In this episode of History for Cocktail Parties, hosts James Ottley and Thornton Kennedy unravel the astonishing story of the Panama Revolution — the chain of unlikely, cinematic events that allowed Panama to break free from Colombia and pave the way for the canal. From a revolutionary who won just enough at the gambling table to fund his mission to New York, to a railroad superintendent who cleverly stranded 500 Colombian sharpshooters without their general, every detail had to align perfectly — and somehow, every one did. With coded messages, political intrigue, and bold gambles, the revolution that created Panama is as gripping as any thriller, and a page-turner in its own right.