The Great Bridge

The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

By: David McCullough

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

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.

Critic reviews

"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

A must for any architect or engineet

An absolutely monumental and spanning history of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. A wonderful text for any student of architecture, engineering or the postbellum United States.

Great Book - Abridged POORLY

I would read and/or listen to anything David McCullough wrote - and I have. Edward Herrmann
is one of the best narrators.
Why did Audible do such a poor job of abridging this fine work? It goes along for a while and then
is chopped up and reworded and has a change of narrator.
I'll just go back to reading the "Real" book. The Audible edition is very disappointing.

David McCullough stands alone in making history bo

What did you love best about The Great Bridge?

The detail and nuances of building such a monumental structure, told in a very informative and entertaining way.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Great Bridge?

The political maneuvering to get the bridge built.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It made me want to drive a little further to see what was going to develop in the next chapter!

Any additional comments?

David McCullough is simply an excellent writer.

first rate

Terrific story of the Brooklyn Bridge...from idea through completion. Along with the histrionics of the project, you get a firm understanding of how the bridge works, and why it is still going strong after over a hundred years.

Audiobooks can't get better than this

The writing of David McCullough is great by itself. But, when paired with the melodic voice of Edward Hermann, the audio experience is at its best.

McCullough's narrative is an excellent and descriptive telling of this important story. An added benefit of this particular book is that McCullough sets the bridge into its broader historic context by mentioning other events contemporary to it.

Again, and I can't emphasize this enough, audiobooks cannot get better than this.