High Steel: The Daring Men Who Built the World's Greatest Skyline, 1881 to the Present [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Jim Rasenberger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2005

HIGH STEEL does for the world of ironworkers - the brave men who scale the beams of skyscrapers hundreds of feet in the air - what THE PERFECT STORM did for deep sea fishing and RIVETHEAD did for assembly line workers. From the early days of steel construction in Chicago, through the great boom years of New York city ironwork, and up through the present, High Steel follows the trajectory of careers inextricably linked to both great accomplishment and catastrophic disaster. The personal stories reveal the lives of ironworkers and the dangers they face as they walk across the windswept, swaying summits of tomorrow's skyscrapers, balanced on steel girders sometimes only six inches wide. Rasenberger explores both the greatest accomplishments of ironwork - the vaulting bridges and towers that define America's skyline - and the deadliest disasters, such as the Quebec Bridge Collapse of 1907, when 75 ironworkers, including 33 Mohawk Indians, fell to their deaths. HIGH STEEL is an accessible, thrilling, and vertiginous portrait of the lives of some of our most brave yet unrecognized men.

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

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Mr. Rasenberger’s sharp eye...his sympathetic imagination, and his graceful prose make for an engaging read....Beautifully written.” (New York Sun )

“Rasenberger’s compelling book ....Reveal[s] as much about the human spirit as about technological progress.” (Wall Street Journal )

“HIGH STEEL is a testament to an incredible group of workers [that] ranks ... with Gay Talese’s classic THE BRIDGE.” (Daily News )

“Introduce[s] us to the romance and adventure of hard hats….men [who] make their living courting danger every day.” (New York Post )

“Fascinating....A breezy, anecdotal history of...the daredevils of the skies...who built New York City’s bridges and skyscrapers.” (New York Newsday )

“A dizzying look at a world hundreds of feet above New York’s mean streets.” (Maxim (4 Star Review) )

“Admirable....Rasenberger tell[s] his tale...uncommonly well.” (Jonathan Yardley in The Washington Post )

“[A] riveting historical work.” (Chicago Sun-Times )

“Fascinating.” (New York Magazine )

“In HIGH STEEL, Jim Rasenberger immortalizes the daring ironworkers who erect the world’s most spectacular skylines.” (Vanity Fair )

“[Rasenberger] is as engaging a writer as Sebastian Junger and HIGH STEEL is a fast-paced read.” (Ottawa Citizen ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Jim Rasenberger is a frequent contributor to the New York Times. He lives in New York City with his wife and twin sons. This is his first book. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• ISBN-10: 0060004355
• ASIN: B000H2MPJU
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,777,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Story for Iron Workers, March 18, 2006

By 

A. Brown (St Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: High Steel: The Daring Men Who Built the World's Greatest Skyline, 1881 to the Present (Paperback)

Rasenberger brings awareness to the little known and aknowledged trade of Iron Workers. This is an excellent book for those who are in the trade and those who want a close to real life view of who Ironworkers are and what their life was and is like. The book gives a pretty accurate history of the trade going back to the early Bridgeman to the current International Associates of Bridge, Structrual, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers. Being a 3rd generation Iron Worker I found this a very pleasureable read and recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about what it is that we do as we build America on Beam at a time.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Why no photos in the Kindle edition??, March 2, 2011

By 

Tamara Johnson (St. Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: High Steel (Kindle Edition)

I am reading this book now and really enjoying it, but it is making me mad that there are no photos. You see the box for the photo, and the caption, but no image. There is no good reason for this - I've gotten lots of Kindle books that had photos. I'm rating the book low because nowhere in the description does it say the photos have been expunged, and I really think that is a BAD precedent to set!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars disclosure missing, July 20, 2010

By 

R. Beal (Arlington, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: High Steel (Kindle Edition)

all of the illustrations are blocked from view in the electronic version. this is a major shortcoming that should have been disclosed prior to purchase.