Bridging the World

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely beautiful.
Review: BRIDGING THE WORLD would make a wonderful gift for anyone with an interest in engineering or architecture, an armchair traveler or history buff, or anyone who just likes beautiful photography. Cortright is a retired American banker who just loves bridges. This is his third book filled with bridge photos, and he's obviously very good at his craft. The photos are gorgeous, displaying bridges from all over the world, with 306 clear, colorful photos from 28 countries and six continents.

The photography is exquisite -- you can see the individual cables, the shadows on the water or canyon beneath the structure, and the texture of the stones and other materials used in the bridge construction. The book arranges the bridges more or less chronologically or by length of span. The photos are divided by method of construction used in the bridge -- beam, arch, suspension, cable-stayed, aqueducts and special bridges. The book begins with structures built in ancient times and moves on to huge, modern works of art. To see several of the photos, visit www.bridgeink.com. Strongly recommended, especially as a gift.

Rating:
Summary: Armchair Travel
Review: The author of this book, Robert Cortright, is an obvious enthusiast of Bridges and has travelled the world to capture this fine collection of original photographs of his favourite subject matter. Bridges, ancient and modern, of many lands are all there. His enthusiasm shines through with the informative and often entertaining captions. I enjoyed his work from the comfort of my armchair but felt that I was at his side when the camera shutter clicked.

Rating:
Summary: Seeing things Anew
Review: We usually see bridges as an extension of the road we're on, never realizing that every bridge is a great venture unto itself, where creativity, engineering genius and big capital all come into play.
Mr. Cortright's book highlights the most beautiful and unusual bridges from around the world, covering a span of nearly 3000 years. They're all here, from ancient Roman arches to extravagant futuristic showpieces. Whether the locale is Buenos Aires or Shanghai, you'll find yourself daydreaming about who built these bridges and what it would be like to cross them. I picked up this book in an odd moment and found myself captivated for hours.

Ideal for bridge fans, but even better for those who simply like to travel in their imagination. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Crossing Bridges
Review: We're always crossing bridges, both literally and figuratively, rarely taking time to see the bridge. Cortright's book brings us some of the wonderful sights we may have missed, with just enough text detail to inspire appreciation of the challenges bridge builders have faced and surmounted.