The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York

by Peter J. Tomasi, Teo Duvall (Illustrator)

In this extraordinary graphic novel, author Peter J. Tomasi and illustrator Sara DuVall bring to life the construction of one of the most iconic landmarks in the world and shine a light on the incredible triumphs and tragedies that went into building the Brooklyn Bridge. After the accidental death of John Augustus Roebling in 1869, it was up to Roebling’s son Washington to complete the massive project. Unfortunately, there was more pain to follow, as Washington developed caisson disease, leaving him bedridden. Washington’s wife, Emily, deftly assumed a key role in the bridge’s construction by becoming her husband’s eyes and ears at the work site. As Washington’s wisest council, Emily skillfully navigated work crews who now had to answer to a woman, contractors, a hostile press, and a greedy city politician—all looking to take credit for the magnificent bridge slowly making its way across the East River. Through it all, the Roeblings persisted, rising above every obstacle to build the great bridge that connects Brooklyn and New York.

Genres: Graphic Novels, History, Nonfiction, Comics, New York, Biography, Historical

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2018

About the author

Peter J. Tomasi is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, such as Batman And Robin; Superman; Super Sons; Batman: Detective Comics; Green Lantern Corps; and Superman/Wonder Woman; as well as Batman: Arkham Knight; Brightest Day; Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors; Nightwing; Black Adam, and many more.

In the course of his staff career at DC Comics, Tomasi served as a group editor and ushered in new eras for Batman, Green Lantern, and the JSA, along with a host of special projects like Kingdom Come.

He is also the author of the creator-owned titles House Of Penance with artist Ian Bertram; Light Brigade with artist Peter Snejbjerg; The Mighty with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee; and the critically acclaimed epic graphic novel The Bridge: How The Roeblings Connected Brooklyn To New York, illustrated by Sara DuVall and published by Abrams ComicArts.

In 2018 New York Times best-selling author Tomasi received the Inkpot Award for achievement in comics.

Reviews

[Katie.dorny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable graphic novel about the building of Brooklyn Bridge. I literally knew nothing about this feat before starting the book and with that being said, i feel a hell of a lot more educated now. However, I'm still not the biggest fan of non-fiction but this did make the reading more enjoyable being in this format.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being an architecture and engineering nerd, I found this book very entertaining. The Brooklyn Bridge is a remarkable feat of engineering especially considering it was built in the 1800's. Tomasi gives us great insight into just how dangerous the construction was and the forces needed to be overcome just to build the foundations of the bridge. It's really quite remarkable. Tomasi humanizes the story by focusing on it's chief engineer Washington Roebling and his wife Emily. During construction Washington became debilitated from the bends from coming and going in the high pressure areas needed to build the caissons, the foundations for the bridge. For the last 11 years of construction he supervised the bridge from his apartment with the aid of his wife who acted as the chief engineer on site. Sara DuVall's art is crisp and clear with smooth, clean lines. Highly recommended to anyone curious about the history of New York City or just architecture in general.

[Conor Ahern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goddamn. Building a bridge (anything?) in the 19th Century was totally insane. Also engineers are amazing and caissons/water pressure are terrifying.

This book does a great job of showing how disconnected the two cities of Brooklyn and New York were back in the day, and how this bridge really upped the ante for engineering wonders throughout the world. It really was the high water mark of hubris and daring at the time (and likely for long after). I'll never look at this gorgeous monument the same way again!

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Benim de New york City’de en sevdiğim ikinci yer kendileri. Gerçi ben genel olarak seviyorum köprü.
Bir kara lanet gibi aslında yapım aşaması. Baba projeyi alıyor, karşılıklı işaret tahtaları koyarken ayağında yaralanıp - alık- ölüyor, sonra oğlu devralıyor (kitapta oğul biraz kahramanlaştırılmış, millet 2 saat tünelde kalabilirken bizim oğlan 10 saat? felan kalabiliyor.) sonra o da vurgun yiyince eşi giriyor işin içine.
Sağlamlığı kanıtlansın diye Üzerinden filler yürütüldüğü de söyleniyor. Kim geçer ki deyip yaptırmak istemiyorlar ama kışın bile ana baba günü köprü abla.

