Bridges: Three Thousand Years of Defying Nature [Paperback]

David J. Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2005

Comprehensive profiles of the world's 100 most extraordinary bridges.

Few humanmade structures combine the technical with the aesthetic in such an evocative way as bridges. From ancient times to the present, bridges have had a unique attraction on the imagination, eliciting awe, wonder and passion.

Bridges celebrates the stunning technical and artistic achievements in the creation, design, engineering, construction and social history of 100 remarkable bridges. The book reveals the secrets and science of the timeless masonry of imperial Rome, the elegant wooden edifices of ancient Japan and the soaring steel structures of today.

Organized chronologically to follow the stages in the development of bridge engineering and construction, each chapter has an introduction followed by fascinating details.

The vital stats for each bridge include:

• Location
• Date of construction
• Designer
• Construction materials and dimensions.

An account of the creation of each bridge includes the difficulties, hardships and disasters endured as well as the solutions and innovations conceived. Superb color photographs and specially commissioned artwork celebrate these soaring feats of engineering.

The final chapter explores how future bridges will look through examining the latest groundbreaking designs and projects.

Bridges is a magnificently illustrated non-technical reference to fascinating engineering discoveries and innovations.

(20051217)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Brown offers a history of more than 100 of the world's greatest bridges, organized chronologically. He explains their origins and structure principle, beginning with the ancient world (Rome and China) and the medieval period (France, Italy, and the Czech Republic). Chapters deal with bridges of iron and stone, steel, concrete, and those with stay cables. Each chapter has an introduction, and vital statistics are given for each bridge--location, date of construction, and its designer. Brown writes that from prehistoric times to the present, the line of technology is unbroken; what has changed is its level of sophistication and comprehensibility. There are more than 300 color and black-and-white illustrations in this very informative account. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

The world's greatest bridges, organized chronologically... There are more than 300 color and black-and-white illustrations in this very informative account. (George Cohen Booklist 20060201)

A wonderful coffeetable book for architecture and civil engineering buffs... this one is truly global in scope. (Denise A. Brush Science Books and Films 200606)

Exceptional clarity of form and superb color photographs... clear, complete and suitably journalistic prose... Essential for undergraduate design collections. (Paul Glassman Library Journal 20060401)

Full of beautiful color photos and diagrams, the book offers a detailed and affectionate look at these construction marvels. (Science News )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (September 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554070996
• ISBN-13: 978-1554070992
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #985,053 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding bridge book!, October 12, 2009

By 

Sandstone (Salem, OR United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bridges: Three Thousand Years of Defying Nature (Paperback)

I've had this book for several months now, sitting on my coffee table, and have read it over and over. My only complaint is I wish it were 10 times longer! It is engagingly written, beautifully photographed. The writer strikes what for me was the right balance of history, aesthetics, and engineering. The only problem is the well-done writeups are just too short, leaving you wanting more. Still, very highly recommended.

8 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars missing something, February 21, 2007

By 

DB "dbri" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bridges: Three Thousand Years of Defying Nature (Paperback)

This covers every possible aspect of bridge building that a layperson could think of. Except for one thing. It hardly mentions the laborers who are responsible for the work that made these bridges possible. Yes, a bridge is made from concrete, brick, steel, timber, cable, iron, and whatnot, but what about the blood, sweat, and tears? The book goes into the construction of piers, the methods used to erect various parts of the bridge, and so forth. But it stops short of mentioning how the laborers were organized, who they were, where they came from, and how many of them died building these works of art.

So, although the book filled me with knowledge, I finished it feeling a little bit empty, as if I had seen the surface of all the seas and oceans of the world, but never a whale or fish.