The Great Bridge

The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

By: David Mccullough

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Paperback | 12 January 1983 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
636 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
28.3 x 17.2 x 7.6

Paperback

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The dramatic and enthralling story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the world’s longest suspension bridge at the time, a tale of greed, corruption, and obstruction but also of optimism, heroism, and determination, told by master historian David McCullough.

This monumental book is the enthralling story of one of the greatest events in our nation’s history, during the Age of Optimism—a period when Americans were convinced in their hearts that all things were possible.

In the years around 1870, when the project was first undertaken, the concept of building an unprecedented bridge to span the East River between the great cities of Manhattan and Brooklyn required a vision and determination comparable to that which went into the building of the great cathedrals. Throughout the fourteen years of its construction, the odds against the successful completion of the bridge seemed staggering. Bodies were crushed and broken, lives lost, political empires fell, and surges of public emotion constantly threatened the project. But this is not merely the saga of an engineering miracle; it is a sweeping narrative of the social climate of the time and of the heroes and rascals who had a hand in either constructing or exploiting the surpassing enterprise.

Industry Reviews

"The Great Bridge is a book so compelling and complete as to be a literary monument. . . . McCullough has written that sort of work which brings us to the human center of the past." --Los Angeles Times "The Great Bridge is a great book. . . . This is the definitive book on the event. Do not wait for a better try: there won't be any." --Norman Rosten, Newsday "After reading David McCullough's account, you will never look at the old bridge in quite the same way again." --Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction History Regional & National History History of the Americas Hobbies, Games & Puzzles Specific Events & Topics in History Social & Cultural History Arts & Entertainment Architecture Landscape Art & Architecture Architectural Aspects of City & Town Planning Engineering & Technology

Civil Engineering Structural Engineering Bridges

Author's Note	p. 11

The Plan	p. 21
Man of Iron	p. 39
The Genuine Language of America	p. 63
Father and Son	p. 85
Brooklyn	p. 103
The Proper Person to See	p. 122
The Chief Engineer	p. 144

All According to Plan	p. 173
Down in the Caisson	p. 195
Picture Section	p. 215
Fire	p. 231
The Past Catches Up	p. 248
How Natural, Right, and Proper	p. 269
The Mysterious Disorder	p. 289
The Heroic Mode	p. 309

At the Halfway Mark	p. 325
Spirits of '76	p. 339
A Perfect Pandemonium	p. 355
Number 8, Birmingham Gauge	p. 372
The Gigantic Spinning Machine	p. 397
Picture Section	p. 417
Wire Fraud	p. 434
Emily	p. 452
The Man in the Window	p. 479
And Yet the Bridge Is Beautiful	p. 505
The People's Day	p. 525
Epilogue	p. 543
Appendix	p. 563
Notes	p. 567
Picture Credits	p. 601
Bibliography	p. 603
Index	p. 613
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

The Great Bridge

The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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