Bridges: The Spans of North America Book

Whether built of stone, brick, wood, iron, steel, or concrete, bridges have captivated our imaginations more than any other man-made structures. In David Plowden's words, "there is no more overt, powerful, or rational expression of accomplishment—of man's ability to build." And Americans, in particular, have excelled in this structural art. Bridges explores in depth how, when, where, and by whom the most important North American bridges were built, and, with Plowden's superb photographs, we can dwell on their most important engineering and aesthetic qualities. In his extensive text, Plowden vividly records the discoveries, misconceptions, struggles, failures, and triumphs of the men who dedicated their energies to bridge design and construction. Plans of many of the bridges are included to illuminate less obvious aspects of these engineering marvels. Although a number of the bridges herein have been lost and others have been built, this volume stands as a stunning and powerful argument for our continued reverence for these wonderful structures. 184 duotone photographs, line drawings.Read More