The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

Written by David McCullough

Narrated by Nelson Runger

A monumental tale of American ambition, told by Pulitzer Prize–winning author and master historian David McCullough. This gripping saga of the creation of the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the country’s boldest engineering achievements, reveals not only the politics and personalities behind "America’s Eiffel Tower," but charts New York’s ascent as a thriving metropolis.

Around 1870, during the Age of Optimism—a time when Americans believed anything was possible—the ambitious idea of constructing an unprecedented bridge across the East River to connect Manhattan and Brooklyn took root. This monumental project demanded a vision and determination on par with the efforts that built the great cathedrals of history.

Spearheaded by the Roebling family, the project faced staggering odds throughout its fourteen years of construction. Bodies were crushed, lives were lost, political empires fell, and waves of public emotion constantly threatened its progress. The Roeblings, too, were not immune to personal tragedies. Yet, Emily Roebling rose above these challenges to become the pivotal force behind the bridge’s completion, shattering all societal expectations of her era. This is not just the story of an engineering miracle; it is a sweeping narrative of the social climate of the time and the heroes and rascals who either built or exploited this groundbreaking enterprise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: May 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781442355606

David McCullough

David McCullough (1933–2022) twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, Brave Companions, 1776, The Greater Journey, The American Spirit, The Wright Brothers, and The Pioneers. He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. Visit DavidMcCullough.com.

Reviews for The Great Bridge

[David Curtis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating history, most especially to me the aspects of the story that unveiled shadowy efforts by trustees and others to cast aside Roebling as the bridge neared completion, whether out of jealousy or purely as a display of power. Some things will never change. 4.5 stars.

[starkravingmad_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well researched, comprehensive narrative of the building of the world's largest suspension bridge at the time. Deep insights in Washington & JOhn Roebling

[jbarr5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge The making of the Brooklyn Bridge. Interesting story of how this all came about, who was involved and in what capacity.Liked this book a lot for all that was involved in it and learning of the builders other works.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[brewergirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm not particularly interested in engineering or construction, but I found this book riveting. I couldn't put it down and thought it presented a good picture of engineering, politics, and culture at that time.

[whiskey3pa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent book. The writer takes the technical and makes it accessible. He rings the personalities to vibrant life. A great read.

[hagelstein_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Once called the eighth wonder of the world, by some, the Brooklyn Bridge stands as one of the great engineering feats in American history. In this substantial and comprehensive book, David McCullough details the history of the bridge from conception to completion. Until the bridge was built, Brooklyn, although the third largest city in America at the time, was considered something of a backwater. One man, asked why he wanted to cross the footbridge into Brooklyn (before the entire bridge was completed) replied:?I am a stranger here.??Where are you from?? asked Murphy.?From New York,? the man replied gravely.The personalities involved are integral to the story, from John and Washington Roebling ? the father and son designer and Chief Engineer, to the politicians that both helped and hindered the effort. The bridge and its builders survived bribery, contractor fraud, and the many machinations of the corrupt Boss Tweed and other politicians from both sides of the river.When the bridge opened in 1883, after fourteen years of construction, one woman who was alive for both events described the public excitement as being more than when man walked on the moon, years later.

[snash_44 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

[The Great Bridge] is the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge along with the politics and personalities involved. Interesting and entertaining except that John A. Roebling was hardly likable and some of the technical descriptions were tedious.

[Daniel Walker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful history of the great bridge filled with great insights and details.

[lindap69 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

While I enjoyed the people parts of the story, I became bogged down in the engineering of the bridge parts, may try to finish it up with the book so I can skip over the parts of little interest to me.

