Whew! I finally made it through another book -- 518 pages this time. I think I might need to add a new rule to my list of how to pick the next book to read: don't read two huge books in a row!
David McCullough is one of my favorite authors. In fact, he is my favorite author of nonfiction books. His biography of John Adams is my very favorite nonfiction book, and it has lead me to read several other of his books. Truth be told, I would never have picked up a book about a bridge if it wasn't written by McCullough!
The author's introduction at the beginning of the book tells why he wrote a book about the Brooklyn Bridge. His first book was about the Johnstown flood -- a book I have yet to read but is on my list! After that book's success he received several requests to write about things such as the Chicago fire and the San Francisco earthquake. However, he didn't want to be pigeonholed as a disaster writer, so he sought something completely different. This book was the result.
I have to admit that I am probably not the best audience for this book. The engineering discussions went over my head for the most part, and I've never been to that part of New York so the references to landmarks were lost on me. I've therefore never seen the bridge in person, which might have made the book come to life a bit more for me. Despite that, I enjoyed the book for the parts that did appeal to me: the biographies of those involved in the design and construction of the bridge; the danger associated with the construction due to issues such as "the bends" and the heights (and depths) involved; and the politics and corruption of the time (think Boss Tweed). As usual, McCullough's writing makes it a quick and interesting read, even for a book of this length. It doesn't reach the levels of his Adams or Harry Truman biographies, but I didn't expect it to given the topic of the book. If I had more interest in engineering, it might have rated it a little higher.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.
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