Point Based On Books The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
| Title | : | The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge |
| Author | : | David McCullough |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 608 pages |
| Published | : | June 1st 2001 by Simon & Schuster (first published January 1st 1972) |
| Categories | : | History. Nonfiction. North American Hi.... American History. New York. Biography |
Description During Books The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
Published on the fortieth anniversary of its initial publication, this edition of the classic book contains a new Preface by David McCullough, “one of our most gifted living writers” (The Washington Post).Built to join the rapidly expanding cities of New York and Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge was thought by many at the start to be an impossibility destined to fail if not from insurmountable technical problems then from political corruption. (It was the heyday of Boss Tweed in New York.)
But the Brooklyn Bridge was at once the greatest engineering triumph of the age, a surpassing work of art, a proud American icon, and a story like no other in our history. Courage, chicanery, unprecedented ingenuity and plain blundering, heroes, rascals, all the best and worst in human nature played a part. At the center of the drama were the stricken chief engineer, Washington Roebling and his remarkable wife, Emily Warren Roebling, neither of whom ever gave up in the face of one heartbreaking setback after another.
The Great Bridge is a sweeping narrative of a stupendous American achievement that rose up out of its era like a cathedral, a symbol of affirmation then and still in our time.
List Books As The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
| Original Title: | The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge |
| ISBN: | 0743217373 (ISBN13: 9780743217378) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Rating Based On Books The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
Ratings: 4.23 From 12547 Users | 1327 ReviewsComment On Based On Books The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
When I picked up this book, I was daring McCullough to get me to read the whole thing. How could a 562 page book about a bridge -- not to meantion an antiquated bridge, not the modern technological wonders of today -- keep me going that long, I thought? Yet I had heard reviews...I had to find out what they were talking about. I finished the book in two weeks, and as it turns out, it's not just a book about a bridge (that really would be boring), it's a book about the people and events in one ofThis is an engaging history of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge was one of the greatest engineering feats of its time. The book goes into great detail about the bridge itself, its design and construction techniques. But most of the book is devoted to the people involved. And the two people who were most involved were father and son, John and Washington Roebling. Thus, the book can also be classified as a biography. These two men had a great vision, and the skills and experience to
So much minute detail, but worth the effort. As much a portrait of the era, political and social, as a portrait of the iconic bridge, its planning, execution, and the behind the scenes shenanigans by the scoundrels of the age.
This is nonfiction history about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and the people who made it happen. This is the third book by this author that I've read. I've had this book for quite some time and I'm glad I finally had a chance to fit this one into a reading challenge. This one had it's ups and downs. The best part was that I found answers to questions I've always had about how bridges are built when they are over large bodies of water. I liked the facts and research in this book, but there
I apparently liked this book more than I originally thought I had (see below). There is an awful lot of detail in this book, maybe too much. I now know way more about caissons, the bends and different types of steel than I ever thought I would ever know or ever needed to know. I do understand why all the information was included, but it was a slog to get through it all. I also have a better understanding of the Tammany Hall scandal. The political scandals of that era were amazingly blatant. The
So much minute detail, but worth the effort. As much a portrait of the era, political and social, as a portrait of the iconic bridge, its planning, execution, and the behind the scenes shenanigans by the scoundrels of the age.
0 Comments