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The Great Bridge

The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

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The Great Bridge

Written by: David McCullough
Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
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About this listen

 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.©1972 David McCullough; (P)2004 Simon & Schuster, Inc. Americas Engineering United States

What the critics say

"The Great Bridge is a book so compelling and complete as to be a literary monument. . . . McCullough has written that sort of work which brings us to the human center of the past."
—Los Angeles Times
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The Building of the Brooklyn Bridge.
#audible1 Edward Herrmann, the narrator, is one of my favourite audible narrators. His voice is expressive and warm, his diction and pronunciation clear. He carries the story along with authority and sympathy. The very model of a non-fiction narrator.
Now to the story of the building of the great Bridge. It joined two of the greatest cities in America, New York and Brooklyn, then 1st and 3rd in population. They were each industrial powerhouses.
The project was worthy of the burgeoning country in the last half of the 19th century. McCullough tells the story of this generational project, the cost in lives in treasure to build something as transformational as the transcontinental railways.
An epic told with verve and completeness.

Fascinating Social and Engineering History

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