[Ron Samul · Rating 5 out of 5]

At a glance, we can look at buildings, memorials, and landmarks and immediately sense their place in the world. In this stunning graphic novel, The Bridge tells the story of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge through the family that made it all possible. Originally designed by John Augustus Roeblings, the Brooklyn Bridge became more than just one man’s obsession, but a family quest to see it through in a monumental vision of the impossible. In fact, it was John Roeblings son Washington who came back from the Civil War to take up this colossal municipal project. After working on the caissons and suffering from what would eventually be termed “Caisson Disease”, Washington Roeblings was bedridden with his chronic condition. Not to be defeated, he explained everything to his wife Emily who went to the site, supervised the construction, contractors, shifty politicians, and carried the weight of all those naysayers as they pushed to finish the project.

While this book chronicles the historical elements of the bridge and its complicated engineering feats - this is a story of two people who married and brought their unending admiration for each other to this epic feat of design and engineering. While it spans over more than fourteen years, the story moves with clarity and purpose and it feels like no scene or idea is wasted in the telling. This is far from a historical lesson on the bridge construction, this is a story about two innovators, husband and wife, working together. It is their vision together that makes this story so compelling. This is a defining story about love and respect as much as it speaks to structural engineering and caisson building.

Peter Tomasi, a superb storyteller known for his DC Comics influence and his distinction as a New York Times best-selling author, has shaped a stunning and epic story that turns an average, kind, and smart couple into a different kind of superhero, one based in history and the fate of a great city. Sara DuVall’s artwork is more than a compliment to this story. It seems that a story about engineering and building is illustrated with the precision and vision of a beautiful schematic for the story. The black and white illustrations are intentionally tall and elongated and really speak to a vision and style that matches the vision of the story being told. It is through the story and the illustrations that this story is a woven detailed history of two unlikely heroes and their journey from the shores of New York over a bridge to Brooklyn. This excellent graphic novel belongs on your spring reading list.

For more reviews:
https://ronsamulreview.blogspot.com

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, the beginning had too many gaps between scenes and timelines. The first 50 pages were kinda rough, but once it got into the meat of the story, it made some more sense.

This book makes me feel that men and women were a different, stronger breed back then. When you really stop to think about it, the Brooklyn Bridge is an AMAZING technological marvel. This book does NOT shy away from the men who died making it. They deserve our thoughts and respect.

And the men who were trying to make a quick buck by passing off rejected steel for the cables as quality have a special circle in hell. Can you IMAGINE how many people would have died if the bridge was made with inferior steel?!? Those money greedy BASTARDS! Not only spitting on all of the hard work that went into making the bridge to that point, but not caring how many people would have died?!!

Special circle, that’s all I’m saying. Money grubbing @SSHATS!

Et hem. Sorry, that just made me a teensy bit angry.

Back to the book. Very clear artwork, historically accurate I believe, though I am not an expert by any stretch. The story wasn’t always clear and some scenes not explained as I would have liked, but that was a minor complaint.

4, Brooklyn Bridge solid, stars! Highly recommended for those who are into bridges/engineering and history of the NY area.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the building of this historic landmark!

As the front cover promises, this is the story of the men (and woman) who built the Brooklyn Bridge. Peter J. Tomasi has done his homework. In his Preface, he talks about how long he’s been thinking about and researching this project. In Sara Duvall, he’s found the perfect artistic partner. Although her style seems simple at first, she has an impressive command of facial expressions and body language. Her work is reminiscent of clear line artists like Scott McCloud or Hergé.

