- The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

Very worthwhile. I am so glad I read this book. As a result of new found respect for the engineers and builders

Early on, David McCullough tells us when he went to where the archives of the Brooklyn Bridge's Chief Engineer, Washington Roebling, were being held, he was stunned at their total disarray. It appears his book is (partly) proof of time spent reorganizing and categorizing the archive, a noble deed, indeed. McCullough has written an exhaustive, and exhausting, history. It is an epic story, and is treated as such by the author. Their is enough in here about the life and times of the period to satisfy a social history buff. There is enough biography of key, and not so key, players to satisfy a memoir buff. There are enough technical details, to satisfy (I suspect) an engineer. Trouble is, taken together, there is too much of too many angles to keep me absorbed. I found myself skimming through many pages of tedious detail. I already knew that a number of workers died of what we now call the bends, and was interested in knowing more about that. But it could've been condensed without sacrifice. I'm not sure I had to learn so much about doctors who were investigating the problem or the life histories of other engineers whose projects experienced similar deaths. I was fascinated by the political machinations of key players, including Boss Tweed. But the biographical sketches of so many players left my head spinning; I wanted to get back to bridge building, so to speak. I was awed by the granular engineering details, but was the author just showing off? Showing us how much he gleaned from the archives? Did I have to know the length, width, height and weight of the bolts -- and so many different kinds, too? Perhaps Mr. McCullough goal was to write a book that would be deemed the definitive history of the Brooklyn Bridge. Or maybe his editor lacked the contractual power to force consolidation and cuts. But as the late, great Elmore Leonard advised, cut out the parts that people tend to skip.

This book profiles the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the engineers and their personalities, the corruption and bribery of the times and the overall culture of the late 1800's. As always, David McCullough writes with a literary style that is enjoyable but also educational. This book is a history lesson combined with the pleasure of understanding the mindset and life of those who lived before us and is a great testimony to human ingenuity. Pros: - David McCullough's writing style: His sentences are lucidly crafted so that such a distinct image in your mind is created as a result.He has to gift to blend technical information of the bridge with poetic grace that is both a pleasure to the reader as well as an education. - Understanding of the prevailing culture of corruption and bribery of politicians and executives during this era: The building of the Brooklyn Bridge wasn't built without its trace of bribery and corruption amongst the board overseeing its creation, and, as a result, causes the reader to view the bridge from a different perspective other than that of a sheer feat of human ingenuity. - True insight into the personalities of all the characters involved in the building of the bridge: Colonel Roebling wasn't only known for being the Chief Engineer of The Great Bridge; he was also a courageous and decorated Civil War Veteran participating in multiple key battles. - Provides inspiration for those of a mechanical aptitude, or for anyone who realizes modern industry wasn't magically created, but was created by the hard work and intelligence and bravery of mankind: Understanding what is required to erect a bridge of this magnitude will shock and awe the average reader who has no prior knowledge of engineering. Cons: - Technical details of bridge engineering require extra attention and focus for understanding: For those with a background not related to engineering, the technical details of how the bridge was built is difficult to understand and requires constant referencing the dictionary to comprehend what the author is trying to convey to the reader. - At times, the non-technical descriptions of the magnificence of the bridge is verbose and repetitive

Just finished "The Great Bridge," by David McCullough, a standout among my favorite historians. I loved how he seemlessly intertwines engineering marvels with the human spirit, capturing the essence of ambition and perseverance. He weaves a compelling narrative around the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, highlighting the blend of vision with technical skills required for such a monumental endeavor. A hallmark of any McCullough book is the author's meticulous research and vivid storytelling. The book excels in illuminating the historical context and environment under which such a creative project could be undertaken. He delves into the intricacies of bridge engineering and sheds light on the societal and political landscape of 19th-century America. His narrative navigates both technical challenges and human stories which make "The Great Bridge" educational and entertaining. The tales of those contributing to this engineering masterpiece were truly inspiring. "The Great Bridge" stands as a testament to the power of interdisciplinary thinking, highlighting the importance of melding technical expertise with a broader understanding of self within the socio-political landscape. "The Great Bridge" offers a captivating exploration of innovation and resilience. It resonates with leaders who appreciate creativity. technical proficiency and the dogged perseverance it takes to bring a vision to reality over a fourteen year endeavor. Highly recommend!!

The Great Bridger by David McCullough For me this is a rare read. It is over 800 pages. Fortunately, the last 20% are appendices which I did not studiously read nor look over. This story begins with the early years of suspension bridges in the United States as they prepared the way for the building of the Great Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge. This is about building of the bridge, the people who built the bridge and convincing the communities to undertake this endeavor. At the time of its completion in 1883 the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world, (1595ft). Its center span rose 127 feet above mean high tide to facilitate the passing of sailing ships. In 1883 its towers were the tallest structures in New York. (272 feet above the water. McCoullough gives us backgrounds on all the key participants in building the bridge and in opposing the bridge. Yes, the building of the bridge was a roaring controversy from its conception throughout its construction. (There was a significant cost overrun.) McCoullough also gives us insight into the politics of New York City, Albany and even the U. S. These were the years of the Tammany Hall Gang, and nothing got done in New York without some level of participation of the leadership at Tammany Hall. In spite of accusations of corruption surrounding the financing of the bridge a post construction review of the bridge reported that there were no misspent funds. The third focus of the book is on the actual construction of the bridge. To give you some idea of the challenges faced by the engineers and the workers. The first step in the construction is creating firm foundations 70 feet below the water. This was done by creating a large watertight box (called a caisson) the size of several basketball courts that is then forced down by clearing away boulders and other debris until it sits on ground firm enough to support the bridge. As the box descends below 30 feet the interior air pressure increases to dangerous levels causing what was called ‘caisson disease’, or as we now know it, the bends. This had debilitating effects on the work men and on Washington Roebling the Supervising Engineer, who joined the laborers working in the caisson. The Brooklyn Bridge was a marvel upon completion and remains an iconic marvel to the day. McCoullough book breathe life into the stones and steel of this iconic structure. This book has moved walking to the center of the bridge is to the top of my bucket list.

