The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

This book, in my opinion, focuses too much on the politics involved and not about the actual people involved with the actual design and construction of the bridge. I was expecting more technical details and actual experiences of those with their hands on the bridge. Good reading, otherwise.

A fascinating story that depicts the best and the worst of humanity in this dramatic episode in the history of our nation. We see the product of genius, of vision and sacrifice coming to fruition in the midst of and spite of smallness and greed and stupidity. Those of us who come after are inspired and are the beneficiaries. Where are the men of genius, the visionaries of our time? What great challenges face us, what great projects are necessary? Will we rise to the occasion or go the way of the dinosaur?

Awesome! The bridge. The Roebling's. The politics and characters that conspire for personal benefit. The peoples commitment and support. The genius of it all. The history of the pioneering spirit of the earliest citizens is truly inspiring. Not much has changed. Highly recommended.

This is an amazing story and David McCullough tells it with his usual level of human interest and ability to keep you turning the pages. I never thought I'd be interested in the Brookly Bridge, but I will definitely be visiting it on the next trip to NYC.

A great read about any engineering marvel. McCullough takes you back to the time and understands the importance of the event. I only ordered it becaused I enjobed John Adams so much, but didn't really think I would enjoy a book about building a bridge as much as I did. It was a real treat! Have since read Truman, the flood at JT and 1776. All great reads

I found this book very interesting. I became interested in bridges when I visited the Golden Gate bridge in San Fransisco last year. The guide mentioned that there no deaths when the bridge was built and compared with 200 deaths when the Brooklyn Bridge was built.For this reason, I ob- tained this book.I think that "bends" was first noted when the Brooklyn Bridge was built and many deaths occurred as a result. The only criticism I have regarding the book was that the details of the bridge building was difficult for me to understand.The politics of bridge building and the corruption
was an eye-opener for me.

I learned so much about Washington Roebling and his father, John, and their roles in creating cable/suspension bridges, culminating in the Brooklyn Bridge. Of course, with David McCullough as the author, the reader is transported back to the times with such prose that one feels that he/she is at the site during the building of the Bridge.

David McCullough is one of the best authors in America and this effort is a fabulous departure from his presidential works and is worthy of anyone's time and energy to learn of those, like all Americans, climbed out of obscurity to create a magnificent work to benefit all mankind.

The quality of the work is exemplar like all of McCullough's books. My wife, I, and all my older children have experienced this work and we all favor it as one of our favorites and the story of the builders has left us more appreciative of our ancestors and inspired to equal their efforts. We give this work and all of McCullough's works our highest recommendations.

I ordered a used copy of David McCullough's book "The Great Bridge" from the store. The book was just as promised, in very good condition and sent to me in a timely fashion. The book itself was what I expected, but even more so. The story of the design and construction of the Brooklyn Bridge by the father and son team of the Roeblings was fascinating. The discussion of the engineering involved and the politics that played out during construction was fascinating and made me appreciate the ambition and perseverance of Americans in the late 19th century. I am planning or reading several other of McCullough's books. They should be terrific reads also.

McCullough can write about anything! I loved this book, and the two people I have given it to loved it, also. Even though we know the bridge got built, it's nevertheless a cliff-hanger. That's the mark of a great writer.

Historically interesting account of the intricacies of the making of the Brooklyn Bridge. Fasciniting insight into the background that led up to the design and the construction of this icon of the American Landscape and all the players involved, from the architects to the everyday laborers, who were involved in the making of this Great Bridge!

I haven't finished the book. It is amazing reading what went into building this fabulous bridge.
The employees must have had the most difficult, unpleasant, dangerous jobs since the pyramids.
It must have been fabulous for the locals to watch it go up.
I can't wait to do a road trip just to see it.

This was an amazing story from start to finish. True to form, McCullough described the construction, people's reaction, historical circumstances, and lots of intrigue. Washington Roebling and his father were true geniuses!

McCullough can do no wrong, ever! This book clearly explains all of the facets and anguish the occurs from start to finish in constructing a bridge. It is not an easy feat. And then, to create the first steel truss bridge that crossed the Hudson River during a period that lacks the technology of today - its an amazing feat. McCullough's book can be read by all even those who lack any construction or engineering background. Perhaps those readers can appreciate the struggles most common day building sites experience.

You just can't beat David McCullough for bringing past times and past people to life for you. This story is amazing. I do not have a scientific bent, but was fascinated by the engineering discussed in the building of the bridge. The human story was even more engrossing. The illustrations are first rate. After reading this book, you want to travel to New York at walk across the Brooklyn Bridge just to have the a personal connection to the story.