This book is an excellent example of the possibilities of nonfiction comics. Highly recommended!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up on the West Coast of the United States. The big important bridge here is the Golden Gate Bridge. Many people think that the bridge itself is the Golden Gate, but the bay that it crosses is what bares that name. It was built during the depression, and despite it being there, along with the Bay Bridge, the Richmond Bridge, the San Mateo Bridge, and the San Rafael Bridge, ferry service still happens across the bay.

When the start of this story happens, there are ferries that go across the East River, but because of the ice, they have trouble getting across, or the pilots can not stere, or they are drunk. For whatever reason, the father of Washington Roebling was not happy with the state of the ferry services, and so proposed that a bridge be built and he would design it, along with his son. This all was taking place a few years after the American Civil War, in 1869, and it was not completed until 1883. This was one of the first of its kind, and it killed many people, including, almost killing Washington Roebling himself.

It is all an amazing story, filled with great detail, and tragedy, and joy, and all those things you want in a good story.

That a great thing to have it in such an accessible book. It is a little wordy, for those who want to look at pictures only, you can get the heart of the story, just thumbing through it, but to find out the suffering, and courage it took to keep going, and completing the bridge, it helps if you read all the words.

It was hard to choose which illustrations best represented what you would find in this book, but these are the ones I chose.




A great way to learn about New York history.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York by Peter J. Tomasi I am a huge history buff and love to learn about different landmarks. This book is about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. It is not really my type of book as it is done in Graphic novel or Comic book style. It was still a great book. It takes you from the beginning of the the idea by John Augustus Roebling to the completion 14 years later of the bridge which was oversaw by his son Washington, and his daughter-in-law, Emily.
 
This book is great for kids and adults alike. It is actually a very short read since most of the book is pictures. But it does give you all the information you need to understand the idea and need for the bridge, how the spot was chosen, and how the construction began and all the way through to the completion.
 
The book tells of how Washington Roebling developed caisson disease and was pretty much bedridden for most of the 14 years it took to build the bridge but his wife Emily stepped up and pretty much became the chief engineer on site. At the time this was pretty much unheard of for a woman to take this type of role in well pretty much anything.
 
This book really is worth the time it takes to read it and you come out on the other end knowing a lot about a iconic landmark in the United States history.
 
I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

[Peter Derk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just spent about 20 minutes figuring out how caissons work. People had some HUGE balls back in the day.

For anyone who hasn't read the book yet, it's pronounced "Kay-san." You're welcome.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourteen years, deaths, illnesses, corruption and kickbacks! Who knew a history of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge could be so interesting?

It takes a family (and a lot of immigrants) to build the Brooklyn Bridge in The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York. The story begins when John Augustus and his son Washington Roebling are trapped by ice in a ferry from Brooklyn to New York City. Washington was still a high school student but he figured out how to free the ferry using materials on board. Later, Washington’s life is shown from college to war to marriage to a family of his own. Once the bridge construction begins, it is interesting how many new techniques are used. In the nineteenth century, America was inventive and proud of their new technologies. At times, politics and corruption appeared. However, the bridge continued to be built though behind schedule and over budget. Government hasn’t changed much in the past 130 years.

This is a great adventure story. Sure everyone knows that the bridge was built. Few know the technology used to build it. I doubt that the loss of life and expense in 2018 dollars would allow it to be built today. It is a fascinating look at the hubris of early America, where anything seemed possible. It is also a unparalleled love story between Washington and his wife, Emily. Emily was willing to fight gender prejudice and high-powered politicians to ensure her husband’s dream reached fruition.

Surprisingly, this is the first graphic novel to tackle the Brooklyn Bridge’s story. I think the beautiful art and color work add to the story. With only words, it would be difficult to imagine the toughness needed by the men to risk death and illness to dig the caissons that support the bridge. The partially completed scenes in The Bridge were particularly instructive. It didn’t take long to start to see its familiar shape.

