High Steel: the Daring Men Who Built the world's Greatest Skyline

Science News, May 29, 2004 by Jim Rasenberger

Just 125 years ago, the tallest structure in Manhattan was 284 feet. the steeple of the Trinity Church. Then the Brooklyn Bridge was erected, For the first time, steel served as a fundamental structural element. Buildings constructed of thin material began to rise everywhere. Rasenberger considers the histories of some of me most famous buildings and details how ironworkers put them together.

He examines the heritage, character, and skills of these seemingly fearless people who risked their lives to create icons such as the Woolworth and the Empire State Buildings. The author also documents some famously failed structures, such as the collapsed Quebec Bridge, to illustrate the danger of massive building projects. In all, he documents about 100 years of high-steel work and provides a fresh perspective on how some of our most impressive modern-day engineering feats came about through old-fashioned labor, HarpC, 2004, 376p., b&w photos, hardcover, $26.95.