Reviews"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, The New York TimesAfter reading David McCullough's account, you will never look at the old bridge in quite the same way again., 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, Los Angeles TimesThe Great Bridgeis 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., Christopher Lehmann-HauptThe New York TimesAfter reading David McCullough's account, you will never look at the old bridge in quite the same way again., " 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, "David McCullough has taken a dramatic and colorful episode out of the American past and described it in such a way that he sheds fresh light on a whole era in American history." -Bruce Catton, " 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 impact of the soaring structure upon the American imagination and American life has now been measured with sagacity and style by David McCullough. . . . The Great Bridge is a book so compelling and complete as to be a literary monument, one of the best books I have read in years. McCullough has written that sort of work which brings us to the human center of the past." -Robert Kirsch, Los Angeles Times, "After reading David McCullough's account, you will never look at the old bridge in quite the same way again." -Christopher Lehman-Haupt, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times 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., NewsdayThe Great Bridgeis a great book....Get your hands onThe Great Bridge....This is the definitive book on the event. Do not wait for a better try: there won't be any., " 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, " The Great Bridge is a great book. . . . What David McCullough has written is a stupendous narrative about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, with a cast of thousands (give or take 100), whose major characters come alive on the page as authentically, as creatively, as would their fictional counterparts if one had the imagination to dream up such a yarn. Once again, truth is not only stranger than fiction but a hell of a lot more entertaining. Get your hands on The Great Bridge . . . . 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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Edition DescriptionReprint
Table Of ContentContents AUTHOR'S NOTE PART ONE 1. The Plan 2. Man of Iron 3. The Genuine Language of America 4. Father and Son 5. Brooklyn 6. The Proper Person to See 7. The Chief Engineer PART TWO 8. All According to Plan 9. Down in the Caisson PICTURE SECTION 10. Fire 11. The Past Catches Up 12. How Natural, Right, and Proper 13. The Mysterious Disorder 14. The Heroic Mode PART THREE 15. At the Halfway Mark 16. Spirits of '76 17. A Perfect Pandemonium 18. Number 8, Birmingham Gauge 19. The Gigantic Spinning Machine PICTURE SECTION 20. Wire Fraud 21. Emily 22. The Man in the Window 23. And Yet the Bridge Is Beautiful 24. The People's Day EPILOGUE APPENDIX NOTES PICTURE CREDITS BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX
SynopsisThis 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., 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., A monumental tale of American ambition, told by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and master historian David McCullough. This gripping saga of the creation of the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the country's boldest engineering achievements, reveals not only the politics and personalities behind "America's Eiffel Tower," but charts New York's ascent as a thriving metropolis. Around 1870, during the Age of Optimism--a time when Americans believed anything was possible--the ambitious idea of constructing an unprecedented bridge across the East River to connect Manhattan and Brooklyn took root. This monumental project demanded a vision and determination on par with the efforts that built the great cathedrals of history. Spearheaded by the Roebling family, the project faced staggering odds throughout its fourteen years of construction. Bodies were crushed, lives were lost, political empires fell, and waves of public emotion constantly threatened its progress. The Roeblings, too, were not immune to personal tragedies. Yet, Emily Roebling rose above these challenges to become the pivotal force behind the bridge's completion, shattering all societal expectations of her era. This is not just the story of an engineering miracle; it is a sweeping narrative of the social climate of the time and the heroes and rascals who either built or exploited this groundbreaking enterprise., 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.
LC Classification NumberTG25.N53M32 1982