I was sick. I knew I would be spending days in bed. So before I first turned down the covers, I looked through the tall stacks of books next to the bed. What story could entertain and/or enlighten me this week? The Great Bridge looked like a good candidate. The paperback was two inches thick. It could introduce me to a subject I knew next-to-nothing about. And it was by one of my favorite authors. I had picked this copy up at a recent library sale, just because David McCullough had written it. So I was sold, once again.

Okay, what basics do most of us know about the Brooklyn Bridge? Especially if we DON'T live in the metro New York area? Maybe, that it is a suspension bridge, designed by notable bridge-builder John Augustus Roebling. Maybe, that Roebling did not live to see it finished. And maybe, that the bridge is considered to be a marvel of engineering prowess. These points are all true. And here, we learn MUCH more about the entire endeavor and about the many people involved in it.

Yes, John Roebling drew up the plans for this complex project. But early on in the game, he suffered a foot injury that developed into tetanus and lockjaw. He died a horrible and painful death, which we witness ourselves on these printed pages. His son, Washington Roebling, capably took over the project. However, Washington also fell ill and became housebound, and he had to direct the daily actions through written instructions. Nevertheless, the work continued.

The crew overcame such challenges as dealing with uneven levels of rock foundations under the East River, strong river currents, men suffering from "the bends" while working in the deep water, the varying qualities and sources of building materials and, above all, politics. This meant the intersection of Brooklyn, New York and Tammany Hall politics, featuring -- yes -- the notable character of Boss Tweed. With all of these factors and many more potentially interfering with the project, we should be truly amazed: not only that the bridge was eventually completed, but that it still stands and is heavily used today. This once pie-in-the-sky initiative, imagined and begun in 1869, was finally finished in 1883. Even as mere readers, we can easily get just as excited over the festivities of the grand opening as the residents of New York and Brooklyn did. What an achievement it was, for everyone!

I couldn't help but be often reminded of McCullough's book about the building of the Panama Canal, The Path Between the Seas, which was published in 1977, five years after this book. A key figure in that project, Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps, shows up here in Brooklyn to witness some of the bridge building. I wonder if his appearance led McCullough to consider following HIS thread and to research that other major engineering project in Central America? Talk about everything being connected.

You don't have to be bedridden to enjoy reading The Great Bridge. (Although Washington Roebling's resiliency may serve as an added inspiration to regain your own health.) You don't have to be a fan of Brooklyn and/or New York to appreciate the details of this story. You don't have to have a background in engineering or in construction. You don't even have to have driven or ridden over the Brooklyn Bridge, ever, in your lifetime. Sometimes you just have to give yourself the opportunity to learn about something new, about something that lies outside your own small spot on the planet. And in the process, you may find comfort in hearing about the goals and the accomplishments of folks who lived more than 100 years ago. Yes, we humans can be quite powerful when we believe in something and are committed to generating its success. Huh. Don't ALL of David McCullough's books follow this theme? He has given us lessons in history for us to learn from.