Building bridges across rivers, canyons, straits and sea represents one of man's greatest endeavours. It has stretched human ingenuity, engineering and material technology to their utmost limits. Their creation has been driven by man's desire, from the earliest times, to make lines of communication possible by foot, horse or engine. Bridges have altered history by joining communities together, extending trade and transporting water to villages and cities. Some are of breathtaking beauty and it is little wonder that they rank among the world's most admired structures. As Marcus Binney writes, 'Each one is remarkable in its own way, each a response to a challenge and perhaps the realization of a dream.' This book looks at more than two hundred bridges spanning the world and the centuries