[gcamp_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I listened to this story on audio book. There were a couple of spots where it was a little slow, but for the most part this was an intriguing story. One of the most interesting aspects, for me, was learning of the involvement of Emily Roebling. John Roebling was the man with the idea of the Brooklyn Bridge, but he died before the bridge had hardly taken off. His son, Washington, became the chief engineer, but he became very ill during the construction, so his wife, Emily, took over many of the responsibilities. She was literally his eyes, ears, and legs, and seemed to have had a great understanding of the science and engineering of the bridge. She was her husband's secretary and nurse, and even made some of the decisions when he was too ill to be disturbed. Most of the other engineers respected her and followed her direction. This, to me, is truly amazing for the time period during which the bridge was being constructed, which was the late 1800s. Another interesting topic, was the bends, which many of the workers suffered from while working in the caissons. It was fascinating to see how they went about, through trial and error, to understand the causes and to try to find a solution for them. Also interesting was the information about New York's politics, and how they affected the building of the bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge to this day is such a wonder to view, and it is great to have such a detailed biography of what it took to build it.

[dickmanikowski · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Epic retelling of the construction of what at its time was an unprecedented feat of civil engineering. McCullough presents technical details in an accessible manner while also exploring the New York City and the Brooklyn of the period, including the political considerations which hampered progress on the project. More than anything, though, the book is the story of the three individuals who brought the project to fulfillment.The original plans were laid by John Roebling, a German-born wire manufacturer whose genius led him to design and build multiple suspension bridges. But early in the construction process, a workplace accident cost him the toes of one foot. Tetanus set in, and he died a terrible death.Upon John's death, his son (Washington Roebling) was promoted to replace him as Principle Engineer. Many think that his father had planned to eventually put his son (an engineering graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) in charge all along. But the younger Roebling became a housebound invalid following a bad experience of decompression sickness. Nevertheless, he continued to manage the construction from his sickroom.Washington's wife, Emily Roebling, provided invaluable assistance in mediating between him, his assistant engineers, and the Board of Directors.

[datrappert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Detailed story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge is one part engineering (exhilarating) and one part politics (exasperating). Washington Roebling emerges as a true genius, with a photographic memory and the ability to write instructions for his loyal band of engineers that are so detailed the work can proceed without his presence after he is crippled by the bends. Aided by his wife, who soon amazes everyone with her own capabilities, he struggles against the politicians from Brooklyn and New York who are looking to use the bridge for their own self-aggrandizement, by either supporting it or condemning it. The political intrigue is a necessary part of the book and McCullough does a good job of sorting fact from fiction from rumor, drawing upon papers only available long after the events in question, including Washington Roebling's own private notes. You'll hold your breath during these intrigues hoping things turn out okay--but the real joy of the book is the story of how the bridge was conceived and built and its monstrous scale (for its time) and enormous amount of material - stone, steel - and incredibly brave (or desperate for work) men who risked death in the caissons to sink the foundations for the Brooklyn and New York towers. McCullough does a good job of explaining the science, and the book's pictures help, but even more diagrams would have made it better. As the cover says, there is a cast of thousands, and some are familiar villains (Boss Tweed) while others are obscure heroes such as Ludwig Semler, the Brooklyn Comptroller, who spoke up on Roebling's behalf when the mayor of Brooklyn, Seth Low, was trying to have him removed.This book took a long time to read--not because it was difficult to read, but because every time another bridge or feat of engineering was mentioned, I had to look it up on the Internet and read all about it. If you have an interest in bridges, you definitely won't want to miss this book. But it will also demonstrate the individual genius of certain men, such as Washington Roebling and his father John, that drive the world forward even while so many can only think about what' s in it for themselves.

[cygnet81 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An epic story - and compelling even though it was historical.

[jcvogan1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Makes you want to be an engineer.

[realbigcat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Great Bridge. The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough is a wonderfully written magnificent account of one of the greatest engineering feats of its time. McCullough the Pulitzer Prize winning historical author takes a seemingly small subject maybe less than book worthy and weaves it into a fascinating account of engineering marvels, political corruption and a cast of characters worthy of any movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. McCulloughs research and attention to detail are second to none. I had the privilege of meeting and attending a lecture by McCullough and he is just as eloquent and well versed as his writing clearly demonstrates.

