions of people and an enormous part of the US economy is dependent on this dam. So much so that they have armed guards protecting it. It provides water to 16 million people and water for the huge agriculture industry in SoCal.
The importance of this dam is hard to understate, but somehow Hiltzih has managed to do exactly that. Instead of focusing on the big picture challenges of constructing the dam, or the importance of the dam in the big picture, we get a rather detailed look into the politics of funding the dam, the politics of naming the dam, water right negotiations, land rights and the concerns of the people who were flooded out, labor problems, corporate behavior, and the working conditions.
As an engineer, my expectations may have been biased. As a major engineering work, I would expect a larger discussion of the engineering challenges and problem solving involved, but there's not much of that here, leading to a rather tedious academic walk through politics and corporate bickering.
February 4, 2019
My girlfriend gave me this book for Christmas because we had visited the Hoover Dam together and I admitted that I knew nothing about it.
I don’t think I’d describe this book as it self proclaims in the cover as a “thrilling” and “turbulent” saga, but there were a lot of parts I liked and a lot of parts that were slow.
I’m a law student and am taking property law right now and I liked the first 80 pages that described water law in the western US and how it developed. I also liked how the book dealt with labor issues and how messed up a lot of industries were before workers’ rights were even remotely protected. I also loved learning more about Roosevelt’s New Deal and the human stories behind this federal administration projects.
The more boring parts for me were the engineering aspects—they were hard to follow and hard for me to picture.
All in all, I’d recommend this to anyone interested in the American Southwest, history of the US, the New Deal, and anyone who wants to see a slice of Americana from 1920-WWII
I don’t think I’d describe this book as it self proclaims in the cover as a “thrilling” and “turbulent” saga, but there were a lot of parts I liked and a lot of parts that were slow.
I’m a law student and am taking property law right now and I liked the first 80 pages that described water law in the western US and how it developed. I also liked how the book dealt with labor issues and how messed up a lot of industries were before workers’ rights were even remotely protected. I also loved learning more about Roosevelt’s New Deal and the human stories behind this federal administration projects.
The more boring parts for me were the engineering aspects—they were hard to follow and hard for me to picture.
All in all, I’d recommend this to anyone interested in the American Southwest, history of the US, the New Deal, and anyone who wants to see a slice of Americana from 1920-WWII
August 19, 2019
3.0 out of 5 stars
Slow, Workmanlike Tome Not Worth The Time Or Money For Non-Scholarly Readers
June 2, 2018
Format: Hardcover
This is a workmanlike recitation of the politics, personnel, and practicalities of the promotion and construction of the Hoover Dam. Definitely NOT a page turner, the volume spends more time on systematic and unnecessary recitation of the personal background of each and every personage mentioned than on any truly descriptive or evocative passages about the times, location, scenery, or color of the historical events transcribed. To the extent there is anything but the driest of footnoted facts, it is the author's obvious disdain for capitalists, industrialists, and managers of any sort. If you are looking for historical non-fiction that propels you through a different age by immersing you in the period while telling a compelling tale, you are bound to be disappointed by this technical tome, heavy on all the details except the ones that make you care about reading more. All facts; no feelings other than scorn for businessmen.
Slow, Workmanlike Tome Not Worth The Time Or Money For Non-Scholarly Readers
June 2, 2018
Format: Hardcover
This is a workmanlike recitation of the politics, personnel, and practicalities of the promotion and construction of the Hoover Dam. Definitely NOT a page turner, the volume spends more time on systematic and unnecessary recitation of the personal background of each and every personage mentioned than on any truly descriptive or evocative passages about the times, location, scenery, or color of the historical events transcribed. To the extent there is anything but the driest of footnoted facts, it is the author's obvious disdain for capitalists, industrialists, and managers of any sort. If you are looking for historical non-fiction that propels you through a different age by immersing you in the period while telling a compelling tale, you are bound to be disappointed by this technical tome, heavy on all the details except the ones that make you care about reading more. All facts; no feelings other than scorn for businessmen.
January 28, 2025
What is this??? Literally the worst kind of airport history book you could ever imagine, and fittingly I had to read it for the worst class imaginable. Excruciating to get through, not because of the details and the who said what to whom, but really because of the tone. Look at the greatest construction project in American history, the challenges overcome and the bravery. Okay. No theoretical framework whatsoever. No discussion of the consequences of altering natural landscape to suit human desires.
Would much rather read David Blackbourn's The Conquest of Nature a million times over reading this just once. The same story about "taming" the river, but Blackbourn weaves historical narrative with poignant thought-provoking remarks, on whether it is even commendable to "put nature in its subservient place," while Hiltzik just treats it as a given, an assumption.
Also I cannot stand the gross neglect of native americans in this story. So unserious.
Would much rather read David Blackbourn's The Conquest of Nature a million times over reading this just once. The same story about "taming" the river, but Blackbourn weaves historical narrative with poignant thought-provoking remarks, on whether it is even commendable to "put nature in its subservient place," while Hiltzik just treats it as a given, an assumption.
Also I cannot stand the gross neglect of native americans in this story. So unserious.
February 12, 2025
I picked this up as background reading before a trip to Vegas and the Hoover Dam. Turned out to be politically topical. As we discuss government efficiency, the Hoover Dam was one of, if not the biggest, public works project. It was of a magnitude too large for private sector to accomplish and changed the economic opportunities of the American southwest, providing consistent and reliable water as well as electricity to Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, and LA and the Southern California farm fields in between. And the region is better off for its construction. (Yes. I am ignoring the environmental and cultural impacts). The book was also interesting for someone who has no background in construction and architecture. Who knew concrete generates heat as it cures and constructing a concrete monstrosity in unrelenting 110+ degree desert conditions requires a built in cooling system powered by refrigerated water?
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