Epic story of the Brooklyn Bridge -- both the engineering feat and the constant political shenanigans. Finished the book just the day before I sailed on a cruise beneath, once heralded as "The eighth wonder of the world." What a feat the bridge is, and what a change it has brought to New York and Brooklyn. Building the bridge took a long time but McCullough keeps the story moving.

After "Truman" and "Johnstown Flood", both superb works, I was naturally atrtacted to the bridge.
Unlike these first two, the Brooklyn Bridge is first and foremost a technical triumph, hatched from the mind of a father and son. The father did not live to see the bridge built. The son, for a variety of reasons, suffered so much from the physical and mental demands of the job that he might qualify as the "mad" bridgebuilder in the minds of many. McCollough offers extensive detail of the people, the politics, and the history. The science and engineering is a lot harder to follow, unless you have the mathematical and analytical rigor to follow along. Perhaps some more charts and figures would have helped.
This is a long, hard read. The bridge was a longer, harder act. At times I felt like I was going to take as long to read the book as it took to build the bridge.

It was a fascinating read. Rich in history and humanity, this book reads like a mystery novel full of the historical who, what, when, where, how, and why. I took my time reading it and was sad when I finished. Recommended for anyone interested in history and American icons (people and structures).

Like all McCullough histories, this one is terrific -- well-researched and wonderfully written -- easy-going conversational, without academic pomp. The story of the men (and women) that helped engineer and construct the great bridge makes for an enormously interesting read. There are a lot of engineering and technical details -- and the kindle edition didn't offer a single illustration or photo. For that reason I'd recommend buying the printed edition -- rather than wasting $15 on a mediocre digital experience.

Who gives McCullough less than 4 stars? His research and story telling are unparalleled. So much detail in the Roebling archives that came to life. The sacrifice this family made to build this bridge was astonishing. Only McCullough could do this take justice.

As a history chronicle, the book succeeds. McCullough's stength in this book is sifting through his sources and composing a story. It's a good story and this book is one of the few places you can go to get that story. But as McCullough tells it, it is essentially an over 500 page newspaper article. Certainly interesting, but missing something.

He does a decent job describing the engineering and the challenges Roebling faced. It's a bit of a mystery why the editors didn't just go ahead and include descriptive drawing to increase clarity and understanding; nonetheless, the descriptions are pretty well done. But the most incredible part of the bridge story is not really about the engineering accomplishments. It's about Washington Roebling. And this is where McCullough missed the mark.

McCullough made it very clear that he had a lot of gaps in his efforts to tell Roebling's personal story. Many parts of Roebling's life are apparently blank due to Roebling's inclination not to write much about himself during and after the bridge. So maybe there is an excuse. But I think that McCullough needed to try harder to bring his main character to life. McCullough is only a little more successful with Roebling's dedicated and so competent wife, Emily.

To tell the story that I think should have been told McCullough needed to get more involved. He is very stingy with his author's perspective commentary. Very stingy. So you get to the end, read a fairly ineffective Epilogue, and don't feel you know much about the person who is the most important player in the bridge story -a remarkable man that endured so much and outlived so many.

This is my only McCullough book so far and maybe this detachment is just his style. On one level, this is a great book that lives up to all the glowing reviews on the store. On another, it disappoints. Guess no book should be expected to be everything to everyone.

This is an excellent book. I have read several of David McCullough's books and have loved them all. He puts a great deal of detail about the building of the bridge, but he does it in such a way that it is understandable to non-engineers like me. He also puts a great deal of effort in telling about the principals, John Roebling, Washington Roebling and Emily Warren Roebling. I highly recommend it.

You will fall in love with the Roeblings, the bridge, and this incredible story. I for one had no idea of how magnificent it all was and is. Read this book then go see the bridge and wallow in its greatness.

McCullough delivers again - exhaustive research brings details to the story of the Brooklyn Bridge and all the behind the scenes drama that took place in the construction of the "eighth wonder of the world". Roebling Jr. as the Chief Engineer after his father's death and the involvement of his wife, Emily, throughout the years of construction along with all the politics of the age and the two cities involved make for great reading.

Very interesting story about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. A few too many technical details and gossip about politics in the 1800 for my taste, but I am sure Engineers will love this book. Years ago when I lived on the East Coast, I crossed the bridge many times, never giving it a lot of thought on how it was built. Now I can’t wait to go back and take a closer look.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could resonate with it having grown up in Brooklyn. The imagination, genius and drive of both John and Washington Roebling in bringing this monument about are extraordinary. McCullough put together an engrossing story of it all. I'm now in the process of reading his other book on the building of the Panama Canal.

