Bridges by David Blockley

Why bridges have fascinated humans for centuries

Bridges are beautiful. Or at least they can be. They can also be downright ugly.

But that’s what makes these fantastic structures so interesting, contends David Blockley. They come in so many different types and styles, all of which use solid engineering principles as their basis.

Blockley’s book does a neat job of explaining . He gives an insightful appraisal of the history of many famous structures such as the Forth railway bridge and the vertiginous Salginatobel bridge in Switzerland. He also offers a clear and concise summary of the major bridge-building techniques. 

Blockley is an emeritus professor and senior research fellow in the department of civil engineering at the University of Bristol. 

He writes with a free-flowing style that will satisfy the lay-person, while being authoritative enough to show that he really knows what he is talking about. 

It makes for a fascinating book on a fascinating subject.

• Bridges – The Science and Art of the World’s Most Inspiring Structures by David Blockley. Oxford University Press, price £10.99.