The Great Bridge

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.

Autorentext

David McCullough (1933-2022) twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, Brave Companions, 1776, The Greater Journey, The American Spirit, The Wright Brothers, and The Pioneers. He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. Visit DavidMcCullough.com.

Inhalt

AUTHOR'S NOTEPART ONE1. The Plan2. Man of Iron3. The Genuine Language of America4. Father and Son5. Brooklyn6. The Proper Person to See7. The Chief EngineerPART TWO8. All According to Plan9. Down in the CaissonPICTURE SECTION10. Fire11. The Past Catches Up12. How Natural, Right, and Proper13. The Mysterious Disorder14. The Heroic ModePART THREE15. At the Halfway Mark16. Spirits of '7617. A Perfect Pandemonium18. Number 8, Birmingham Gauge19. The Gigantic Spinning MachinePICTURE SECTION20. Wire Fraud21. Emily22. The Man in the Window23. And Yet the Bridge Is Beautiful24. The People's DayEPILOGUEAPPENDIXNOTESPICTURE CREDITSBIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX