Chief Engineer: Washington Roebling, The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge

Wagner's writing is graceful, even evocative, conveying a mellow admiration of Washington Roebling that suits the man A welcome tribute to the persistence, precision and humanity of Washington Roebling and a love-song for the mighty New York bridge he built." - Wall Street Journal"A solidly constructed biography of Washington Roebling, the man who joined Brooklyn to Manhattan by the grace of a steel and concrete arc held aloft by a filigree of wire. The narrative is intensely absorbing, the prose tremendously clear, and the characters genuinely unforgettable. It is a triumph of a book." - Simon Winchester, author of PACIFIC and WHEN THE EARTH SHAKES"Erica Wagner has given us a captivating and highly readable portrait of Washington Roebling, chief engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. "Ms. She tells the story

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 trial; I also know that each day brings its little quota of experiences, which with honest intentions, will lead to perfection after a while." --Washington RoeblingHis father conceived of the Brooklyn Bridge, but after John Roebling's sudden death, Washington Roebling built what has become one of American's most iconic structures--as much a part of New York as the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. It would be Washington Roebling's grandest achievement-but by no means the only one.Elegantly written with a

Her work has appeared in the Guardian, the Economist, the Financial Times, and the New York Times, among others. . American writer and critic Erica Wagner was the literary editor of the London Times for seventeen years and is now a contributing writer for the New Statesman and consulting literary editor for Harper's Bazaar. She was the recipient of the Ecc

Outstanding Biography 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.. Christian Schlect said 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 c. 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