The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York is highly recommended for both graphic novel readers, students writing papers about the bridge’s construction and to anyone who wants a good read. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, Abrams Comic Arts, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tomasi tells a nice and tidy story about the toll building the Brooklyn Bridge had on the Roebling family. He manages to dredge up quite a lot of fascinating details and keeps the story flowing along quickly.

While the artist's simple, minimalist style worked well enough on the characters and general layout, I found it quite lacking when depicting the architectural and engineering details at the heart of the story. A background artist extraordinaire like Gerhard from Cerebus could have taken this book to the next level.

[Swati · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Golden Gate suspension bridge in San Francisco is one of the most widely known icons of America for non-Americans. But the Brooklyn Bridge is not too far behind, with countless movies familiarizing it for those of us who have never visited New York or Brooklyn.

The Bridge recounts the story of how this icon of America was built, and we see it through the wonderful sketches of Sara DuVall, and words of Peter J. Tomasi. It was a project of epic proportions, and one of great responsibility but it appears that the Roebling family was the one best suited to execute it. Designed and envisioned by John Roebling, and made a reality by his son, Washington, the Brooklyn Bridge took 14 years to finish. In the process, workers fell sick and died, and Washington himself was rendered ill due to long hours spent at the site.

Tomasi details the painstaking work that went behind the building of the bridge with a great passion, and I immensely enjoyed reading it. It is very clear that Tomasi himself is very invested in the city, and its landmarks from the minutiae that the book is filled with.

But at times the same details, particularly concerning the engineering, made my mind wander. It did give an in-depth feel of what went into the building of the bridge but sometimes I wish there was more of the family in it. It was great to see that Washington's wife Emily played an important role in making his dream of building the bridge a reality but that aspect somehow felt incomplete. Emily was, no doubt, an exceptional woman given that she was able to handle complicated architectural desgins and make sense of them as well as manage the workers on the site, all of which was unheard of for women in those times. I wanted to know more about Emily other than the fact that she was a very devoted wife. What made her unconventional? What was Emily as an individual? I would have loved to know some of these aspects of her.

Otherwise, this was a delightful read for me, and I look forward to more from Peter J Tomasi and Sara DuVall!

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book :)

[Karyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way back in 2001, my husband wanted to take me to New York to propose to me, and he felt the best place would have been halfway across the Brooklyn Bridge. Unfortunately on the one hand (and fortunately on the other, as we got engaged just 8 days before September 11th), I began a new job right then and couldn’t ask to take off work to travel from southern Virginia to New York. But the Brooklyn Bridge still holds a beloved place in my heart, though I still have not walked across it.

What I didn’t know about the bridge was told in fascinating detail by Tomasi. I really enjoyed the way in which he portrays the mutual admiration and respect between Washington Roebling and his wife Emily, something that can still be rare to find among today’s couples. I rather wish there had been a chapter on Emily’s early life, as it wasn’t common for women to be that outspoken and brazenly intelligent in the late 1800s. She must have been raised in an exceptional family.

It’s mind-blowing to see how hard Roebling worked even after being diagnosed with Caisson Disease, a constant version of the bends caused by the pressure difference between sea level and deep below the river. So many men would have given up, but he continued to persevere, thanks to the hard work of his wife and his assistant engineers.

I will forever think of the Roeblings every time I see a photo of the Brooklyn Bridge now. This has been a fabulous read.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I traveled to NYC with students a few years ago, each student researched important places we would visit and gave a talk about that place before we traveled. Thus, I know this story of the Roeblings, the tragedy of the early death of the father and the later debilitation of the son, thus his wife, Emily, took over the day to day management of this great bridge building. In graphic style, the amazing story is now told by Peter J. Tomasi, illustrated with great emotion by Sara Duvall. It's an adventure, even more so to me that it occurred, the bridge completed, in the nineteenth century. I enjoyed understanding more about the problems, the sad deaths because of the deep work constructing the caissons. It was called 'caisson disease' then, but today we know it was the 'bends'. There was corruption, caught thankfully by Washington Roebling's faithful assistants. There was outrage that a woman was directing the later construction, Emily Washington, beloved and faithful wife, taking over when Washington was incapacitated. And finally, there was joy, the bridge was completed. I walked that bridge, spent most of a day there with students, reading more, sketching, taking pictures. It is a wonder, New York City and Brooklyn's wonder, as is this new graphic story.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

