"Begins with an account of the building of the first covered wooden bridge in America, the permanent bridge over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia by Timothy Palmer of Massachusetts, and continues to recount the works and accomplishments of numerous famous bridge builders...With individual maps and informative listings of the existing spans in each state, this book is an indispensable guide to structures past and present...Rare photographs, old prints, cartoons, sketches add enthralling visual interest to the story. It's complete for instant reference, with a full index, glossary, engineering notes and bibliography." [from the publisher]