The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn BridgeThe Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
What it's about
The Brooklyn Bridge took fourteen years to build, from 1869 to 1883. Its designer, John Roebling, died of tetanus after an accident before construction began. His son, Washington Roebling, took over, until he was crippled by caisson disease, the bends, from working in the pressurized chambers beneath the river. He directed the rest of the work from his window, with his wife Emily as his messenger. David McCullough tells their story, and the city's, amid the corruption of Boss Tweed's New York.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library's list of the best nonfiction ever written. It was McCullough's breakthrough, and it's as gripping as a novel.
You'll love it if you liked
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, John Adams or Truman
Good to know
There's a fair amount of engineering detail, which is surprisingly fascinating.
By the numbers
- Readers85 out of 100 · counts 40%+39
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 32% (its stronger lane)+21
- Bestseller10 out of 100 · counts 14%+1
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 15%+0
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero.
On the Modern Library 100 Best Nonfiction list. 4.26★ from 19K Goodreads ratings.
Where it ranks
- #54 of the 154 history books we rank
- #91 of the 519 classics we rank
- #233 of the 1,404 books we rank
On the lists
- Modern Library 100 Best Nonfiction
Reads as
True story
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