Discover the world's greatest spans and the people who created them.
What enables a simple arch bridge to support such great weight? What holds up a suspension bridge? Bridge the world with award-winning author-illustrator- and captivating storyteller- David Macaulay (The Way Things Work) and meet the brilliant designers who dared to extend roads and railways with ingenious but sometimes flawed designs. From the Golden Gate Bridge to some of the world's groundbreaking spans, you'll explore dozens of monumental engineering feats through historic film footage, fascinating photographs, illustrations and dramatic recreations.- Discover why the Brooklyn Bridge's hard-working and humorless chief engineer never lived to see the completion of his masterpiece
- Tower above the clouds on top of the Golden Gate Bridge and discover its controversial history, and see how its formidable suspension design handles brutal winds, tides, traffic, and earthquakes
- Visit Scotland's Firth of Forth Railway Bridge and learn how a deadly tragedy inspired the creation of this incredibly strong (and expensive) cantilevered steel design
- Bonus activity! Build your own mini-bridge using only straws, straight pins, masking tape, scissors, and a baseball
David Macaulay hosts Building Big, the five-part series that brings you the amazing truth behind the greatest manmade wonders of the world. From the top of the Golden Gate Bridge to inside the Hoover Dam, Building Big travels the world exploring Bridges, Tunnels, Dams, Skyscrapers and Domes in unforgettable, really big adventures. Available while supplies last. For the complete set check out Item NOVA-195. Includes bonus hands-on building activity designed for kids.