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

Author: Erica Wagner

Narrator: Jo Anna Perrin

Unabridged: 14 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/27/2017


Synopsis

"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 Roebling

His 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. Yet, as recognizable as the bridge is, its builder is too often forgotten—and his life is of interest far beyond his chosen field. 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. Chief Engineer is enriched by Roebling's own eloquent voice, unveiled in his recently discovered memoir that was previously thought lost to history.

About Erica Wagner

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. Her work has appeared in the Guardian, the Economist, the Financial Times, and the New York Times, among other publications. She is the author of Ariel's Gift, Seizure, and the short story collection Gravity; she is the editor of First Light: A Celebration of Alan Garner. 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.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Beckylee on May 08, 2019

Chief Engineer is the biography of Washington Roebling, chief engineer of the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge. This book follows his life, starting with his fathers immigration to the United States, past his death, looking at his lasting legacy. Washington Roebling was abused, survived a gruesome war, and......more

Goodreads review by Nip on June 10, 2021

Meticulously researched, Erica Wagner’s biography is intended to restore Washington A. Roebling to his place as the trailblazing Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. Written with personal passion and an eye to the family’s challenges — over generations — it is an eye-opener. Ironically, Washington......more

Goodreads review by Paul on June 08, 2019

I was very impressed by this biography of a person I had never previously heard of. It was well researched and told a good story without veering into some of the more obvious traps that comes with writing popular non-fiction. I think a lot of people will want to read this book to hear about Roebling......more

Goodreads review by Vic on May 01, 2020

This fine biography captures the measure a remarkable man. His life and this book are both far more than the story of a bridge. Overshadowed by his immigrant father John A., who is also captured here, Washington's life is a study in the transformation of American. The agrarian society found by John......more

Goodreads review by Adam on December 10, 2022

Mostly interesting to me based on our shared home town, Saxonburg. John A. Roebling founded the town and his sons, including Washington Roebling, were born there. It was very cool to hear all the connections -- certainly, I was aware of the connection to the Brooklyn Bridge and even the Golden Gate......more