In rapid fire scenes, Peter Tomasi and newcomer Sara Duvall show the origins of John and Washington Roebling's desire to build a bridge from Brooklyn to New York, John's other business dealings, Washington's education and service as a Union soldier, Washington's marriage, John's death and finally, the beginning of the bridge. The process of digging the caissons is dangerous work, causing some worker deaths and damaging Washington's health. His wife Emily becomes the face of the project, going between Washinton, who watches the development through a telescope from home, and the foreman of the project and also the board of trustees. The project goes over time and over budget and Emily fights to keep control while keeping it moving. We also get quick sketches of the other engineers and workers and their families. And, ultimately, the completion of the bridge.

The art is mostly good, a little dry, but it tells the story. But every once in awhile the faces are off, especially in a 3/4 rear view.

Peter Tomasi says in his introduction that he weighed how many pages to tell the story in. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded more pages and a nerdy level of engineering detail.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York' by Peter J. Tomasi with art by Sara DuVall is a wonderful non-fiction graphic novel.

This is the story of how the Brooklyn Bridge was built. How a father named John Augustus Roebling conceived it, but also how his son Washington with Washington's wife Emily completed it. There are construction problems as the caissons are driven in to the river bed. There are political problems as the project runs over time and budget. There is scandal as one of the suppliers swaps out good materials for bad. It is about the men who gave their lives to build the bridge.

The story is engaging and covers a lot of time, but moves along fluidly. The art is black and white lines, but perfect in form and fits the function of engineering. I learned things I never knew about the bridge, and I'm so very glad I got a chance to read this.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Abrams ComicArts and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not an architect nor an engineer, but I’ve always been interested in architecture and bridges and how things are built. The Brooklyn Bridge is a massive engineering feat, and I didn’t realize how interested I’d be on the topic.

The book was both part biography of the build and biography of the family who both owned the wire company and engineered the construction of the bridge. It follows the son, who ends up heading the project for its entirety, through his education, stint in the army during the civil war on the side of the Union, marriage, and until the completion of his life’s world: the Brooklyn Bridge. While the book did not have as many bridge building specifics as I would have liked but it was definitely a solid primer on the topic for me and it’s probably enough information for most other people.

I really loved the artwork and how accessible this book is for readers of all different ages.

[Scott Summerton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the advance reader copy in black and white.

The Bridge is the story of the Brooklyn Bridge and its architects, designers and builders, specifically the Roebling family. What could be a slow plodding slog of a story as the decades pass is instead structured almost like a film, in that we follow the younger Roebling and his wife as the bridge's construction begins, and when things seem to be at a head, the bridge brings them new surprises at every turn.

That alone was enough for me to read this quite quickly, but the fact that it is not only based on reality but also hindered so much by the establishment adds to this crazy tale about... building a bridge. Something that in and of itself just sounds mundane and pedestrian.

The artwork helps to nullify that greatly as well, making another era seem very familiar, and pacing out the story itself better than I'd expected.

The Bridge is a fascinating story about a former soldier and his wife building a very large bridge and although that sounds relatively mundane I can't recommend it enough.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very strong. Tomasi builds the relationships very organically, giving John, Washington, and Emily each plenty of page time and establishing the connections between them. DuVall's artwork is very striking and clear, easy to read (there are a few small storytelling hitches - it's not really clear how John's foot is crushed, for example, or a building-site accident that is hard to follow, but those incidents are infrequent).

