Creation of Bridges [Hardcover]

David Bennett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1999

Few man-made structures can combine technical skill with aesthetic beauty in such an imaginative way as the bridge. From ancient times to the present day, bridges have been a focus for man's creativity and enterprise. This enthusiastic account of bridges describes their history, how they are constructed as well as taking a look at the great bridges around the world. Innovative bridge projects planned for the future are examined, along with the ultimate purpose of the bridge - function or art form?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Few man-made structures can combine the technical skill with aesthetic beauty in such an imaginative way as the bridge. From three thousand years ago when a log would span a 10-foot stream for a horse and rider to modern suspension bridges over 2 miles longs, these structures have changed beyond recognition as new materials, stronger construction methods, and greater engineering knowledge has been gained. The Creation of Bridges describes the wonders of bridge building, the record breakers, great bridges of the past, the failures and catastrophic disasters.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Book Sales (July 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785810536
• ISBN-13: 978-0785810537
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,867,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Book on Bridges, May 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Creation of Bridges (Hardcover)

This is exactly the type of book I was looking for. It's got beautiful four-fold pictures of completed bridges and those still in the construction phase; histories of the most popular bridges and bridge designers; and, my favorite part, a section on the technical aspects of how bridges are made.

It's a great combination of picture book and technical reference for all those interested in bridges.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Bridges, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Creation of Bridges (Hardcover)

How many types of bridges can you name? Yeah, yeah...suspension, truss, maybe bascule...but, guess what? There are many more types out there! Different types will give you different costs, sturdiness, aesthetics--you get the idea.

This book begins by explaining the basis types of structures. Then it describes some of the world's greatest spans, and next it talks about bridge catastrophes. Finally it discusses great bridge builders.

Meanwhile, the book is profusely illustrated with incredible photos, mostly color, some even in gatefold format. Sometimes you can even see before & after photos of bridge construction.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on this topic I've found!, January 7, 2001

By 

JCooper (Southwest USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creation of Bridges (Hardcover)

As a modelmaker fascinated with large truss bridges and cable bridges, I had been looking for a good book on the topic -- one which would reveal enough structural detail for me to make a reasonable model for N-scale model train modules and layouts. At the same time, I wanted a book that would show the "famous ones" while also showing new, state-of-the-art megabridges from all over the world. This book does all of that, while giving great coverage of the history of bridges and while showing historical classics. The only thing it didn't do was to provide specific measurements, but the pics and scope of visual data make that needless for most people, anyway. I've looked at others since then to see whether there's a better one out there for my purposes, but I haven't found one.