I mostly enjoyed this book, especially the first quarter and the last quarter. It is meticulously researched and as always, McCullough does a great job putting you in to the time period he is documenting. In this case McCullough takes us back to 19th century New York City, comparing and contrasting Manhattan and Brooklyn. He explains the initial impetus for a bridge over the East River to connect the 2 cities, how it would affect the lifestyles and economies of both cities. The book is covering an exciting time in America when large engineering projects were being accomplished which would lay an infrastructure which made the 20th century economy possible. He covers other bridge builders and their projects notably the Eads bridge over the Mississippi. As a lot of people know the Roebling family sacrifices made the Brooklyn bridge possible. Mccullough covers the life of German born Joeseph Roebling an educated engineer who emigrated to Pennsylvania and founded a community of Germans. After about a decade however Roebling went back into engineering and began a series of high profile suspension bridges, notably Roebling bridge in Cincinnati and a railroad bridge over the Niagara river. When Roebling began work on the Brooklyn bridge his son was his main assistant – Washington Roebling. Unfortunately after his foot was injured in an on the job accident, Joeseph Roebling contracted gangrene and died. His son had to take over as the main engineer for the bridge and he accomplished it by using caissons to sink the foundation of the towers. At that time the medical issues associated with working in pressures greater than one atmosphere were not well understood. Washington Roebling basically sacrificed his life due to his becoming chronically ill from having worked in the caissons and suffering the bends repeatedly. He was bedridden for years, but still managed to manage the project from his home in Brooklyn. There were some drawbacks to this book, mostly in the middle parts of it. I don't think that the book did a great job of describing the “how to” part of building the bridge. I had seen a special on the history channel on building the bridge. Without that I don't think the book would have made clear what was involved in the caissons and “spinning the wire” . Also the book gets a little bogged down in the politics behind building the bridge, the graft and corruption involved. Overall though this was a good book to help you understand what went into building a great American landmark.

The beauty of this book is DM's comprehension of New York and America in the 19th century after the conclusion of the War Between the States. It was a time and place of boundless energy and ambition; a time of endless building and progress and advancement; a time that celebrated and promoted the boundless idea 'America!' as never before or since. The building of 'The Great Bridge' is a fascinating story. It's an epic story of ambition, will, political warfare, personal betrayal, enormous personal sacrifice, petty thievery, but above all the great shared vision of progress and good that brought The Brooklyn Bridge into being. Not only that, there are many sections of the book in which the author describes scenes and vistas that are pure and unanticipated poetry. It's not forced or intended to be 'poetry'; it simply is, period. It is obvious that DM loved writing the book. God, to feel and to write as he has done here! During a lifetime of reading, I've found the best books cannot be read only once. As in listening to music, I need to read and listen over and over during a period of years to fully comprehend what is there. Even so, I know I don't see all of it. So it is with "The Great Bridge"; it takes what - three readings? (I'm on my third and I'm still seeing things I missed before) Even so, the time and attention required is not a burden but a joy; how could it be otherwise? I highly and unreservedly recommend this book. What else can I say?

Arrived quickly & in perfect condition. A summer read for my retired construction manager husband. Hasn’t finished it yet, but so far, so good. 😊

Bought this book for a birthday gift fora friend. He loved it. Great writing and many unknown facts until he read about the. Writer did a wonderful job, very informative and educational.

Like so many things in life I came across David McCullough's work by good fortune, in that, I was doing post-graduate history research and saw his book entitled 'The Wright Brothers.' Since then my library now includes five of his other excellent fact-based books, all of which have been highly interesting, well researched and equally well-written. 'The Great Bridge' is no exception. It tells the story of why and how this incredible piece of engineering came into being, largely due to the intellect and dedication of the Roebling family, although they were not alone, since many others such as Brooklyn politicians, entrepreneurs, high-end engineers and a couple of swindlers and last but certainly not least, an extraordinary lady by the name of Emily, who together came to design and then supervise the construction of what at the time was the world's longest suspension bridge, connecting Brooklyn with Manhattan, New York. With the exception of the eye bars which had to be forged, all other major parts of the bridge were of a relatively new material , which engineers referred to as steel. Whilst the Brooklyn Bridge spanning the East River is nowadays dwarfed by other taller and perhaps more eye-catching structures on Manhattan Island, the Brooklyn Bridge continues to attract locals and visitors from around the world who not only enjoy the incredible views but in most cases are aware that this is still something very special, some have said the Eighth Wonder of the World but that might just be a slight exaggeration nowadays. Nevertheless, the story David McCullough tells keeps one's attention drawn to the narrative and in this writers case resulted in quite a bit of additional research. By the way, some of the wire used to make the main cables was sub-standard, although this fact was discovered at a point where it proved non-consequential. Enjoy the read. I'm just about to read one of his other books. Now let's see, will it be '1776,' 'The Johnstown Flood' or 'The Pioneers?' A good read is priceless.

El libro es muy interesante. Se centra en los aspectos históricos más que en los estructurales. La historia es tan interesante que engancha desde el principio. Very interesting. Focused on historical facts rather than in structural issues.

David McCullough's history of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge is superb. It is McCullough at his, usual, best, being entertaining and informative at the same time. A must for history (American) and architecture buffs.