Dan Cruickshank's personal, passionate and learned journey into the very awe-inspiring architectural icons which have transformed culture, society, industry and landscapes throughout the world - bridges. Bridges define places. Imagine San Francisco without the Golden Gate Bridge, Manhattan without the Brooklyn Bridge, or Sydney without Sydney Harbour Bridge. Not only this, but they are spectacles of engineering, and have influenced the development of cultures, economies, environments and lives in more ways than we can count. Now, Dan Cruickshank looks at what bridges mean to us, and draws on some of his personal favourites from all over the world to tell the story of their architectural, cultural and aesthetic influence. Chapters include:EMPIRE - Bridges from the Roman and ancient worldNATURE AGAINST NATURE -Timber bridgesREVOLUTION - Pioneering structural designs from North America and EuropeUNITING PEOPLE - Bringing nations, cities, and communities togetherVISIONS - Contemporary structures