El caballo de oro / The Golden Horse - Juan David Morgan

El caballo de oro es una novela histórica que narra, fundamentalmente, la construcción del ferrocarril de Panamá entre 1850 y 1855, el primero en unir dos océanos. Esta vía férrea, precursora del canal de Panamá, fue concebida por la empresa naviera norteamericana Howland & Aspinwall, una de las más importantes de Wall Street, con el objetivo de facilitar el transporte de correo, pasajeros y carga entre el este y los recién adquiridos territorios del oeste de los Estados Unidos. La ruta que solían emplear los barcos para ir del Atlántico al Pacífico daba la vuelta al cabo de Hornos y resultaba larga y costosa.

Los protagonistas se enfrentaron a un sinfín de calamidades: una naturaleza indomable, enfermedades tropicales desconocidas y mortíferas, y la inseguridad de la ruta debido a la afluencia de forajidos.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

A magnificent work in which Juan David Morgan displays his gifts as a storyteller through a complex, well-constructed plot and a cast of memorable characters.

The Golden Horse is a historical novel that recounts, above all, the construction of the Panama Railroad between 1850 and 1855, the first to connect two oceans. This railway—precursor to the Panama Canal—was conceived by the American shipping company Howland & Aspinwall, one of the most important firms on Wall Street, with the goal of facilitating the transport of mail, passengers, and cargo between the East and the newly acquired western territories of the United States. The route ships typically used to travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific required going around Cape Horn and was long and costly.

The protagonists faced countless hardships: an untamable natural landscape, unknown and deadly tropical diseases, and the dangers of the route due to the influx of outlaws.