The Great Bridge

Title: The Great Bridge

Author: David McCullough

Pages: 565

Genre: Non-Fiction

Letter Grade: B

Synopsis: This is the story of the long-process of building the Brooklyn Bridge. A lot of time is spent describing the Chief Engineer, John A. Roebling and his life. He ends up only designing the bridge and dies before work on the bridge is started. His son, Washington A. Roebling takes his place as Chief Engineer and gets the bridge built.

Why I Chose This Book: A coworker first recommended this book to me during the fall and it sounded very interesting. Then in April, Ben wrote a great review on this book and I was convinced that I should read it.

My Review: I thought that I would like this book a lot more than I did. It took me a while (~100-150 pages) to get into it and once I was into the book, I felt that McCullough spent too much time on the politics during the time as well as the politics involved in getting the bridge built. I guess, that I felt that there was simply too much information in the book. A short book of just a couple of hundred pages would have told the story well. It's a hard complaint to make because after reading this book I certainly understand a lot more about the era than I would have had he left it all out. All in all, it was still a pretty good book.

From the Book: "(p. 27 - A quote by John A. Roebling) The completed work, when constructed in accordance with my designs, will not only be the greatest bridge in existence, but it will be the greatest engineering work of the continent, and of the age. Its most conspicuous features, the great towers, will serve as landmarks to the adjoining cities, and they will be entitled to be ranked as national monuments. As a great work of art, and as a successful specimen of advanced bridge engineering, this structure will forever testify to the energy, enterprise and wealth of that community which shall secure its erection."

"(p. 502 - William Marshall defending the Chief Engineer before the board who want him removed) There are two bridges across the Niagara. He built the largest of them and it stands there today - a perfect success. When I say 'he' I mean his father and himself - the father who sacrificed on this bridge. There are two bridges across the Ohio, one built by Mr. Roebling and one by a man who is ashamed of his name. The one at Wheeling fell into the river; the other, at Cincinnati, is an honor to the man who built it... For one I would take the arm off my shoulder before I would permit myself to vote against a man standing here without a blemish upon his character or ability. If you search back to the time of the sinking of the caisson to the present moment you will find that he has not kept the bridge back a moment."