By: David McCullough
The Great Bridge is an adventure story about careers - the careers of those who conceived and built the Brooklyn Bridge. John A. Roebling had spent his life designing and building suspension bridges and ended his career when he gave New York and Brooklyn the plan and design for this singular engineering accomplishment. His son, Washington A. Roebling, as the chief engineer, oversaw the construction from its beginning in 1870 to its grand opening in 1883. Throughout the story, which chronicles the life work of these two extraordinary men of vision and drive, McCullough skillfully weaves the career paths of politicians, clergymen, newspaper editors, contractors and hundreds of skilled and unskilled immigrant workers who gave their lives' time and energy to this project. He delights us with accounts of prominent citizens: some upright benefactors of society and some outright scoundrels and criminals. McCullough penetrates deeply into the lives of all these individuals and gives us more than a glimpse into the dreams, disappointments, frustrations, downfalls and triumphs of their individual and collective lives. McCullough has inspired me to want to walk across the bridge. Review by Louise. (Non-fiction) 07/08/09
The Great Bridge is an adventure story about careers - the careers of those who conceived and built the Brooklyn Bridge. John A. Roebling had spent his life designing and building suspension bridges and ended his career when he gave New York and Brooklyn the plan and design for this singular engineering accomplishment. His son, Washington A. Roebling, as the chief engineer, oversaw the construction from its beginning in 1870 to its grand opening in 1883. Throughout the story, which chronicles the life work of these two extraordinary men of vision and drive, McCullough skillfully weaves the career paths of politicians, clergymen, newspaper editors, contractors and hundreds of skilled and unskilled immigrant workers who gave their lives' time and energy to this project. He delights us with accounts of prominent citizens: some upright benefactors of society and some outright scoundrels and criminals. McCullough penetrates deeply into the lives of all these individuals and gives us more than a glimpse into the dreams, disappointments, frustrations, downfalls and triumphs of their individual and collective lives. McCullough has inspired me to want to walk across the bridge. Review by Louise. (Non-fiction) 07/08/09