The book is definitely worthwhile for anyone, but particularly those interested in local NYC history, engineering marvels, or simply a compelling family history.

Advance PDF

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply a great read. A gripping story. Good enough art. How accurate is this? It seemed accurate. And this was detailed without being too detailed. You are not going to be able to build a bridge from reading this book.

I don't think I've ever walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. I remember driving across it to visit cousins growing up. Like the author, my bridge was the George Washington, and I did get to walk across that once as a young adult.

From the forward it was interesting to hear that, this book was the author's 9/11 book. That event colors things of all sorts.

[AJ Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical retailing of the political and engineering challenges in building the Brooklyn Bridge! The format is beautiful drawn and a interesting and very easy to follow format to tell this story.

[Yetiboy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Epic story, could use diagrams to explain the construction better.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the evidence of an uncoloured proof, we have an enjoyable slice of history. It takes no side, as such, but rather gives us a very clear presentation of the times when the Brooklyn Bridge was being built, from deep under the river level in search of bedrock, to the times ships' masts were still interfering with the crew, to potentially lethal result. There will be people who wanted the feminism of the industrialist's wife helping him foregrounded, or this or that issue bolted on; as someone who knew very little (and cared less) about the story, I think the straightforward approach is commendable. The politics of it all were sucky, the obstinacy of the couple involved deserve their place in history, and the awful adages, lessons and opinions offered by the father figure here clearly had a quite awesome outcome. It's surprising to read this book took almost as long as the bridge itself in being formed, but it too is worth it.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating way to learn

I am sure there are more comprehensive books on the Brooklyn Bridge but this one told me a lot of what I wanted to know. I now have a better idea of the people involved and how the bridge was built. And l found, again, that learning history through a graphic novel is fun. Indeed, I had read and loved the graphic novel “The Invisible War: A Tale on Two Scales” and I hoped that The Bridge would be as good. I was not disappointed. I recommend this book for someone who wants a quick history of the Brooklyn Bridge or is curious how history can be taught through graphic novels.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.

[James Fagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this graphic novel, a rich history that paired nicely with “The Devil in the White City,” “Assassination Vacation,” and PBS’ “The Gilded Age” to start building out a picture for myself of our American 19th century and the Wild West of America’s post civil-war growth and nascent ingenuity and invention.

The story itself is sort of shocking and stranger than fiction… so the next time you look at a bridge and think, “how did they build that” the answer is “they were geniuses and they were crazy.”

[Leah Boylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun piece of history to display in colorful detail as a graphic novel. I knew the general process, but it seemed the great use of this book was understanding how dangerous and fraught the process of connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan was at the time (just after the civil war).

[Vanessa M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic history was astounding. I knew nothing about bridge engineering and bridge building before I read this book. The hard work and sacrifices of the Roeblings and all of the workers is to be highly praised and remembered.

[Eamonn Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m an apt reviewer for this book because I live in Bristol, England where the most famous landmark is the Clifton Suspension Bridge designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the city’s favourite son. Well, almost. Pretending that a French cockney was really a Bristolian at heart is quite a stretch but we don’t seem to have anyone else, so he’ll do. His ship, the S.S. Great Britain is parked in the docks and he built our main railway station, Temple Meads, as well.

To the book, then. ‘The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York’ is the story of an American landmark. The Brooklyn Bridge, a bigger suspension bridge than ours in Bristol but only 9metres higher, was designed by John Augustus Roebling. When he died in 1869, the job of building it fell to his 32-year-old son, Washington. Aptly, for this year of suffragette celebration, his wife played an important role, too. It’s a great story…and true!

The tale of how the Roeblings connected Brooklyn to New York starts in New York City, 1852 at the Fulton Ferry, East River. The ferry can’t move because the river is frozen. Father and son, John August Roebling and Washington, make an icebreaker out of available materials so they can continue their journey.

