The Great Bridge

The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

By: David McCullough

Narrated by: Nelson Runger

Length: 27 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

This monumental book tells the enthralling story of one of the greatest accomplishments in our nation's history, the building of what was then the longest suspension bridge in the world. The Brooklyn Bridge rose out of the expansive era following the Civil War, when Americans believed all things were possible.

So daring a concept as spanning the East River to join two great cities required vision and dedication of the kind that went into building Europe's great cathedrals. During 14 years of construction, the odds against success seemed overwhelming. Thousands of people were put to work. Bodies were crushed and broken, lives lost, notorious political empires fell, and surges of public doubt constantly threatened the project. But the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge is not just the saga of an engineering miracle; it is a sweeping narrative of the social climate of the time, replete with heroes and rascals who helped either to construct or to exploit the great enterprise.

The Great Bridge is also the story of a remarkable family, the Roeblings, who conceived and executed the audacious engineering plan at great personal cost. Without John Roebling's vision, his son Washington's skill and courage, and Washington's wife Emily's dedication, the bridge we know and cherish would never have been built.

Like the engineering marvel it describes, The Great Bridge, republished on the 40th anniversary of its initial publication, has stood the test of time.

Please note: The Great Bridge (Unabridged) is available for just one credit until June 20, 2012, after which point it will be priced at two credits.

©2007 David McCullough (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

“The impact of the soaring structure upon the American imagination and American life has now been measured with sagacity and style by David McCullough.... The Great Bridge is a book so compelling and complete as to be a literary monument, one of the best books I have read in years. McCullough has written that sort of work which brings us to the human center of the past.” (Robert Kirsch, Los Angeles Times)

" The Great Bridge is a great book. . . . What David McCullough has written is a stupendous narrative about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, with a cast of thousands (give or take 100), whose major characters come alive on the page as authentically, as creatively, as would their fictional counterparts if one had the imagination to dream up such a yarn. Once again, truth is not only stranger than fiction but a hell of a lot more entertaining. Get your hands on The Great Bridge...This is the definitive book on the event. Do not wait for a better try: there won't be any.” (Norman Rosten, Newsday)

“David McCullough has taken a dramatic and colorful episode out of the American past and described it in such a way that he sheds fresh light on a whole era in American history.” (Bruce Catton)

It's really long . . . but really good!

Excellent story and reading, but really long on the details, such as the biographies of a lot of engineers, politicians, and businessmen involved with the bridge. Also an hour by hour description of what went on in the caissons beneath the East River. But I listened to every word.

Recommended, but don't miss his Panama Canal book

I liked this, but enjoyed his book on the Panama Canal more. The story seemed to drag at times, but this may be due to my having less interest in the political and social aspects of the story as opposed to the portions regarding the engineering. The narrator's performance is well suited to the book. I would recommend it.

A great read

This was a great story of how one America's great wonders was built. David McCullough has a way of making history very intersesting. I have never listened to or read any of his books but now I look forward to listening to all his books.

An Incredible Story of an Incredible Bridge

An inspiring story of man's ability to build great works and a fully engaging story of the people who defied all obstacles to build this magnificent bridge. For anyone who has ever seen or used this iconic structure, the story of its creation is a must read. From the genius and determination of John and Washington Roebling to the fortitude and bravery of the immigrant workers, this book book chronicles not only the building of a bridge but also the qualities that have made America great.

Classic McCullough

This is one of my favorites from David McCullough. I learned so much about the bridge and the people that made it possible. Now I can't wait to actually visit the site where all the history happened.

The best description of a public project ever.

The Civil War had only ended a few years before German immigrant John Augustus Roebling made a serious proposal for a great suspension bridge across the East River to connect the two cities of New York and Brooklyn. Many doubted that such a feat was actually possible and others didn’t care whether it was possible or not if there were a way to make money. Corruption was endemic in the Boss Tweed era and the Administration of President Grant. Roebling continued to push his idea and worked on plans as he also ran his wire manufacturing plant in Trenton New Jersey. There had been some suspension bridges built, but nothing on this scale in a very difficult location. The East River is not really a river but a narrow channel between two islands with strong tidal currents and a huge amount of shipping traffic. This was at a time before the telephone and when electricity was still a new thing. The golden spike had just been hammered into the last tie for the first railroad to cross the continent. This roadway had to be built 135 ft above the water to provide clearance for the masts of the great transatlantic sailing ships. The bridge would be more than a mile long and the main span would be almost 1,600 ft long. At a time when the tallest building in New York was only 10 floors, the towers for the bridge would be more than 275 feet high. Roebling proposed a roadbed that would include two train tracks and 4 lanes for horse-drawn carriages. An upper level would be provided for pedestrians. After pushing his proposal for several years, permission as finally granted and surveys were begun. During the surveying, Roebling’s foot was crushed by a ferry, he developed tetanus and died. Supervision of the project was turned over to his 32-year-old son, Washington Roebling and construction was begun in 1869. Building the towers meant using a relatively new technique. Huge caissons, sort of an upside-down box are sunk and pressurized air is introduced to force out the water allowing men to dig in the river bed and as they dug, the caissons would slowly continue to sink into the muck. The deeper they went, the greater the air pressure and they discovered that many men would develop severe and debilitating pain after they came out into the normal atmospheric pressure. The deeper they went, the more serious the problem permanently crippling some and resulting in several deaths. They were discovering what we now call “the bends,” which divers also experience if they come up to the surface too fast. But, at that time they didn’t know what caused it and tried many different remedies to no avail. Only late in the construction did they find that a gradual return to the atmosphere would help alleviate the symptoms. However, before that, there was an emergency in one of the caissons and Washington Roebling spent more than 10 hours in the caisson. When he came out, he too had a serious attack of the bends that crippled him so much that he had to manage the construction from his home, sometimes watching the construction with binoculars. Washington Roebling never recovered, and though he visited one of the anchoring towers in a carriage after construction was complete, he never stepped foot onto the bridge. But, he had completed what was, up to then, the greatest engineering task in the Americas and maybe the world. It had taken 14 years, and a later examination of the books by independent auditors found nothing at all awry, no graft, no embezzlement, no corruption. This book is a reminder of a time when America dreamed big, when projects were done on a grand scale, when there was no idea that government didn’t have a role in the market or in putting out money for grand projects. As I read this, I couldn’t help but think of my own time. Certainly, there are some similarities--Roebling’s biggest headache was dealing with the constant stream of criticism from people who thought he was doing it all wrong, had to have some sort of corrupt scheme going on, or that the bridge should be abandoned. But, at that time America was looking toward the future, not to the past. America was willing to let some old industries die in order to build the future. This has to be one of the best books with historical projects. One of the best books I’ve read this year.

Couldn’t stop listening

David McCullough is amazing and I felt I was right there watching them build the Brooklyn Bridge! A must listen

Meaning to the bridge

Nothing would make a trip to New York City and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge more meaningful!
We take some things for granted. I won’t take this bridge for granted anymore!

Amazing!

What a process...such an incredible project to be undertaken and engineered by three amazing people - John, Washington and Emily.

Great listen!

Excellent and informative. Love D McCullough every time. There are so many things to learn from him.