[drudmann_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Overall, very good; the need to move between the technical aspects and the political aspects of the creation of the bridge create some real challenges for the reader, however, since the narrative may move from one to the other for a hundred or more pages before returning. Does not have the smooth, chronological feel that "John Adams" had. The technical aspects are highly detailed, yet were still hard to imagine.

[othemts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What's the longest period that a book has been on your "to read" list before you actually read it? For me, it may be 33 years as I got a copy of this book around the time of the Brooklyn Bridge centennial in 1983, looked at the pictures a lot, but never got around to reading. Since my copy of the book is falling apart, I listened to it as an audiobook. It's a straightforward history of the planning, construction, and aftermath of Brooklyn Bridge and it's effect on the cities of New York and Brooklyn. Central to the story are three people: John Roebling - the great bridge builder who designed Brooklyn Bridge but died as construction was begining in 1869, Washington Roebling - who emerged from his father's shadow as chief engineer but suffered greatly from illness and injury that kept him away from the job site, and Emily Roebling - who stepped in to manage the chief engineer responsibilities when her husband was indisposed. The construction of Brooklyn Bridge faced many challenges including the physical demanding work of the laborers leading to injury and death (particularly the notorious caisson's disease), a rivalry with James Eads - then constructing a bridge across the Mississippi at St. Louis, and the revelations of corruption of the Tweed Ring that were tied up in the bridge project. All three of these things lead to efforts to remove Washington Roebling that would be defeated. If there's one flaw to this book it's that McCullough tends to pile on the details and repeat himself in ways that make this a less engaging read than it could be, but otherwise it's a fascinating story of a significant monument in American history.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Through his long line of books on some of America's greatest figures (Truman, John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt) and historical events (Johnstown Flood, Panama Canal, Brooklyn Bridge), David McCollough has earned the title of America's greatest historian. As in his previous works, McCollough masterfully crafts his prose around one of the most historically significant and interesting events of 19th century America, the design and construction of the Brookly Bridge. Prior to reading this book, I must admit to an almost complete lack of appreciation for this feat. Suffice it to say that in the mid to late 19th century, construction of a suspension bridge on the scale of the Brooklyn Bridge was almost a leap of faith during a time when many if not most bridges failed soon after construction. This is largely a story about John A. Roebling and his son Washington Roebling, the former having initially designed and "sold" the bridge, the latter being left with the task of constructing the bridge following the gruesome death of his father from tetanus. Also a key player in the story is Washington Roebling's wife Emily, who many allege was actually in charge of the bridge project during the frequent periods of incapacity suffered by her husband. The background on both Roeblings was very interesting and key to an understanding of the personal dynamics involved in the politics and administration of the bridge project, and some of the most enlightening segments of the work deal with the politics of the era and region (this period spanning the reign of "Boss" Tweed over Tammany Hall). McCollough's best work, however, is taking the very complicated and cutting edge engineering principles of the time and explaining them through well crafted language and numerous sketches in such a way that most can be followed and understood (maybe not completely) by the reader. The novel concept of the caissons, by which the monstrous bridge piers were embedded into bedrock, and the resulting discovery of "the bends", was riveting reading. All in all, a typical McCollough tour de force. As in many of his previous works, most similar in style to Panama Canal, McCollough takes a historically significant event, explains why it was so significant, points out the extreme difficulties faced by the participants and puts a human face on the travails and suffering endured by the key players. As in Panama Canal, politics plays a key role in this story. If you're like me, most of the background to this story will be almost entirely new to you. Did you know that in 1880, Brooklyn was the third largest city in the United States (prior to its merger into New York City). I highly recommend this book, not just for its entertainment value, but for its great history lessons.

[lissabeth21 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Truly wonderful.

[Steven Stankevitz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I got to walk the bridge and this book brought it to life

[scarchin-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredible story told in classic McCullough style!

