Brooklyn Bridge

Written and illustrated by Lynn Curlee

Discover the secrets and sacrifices behind the Brooklyn Bridge's creation.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 114 ratings

40 pages· 4,673 words· Est. 36 min read-aloud

$19.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Explore the dramatic saga of the Brooklyn Bridge, where ambition meets adversity. As John A. Roebling's vision unfolds, witness tales of innovation, tragedy, and triumph. What secrets lie beneath its iconic arches? From deadly accidents to daring engineering feats, this visual history reveals the bridge's journey to becoming an American icon. Will its legacy endure the test of time?

From the publisher

“It so happens that the work which is likely to be our most durable monument, and to convey some knowledge of us to the most remote posterity, is a work of bare utility; not a shrine, not a fortress, but a bridge.” So wrote one architectural critic of the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the grandest and most eloquent monuments to the American spirit that our country has produced. Its magnificent site, breathtaking span, cutting-edge technology, and sheer beauty have made it the subject of poems, paintings, photographs, novels, plays, and movies. Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge’s triumphant arches lie astonishing tales of death, deception, genius, and daring. Over the fourteen-year course of its construction, there were many deaths, including that of John A. Roebling, designer and chief engineer; an underwater fire; and even fraud. Finally, though, the bridge was finished, and as part of the opening day festivities, the president, and two mayors crossed it. In this stunning visual history, Lynn Curlee tells the fascinating story of the history and construction of the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”