The Big Bridge

by Richard Martin Stern

Combining authentic details of high technology, natural disaster, and human weakness and greed, this spellbinding novel recounts the many-faceted drama that revolves around the construction of a gigantic suspension bridge over a treacherous gorge.

Genres: Fiction

323 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1982

About the author

Richard Martin Stern was an American novelist. Stern began his writing career in the 1950s with mystery tales of private investigators, winning a 1959 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, for The Bright Road to Fear.
He was most notable for his 1973 novel The Tower, in which a fire engulfs a new metal-and-glass frame skyrise. Stern was inspired to write the novel by the construction of the World Trade Center in New York City. Warner Brothers bought the rights to the novel shortly after its publication for roughly $400,000, and Stern's book, in combination with the novel The Glass Inferno by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson, was the basis for the movie The Towering Inferno, produced by Irwin Allen and directed by John Guillermin and featuring an all-star cast. The film, shot with a $14 million budget, earned more than $100 million at the American box office.
Stern was known mainly for his mysteries and disaster-related suspense. He died on October 31, 2001, after prolonged illness. He was 86.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Inane story, despicable characters, and excessive profanity.

[Joy Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This kept me on the edge of my seat! It has well-developed characters and setting descriptions, danger, death, precise calculations and a thread of romance. I learned alot about how bridges are built and really enjoyed this book.

[Diane Wachter · Rating 3 out of 5]

RDC-M V 4 1982, 11/87. Disaster on a bridge.