[bacreads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a bit cumbersome with a lot of side trips that really didn't affect the building of the bridge. Some of the history was necessary but at times I felt he was using it as filler. He jumped around a bit which became a little confusing. I like McCullough and expect him to be wordy but this was a bit of a disappointment. I did learn about the building of the bridge and next time I go to NYC I will go there to explore the details that were in the book.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it! This story tells of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge...and it is a very entertaining story. It tells the story of the man who was responsible for the construction, Chief Engineer Washington A. Roebling. We learn about his life, and about the personal and technical challenges he overcame to see the bridge built. We also learn about the history of the time....the Civil War, the Statue of Liberty arriving as a centennial birthday present from France, Boss Tweed and his "gang", a secret subway being dug under New York City...so much happening! Only once did the engineering aspects confuse me...this is a book for anyone interested in history and personal stories.

[Zachary R. Meyer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not just a history of the Brooklyn Bridge, but a vivid portrait of New York City with the bridge as a technology of representation in an era of unprecedented architectural and cultural progress. This is appointment reading for New Yorkers and a treat for history buffs of any sort.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Brooklyn Bridge - just the words conjure up the image of a stately icon with twinkling lights and a spider-like web of cables. But it is so much more. The Brooklyn Bridge completed in 1883 replaced nearly all the dozens of ferries that had been used to transport goods and people from Brooklyn into New York City. At the time of its construction Brooklyn was not part of the city, but due to the connection and constant traffic eventually Brooklyn became one of the 5 boroughs of the city.The construction was the greatest of its day but not without its difficulties. The caissons built for the massive spans resulted in 12 deaths due to "caissons disease" or what we now call the bends. Men worked deep below the river in areas using compressed air and without knowledge of the effects, no decompression was used for the workers. In fact, the General Engineer, Washington Roebling, suffered from the debilitating effects of the bends for over 30 years and because of it, he was unable to be present at the open ceremonies or be the first to cross the bridge (his wife had that honor).This book is an engaging chronicle of the efforts of Washington Roebling and the men who struggled to create and build this masterpiece of engineering. The author makes it seem like a love story as well as a documentation of a building of a Landmark.

[Thomas Cook · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a wonderful document. Thank you Mr McCullough, it is....even better than the wright brothers.

[mikedraper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

David McCullough's richly detailed account of the inception and building of the bridge is an expertly compiled history.Not only does the reader learn what the Bridge meant to New York but also, we experienced the history and the politics around it.McCullough takes his readers through the difficulty in engineering the project. John Roebling and his Brooklyn Bridge team had to get Albany's blessing and then Congress had to approve the project since they were concerned that it might affect the navigation of the East River and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.As the building went along, McCullough also takes his readers through newspaper accounts praising the project and we see Mark Twain in the group expressing his support.Before the Bridge, New York City was landlocked. The only way to reach Brooklyn was the ferries which could be dangerous in rough weather and with navigating the busy East River.We see a man with a vision in John Roebling. When age and ill health prevented his seeing his dream to conclusion, his son, Washington Roebling took over as the Chief Engineer.This history unfolds like a tv documentary and the author takes his readers through the corruption and patronage of Boss Tweed and his gang.This is a sweeping saga that is among the wonders of the world and sharing it as I did recently, made me feel I was a small part of its ongoing legend.

[Mazen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really good read for bridge engineers.
When talking about dates, years are missing i.e. many paragraphs mentioned month / season name without stating which year.

[Thomas Arnold · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is quite a story. Thoroughly researched and excellently written.

[hadriantheblind · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is not easy to build bridges.

Let me bring up a local case, of a bridge between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Canada, has led to years of heartache, political opposition from stubborn 80-year old billionaires, controversial political deals with the devil, and years of time spent. And the thing hasn't even been built yet.

McCullough covers not only the political side of Bridge-building, but the technical side well. This is arguably his most famous book, and with good reason. He makes the dullest of technical details shine. The obscure historical characters of a century past are given a new luster. The great bridge is almost a natural formation in the city now, like the Hudson River, but now the reader is taken back to the triumphal opening, where president Chester Arthur shook the hand of the mayor of Brooklyn, and P. T. Barnum sent a parade of elephants across, a show of durability that is uniquely American.

Excellent stuff. McCullough is a phenomenal narrative historian and biographer, and it's good to revisit him again.