Fascinating story rendered beautifully by David McCullough, as he reliability makes history come alive. One of the things I appreciate in his books is how he weaves other significant historical events into the subject matter. It's a great learning experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book...prior to reading it, I had no idea of the human drama and fascinating history that underpins the tale of the Brooklyn Bridge. A fascinating and deeply satisfying read!

I love the sriting of David McCullough and while his books 1176 and John Adams were his award winning efforts I found this to be a book that I just couldn't put down. I measure a great wrok if you are sorry when it is finished and that is exactly what happened when I read this book. I have gifted it to several friends and can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed the book. If you love New York City this is a MUST read. It is FIVE STARS!
Cheselton5

A monumental undertaking: the bridge and the book! My understanding of the epic engineering and construction would have been greatly facilitated had I had access to accompanying diagrams as may have been available in a bound book rather than the Kindle edition.

A very thorough coverage of the conception, design, funding and construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, presented in an engaging way so that you don't feel like you're studying for a history exam. The author ties in the Brooklyn Bridge with many other subjects, including other suspension bridges, political conventions, World War I, and growth of various NYC neighborhoods.

The story of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Roebling family is worth reading. However, unlike the "Wright Brothers" which was also full of technical details The Great Bridge was impossible to follow at times. This might be a better book to read with diagrams instead of an audio book.

Regular readers of my monthly newsletter [[...] know I like to read and, although my tastes are pretty eclectic ... ranging from the proverbial cereal box, to multi-volume biographies of the likes of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, to the newest ode to Warren Buffett ... I love to share a really good read.

In this respect, David McCullough has captured my reading loyalty as has no other contemporary author.

It started, as I imagine it did for many readers, with "Truman" and then "Adams" ... big, bold biographies where the subject strode off the page and came alive. His style is so readable that, if we weren't knowledgeable of the American history we were reading, we would think it fiction.

Which is why I recommend to you "The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge", as a strong, passionate, fascinating story of Washington Roebling and his son's 13-year battle to build the 8th wonder of the world. The story of the Brooklyn Bridge, a magnificent, soaring feat of engineering which puts the Big Dig to shame, is one of political scandal, personal triumph and tragedy, heroes and villains. In short, a great read which does not require an engineering degree to enjoy!

Tremendous research backs this fascinating look into the human saga surrounding the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. I had an interest in the history of the bridge because of family connections to Brooklyn but never imagined the compelling stories that reveal the best and the worst in humanity all tied to a bridge!

I learned more about structural engineering (and caissons!) then I'll ever care to know again. A structural engineer would love this book. I found it at times, to be tedious reading, but still a fascinating account of the bridge and more importantly the Roebling family who built it. Washington Roebling's life was like that of a Greek tragedy. I wish the Kindle version of this books and pictures and diagrams, but it did not, making me now want to get a hard copy of this book.

This history of the Great Bridge is excellent. David McCullough is a master of detail in this history of John and Washington Roebling using their engineering skills and dedication in the face of adversity and criticism to design and build one of the world's greatest achievements of that age. Well written and holds one's interest.

Wordy but great back history of how the times were and how thier personalities were. Eceptionally well researched and pesented. The time to create this manuscript must have been exceptionally long. Great read if you like the subject. This is a book that gives you more interesting facts about how the bridge came to be.

After reading this book, I couldn't wait to reverently walk this marvelous span. The story of its construction and the human struggle and sacrifice required helped me to understand the industrial and engineering confidence of the late 19th century in the United States.

Very interesting history. The Brooklyn Bridge is beautiful and the true story is hard to put down. David McCullough is a very knowledgeable author and elevates history to be enthraling! I am not a history buff but this author may change that.

Amazing story of the building of America, the sacrifices of hard work and engineering with corrupt people surrounding the events. Suffering and sacrifices to get it all done... and the bridge is still there and may last forever.... we just dont do things like that today!

Boss Tweed, Vanderbilt and how projects were started and funded. A of courage and determination of the vision of John Roebling and determination of Washington and Emily Roebling and their complete honesty and character.

This is a fabulous book, about an amazing cast of historical characters attempting to do what at the time must have seemed nearly impossible. Not only is it a wonderful and dramatic story, the book places all the events in mind-boggling historical context. For example the caissons for the Brooklyn Bridge were being dug at the same time Custer made his last stand! What a time. What a country!

Mr McCullough is the best history writer I am aware of. I own all of his books. Great writing. Tells history in a clear, engaging manner. And this book of his is one of my favorites. Superb. Now I gotta go see the bridge for myself!

Tho it is a long, sometimes technical book, it is very worth reading. I like the biographical and historical part. I struggled thru (or skipped) lots of technical detail. In the end, the book makes me want to see this bridge and walk across it!