Chief Engineer: Washington Roebling, The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.36 (948 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1620400510 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 384 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-12-07 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
This is history of the first order." - Andrew Solomon, author of THE NOONDAY DEMON and FAR FROM THE TREE"Erica Wagner's account of Washington Roebling, the man who built America’s most famous bridge, is a classic, as lovingly and meticulously constructed as the bridge itself. Wagner grounds her fine study of the human side of industrial progress in patient devotion to science and craft." - Publishers Weekly"With contemporary notes, clippings, and letters, too, Chief Engineer makes a fascinating tale A sturdy, illuminating biography." - Kirkus Reviews"A well-judged and well-written portrait." - Booklist"Chief Engineer
Safely returned, he married the remarkable Emily Warren Roebling, who would play a crucial role in the construction of the unprecedented Brooklyn Bridge. It would be Washington Roebling's grandest achievement-but by no means the only one.Elegantly written with a compelling narrative sweep, Chief Engineer will introduce Washington Roebling and his era to a new generation of readers.. Chief Engineer is enriched by Roebling's own eloquent voice, unveiled in his recently-discovered memoir that was previously thought lost to history.The memoir reveals that his father, John-a renowned engineer who made his life in America after humble beginnings in Germany-was a tyrannical presence in Washington's life, so his own adoption of that career was hard won. It is the story of immigrants, of the frontier, of the greatest crisis in American history, and of the making of the modern world. Forty years after the publication of The Great Bridge, David McCullough's classic chronicle of how the East River was spanned, Erica Wagner has written a fascinating biography of one of America's most distinguished engineers, a man whose long life was a model of courage in the face of extraordinary adversity. The first full biography of a crucial figure in the American story--Washington Roebling, builder of the Brooklyn Bridge."I know that nothing can be done perfectly at the first
"Outstanding Biography" according to Karizma. This is a very well-written book that I thoroughly enjoyed. A very detailed look at the life of Washington Roebling, builder of the Brooklyn Bridge. I knew a little about him from David McCullough's book but Ms. Wagner paints a very vivid portrait of Roebling the man. From his harsh upbringing through his Civil War travails, Roebling overcame it all to become one of the great names in engineering. An excellent read from a very talented writer.. Wire to Wire A well-written and engaging biography of a man who, on his own and through his family's wire company, was a significant part of the making of post-Civil War America. This book pivots around the building of the heroic Brooklyn Bridge, but there is much more to the life story of Washington Roebling.Erica Wagner is an excellent tour guide to this vibrant and complex man, one who is now largely forgotten by history.In this day when superficial celebrity, sports, and political biographies seem to be produced by the boatload, it is pleasant to read one about a true builder of this country. I think not only ci. John Hofmeister said More than a story: the way and the development of a nation. Chief Engineer is to me not only an outstanding and well researched biography of an extraordinary person helping to build a nation and an artistically well-written book where language and structure captivate, elevate and hold the reader. It is much more. There are carefully written subtexts as I read this book that like a mirror reflect on the maturing and evolving American society of the day: the economic, social, cultural and class relationships that evolved during this churning, ambiguous and 'catch as catch can' time in the development and growth of the country. Here are a few of the themes. Persona
She was the recipient of the Eccles British Library Writer's Award in 2014, and she is a lecturer in creative writing at Goldsmiths, University of London. She lives in London with her husband and son. American writer and critic Erica Wagner was the literary editor of the London Times for seventeen year