The Great Bridge-by David McCullough
I have owned this audiobook for a year or two and finally listened to it, thanks to the 888 motivation. Without reservation, I enjoyed and appreciated this book. I previously read several of David McCullough’s books (Truman, John Adams, Brave Companions and 1776), and this book joins their rank as well-written, engaging books of American history. There is no trudging through this book, just easy reading of a monumental American landmark and the dedicated people who saw it through its 14 years of building.
In reflecting on the book, the portrayal of the father and son Roebling engineering team is foremost in my mind. Both men were highly skilled and educated, extremely dedicated to their calling and careful to complete their work with the utmost integrity. One of the interesting ideas in the book is the contrast between these virtuous men and their counterparts, a corrupt political ring in New York, eager to funnel city funds into their own pockets. The building of the Brooklyn Bridge took place in the late 1800’s, so this was a time of great innovation and progress as well as tainted politics, especially during the terms of President U.S. Grant.
So many of the men and women involved in the bridge project gave much of their lives to see it come to completion and this focus on great character carried me through the book. It even made the few chapters that detailed the mechanics of securing the foundation for such a bridge, to the point of engineering overload in my mind, fade back as I was left with such a deep appreciation for these men and women who where so committed to an amazing project with such honor and dedication.
Now all that is left is to take a trip to the bridge myself, joining the millions of pedestrians who have crossed the bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn!
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