McCullough, David

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

ISBN: 9781451683233
New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2012. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. "This monumental book tells the enthralling story of one of the greatest accomplishments in our nation's history, the building of what was then the longest suspension bridge in the world. The Brooklyn Bridge rose out of the expansive era following the Civil War, when Americans believed all things were possible. So daring a concept as spanning the East River to join two great cities required vision and dedication of the kind that went into building Europe's great cathedrals. During fourteen years of construction, the odds against success seemed overwhelming. Thousands of people were put to work. Bodies were crushed and broken, lives lost, notorious political empires fell, and surges of public doubt constantly threatened the project. But the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge is not just the saga of an engineering miracle; it is a sweeping narrative of the social climate of the time, replete with heroes and rascals who helped either to construct or to exploit the great enterprise." (from front flap) The stirring, epic real-life chronicle by David McCullough (1933-2022), the beloved & prolific Pulitzer Prize-winning American historical author. The story of how engineer John Roebling (1806-1869) & then his son Washington Roebling (1837-1926) achieved this feat is told in McCullough's riveting, deep-yet-accessible style- a complete picture of the time, place & people amid which the Roeblings & their dedicated workers labored is conjured. Here we offer the Fortieth Anniversary Edition of The Great Bridge, first published in 1972, with a new Preface by McCullough. With two sections of captioned historical photographs & images; paste-downs & endpapers featuring color reproduction of vintage contemporary illustration of "The Great East River Suspention Bridge." Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket, first edition thus, first printing as indicated by number sequence on copyright page. From the collection of Allen Tobias, assistant to Allen Ginsberg beginning in the 1960s, writer, critic, our esteemed colleague at the European Beat Studies Network (ebsn.eu) & a life-long proud Brooklynite. An early classic in the monumental McCullough canon in a unique, stately collectible form & with distinguished provenance. Book in very fine condition with only a touch of rubbing to front, back covers & spine (copper-gilt lettering at latter completely bright & intact); a bit of wear & a few tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same; otherwise substantially mint inside & out. Dust jacket fine with mild rubbing, some light fingerprint-soiling to front, back covers & spine; very light wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same & flaps. Very Fine / Fine. [Item #5551]

Price: $80.00