The High Girders

De: John Prebble

Narrado por: David Monteath

On December 28th, 1879, the night of the Great Storm, the Tay Bridge collapsed, along with the train that was crossing and everyone on board....

This is the true story of that disastrous night, told from multiple viewpoints:

The station master waiting for the train to arrive - who sees the approaching lights simply vanish.

The bored young boys watching from their bedroom window who witness the disaster.

The dreamer who designed the bridge which eventually destroyed him.

The old highlanders who professed the bridge doomed from the outset.

The young woman on the ill-fated train, carrying a love letter from the man she hoped to marry....

The High Girders is a vivid, dramatic reconstruction of the ill-omened man-made catastrophe of the Tay Bridge disaster - and its grim aftermath.

©1979 John Prebble (P)2020 Orion Publishing Group

Not to be missed

I have read or listened to somewhere around 150 nonfiction books about disasters. In my opinion this is one of the very finest.
Thoroughly researched but with a pleasant gentle humor that keeps the narrative moving, this book is far more entertaining than historical nonfiction has any right to be (and rarely is). Prebble’s compassion to all actors in this terrible event is apparent and genuine.
For many reasons, disaster books tend to be clunky, self indulgent, and dry as toast. This book defies the (sub)standard quality of the genre and is so superb it borders on poetry.
I hope Mr. Prebble will write more historic disaster books, he has a rare talent for it.
The audiobook reader also does a splendid job.