The next scene is in Trenton, New Jersey at the Roebling Wiremill Factory, where we see young Washington doing menial labour. That surname is German and they had a strong work ethic. Da Roebling was hot on efficiency, too. ‘Failing to prepare is preparing to fail,’ he tells young Washington, sending him off to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to study analytical geometry, mineralogy, civil mechanics, geology, structural engineering and design and construction. Education back then was not meant to be ‘fun’. Schools and parents prepared you for a hard life of toil and trouble with sparks flying upward, especially in engineering.

Too soon, Washington goes off to the Civil War. On the bright side, he meets Emily Warren, a general’s daughter, and they fall in love. Post-war, it’s back to the family business and winning the contract to construct that bridge. Like all huge engineering projects, it took a lot longer and cost a lot more than planned but that was partly because the Roeblings built it ready for the future and for the heavier vehicles to come.

It also cost quite a few lives and, although this necessarily simplified version makes the Roeblings heroes, let us not forget the thousands of men working for $2 a day who actually built the thing. Many died in the process and, as usual with these things, a lot of them were Irishmen. Whenever Brunel is glorified in Bristol conversations, my dad was always quick to point out that Irishmen did the work. I found out later that thousands of Englishmen laboured on these big projects, too, but don’t tell my dad.

The Brooklyn Bridge construction story is a heart-warming tale of trials and tribulations overcome. Washington is a likeable character and a hands-on engineer, getting down and dirty with the men to the point where he makes himself ill. A few of the staff have strong cameo roles and the co-star is his wife. Their enemies are the penny-pinching political Board of Trustees who dog their heels all the way.

Even if you’ve never been to Brooklyn and have no interest whatsoever in bridges, this is well worth reading as an inspiring human story. Peter Tomasi’s script is exciting and even funny in places. He clearly did tons of research. ‘The Bridge’ and others like it are proof that graphic storytelling can be used for serious subjects, not just long underwear characters shooting rays from their eyes. It’s clearly no substitute for a serious, adult engineering book on the subject but will suffice for the casual reader with a casual interest. The art of Sara Duvall is that modern sort with clean lines and bright colours. It’s attractive and tells the story without unnecessary ruffles, flourishes or distractions. There was only one thing that puzzled me. Why do cartoon beards always look better than mine?

Eamonn Murphy

[Sally Sugarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bridge – Peter J. Tomasi Ill by Sara Duvall
This graphic novel tells the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. This was an heroic undertaking. It is also the story of a remarkable family, the Roeblings. John was Washington’s father. He was an engineer and the owner of a successful wire factory. Thinking that his son had too easy a life, he left him at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to become an engineer. The father had a saying, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” When the Civil War started, Washington joined the Northern Army and used his technical skills to good effect. He met his future wife Emily through his commanding general who was her brother. After the war John got the contract to build the Brooklyn Bridge but had an accident which led to his death. Washington took over the project. It took longer and cost more than anticipated but it was revolutionary in its techniques. The bridge took thirteen years to complete and cost $15 million dollars. It also cost some lives as the builders faced the challenges of sinking cassions into the river. At one point Washington developed caisson disease (the bends) and could no longer work on the site. He supervised the project from his home where he could follow the action with a telescope. Emily took over in delivering his plans to the workers as well as reporting to him about the construction as it proceeded. This was an achievement of its own for a woman at that time to take on that responsibility. Emily won the trust of the workers. There was opposition from some on the board overseeing the project, particularly from one dishonest board member who wanted to get rid of the Roeblings so that he could make money from the project. The workers and supervisors were loyal to Roebling who treated them well. When the bridge was completed, President Arthur and his entourage walked across it although Emily had been the first to cross it. The color and the paneling in this novel bring the times and the people to life. The drawings of the construction of the bridge are particularly effective, giving the reader the sense of the space and the dangers that the workers encountered. This is a complex story easily grasped through the images and dialogue. This is another example of history coming alive through the graphic novel medium.