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 …
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.
It's a great story, well-told. It's worth reading for the epilogue alone, which is a tremendous payoff after becoming so invested in the lives of the people involved in the bridge's construction.
It's a great story, well-told. It's worth reading for the epilogue alone, which is a tremendous payoff after becoming so invested in the lives of the people involved in the bridge's construction.
Anyone afraid of the challenges facing our future needs to read McCullough.
From project to project, Panama to Brooklyn, McCullough subtly amidst the facts of tons of earth and lives lost, brings the fundamentally American spirit of "can do" to every page.
These are the generations before Brokaw's "Greatest", and the spirit of this one lay the groundwork for the next. Sacrifice, courage, and vision shine from every page of his works.
Anyone afraid of the challenges facing our future needs to read McCullough.
From project to project, Panama to Brooklyn, McCullough subtly amidst the facts of tons of earth and lives lost, brings the fundamentally American spirit of "can do" to every page.
These are the generations before Brokaw's "Greatest", and the spirit of this one lay the groundwork for the next. Sacrifice, courage, and vision shine from every page of his works.