Bridges touch all our lives ‎- every day we are likely to cross a bridge‎,‎ or go under one‎.‎ How many of us stop to consider how the bridge stands up and what sort of people designed and built something so strong‎?‎ Bridge building is a magnificent example of the practical and every day use of science‎.‎ However‎,‎ the story of bridges goes beyond science and technology‎,‎ and involves issues relating to artistic and cultural development‎.‎ After all‎,‎ bridges are built by people‎,‎ for people‎.‎ Bridges can be icons for whole cities‎;‎ just consider New York‎'‎s Brooklyn Bridge‎,‎ London‎'‎s Tower Bridge‎,‎ and Sydney‎'‎s Harbour Bridge‎.‎ Such bridges can be considered functional public art‎,‎ as they have the power to delight or be an eyesore‎.‎ David Blockley explains how to read a bridge‎,‎ in all its different forms‎,‎ design‎,‎ and construction‎,‎ and the way the forces flow through arches and beams‎.‎ He combines the engineering of how bridges stand up with the cultural‎,‎ aesthetic‎,‎ and historical importance they hold‎.‎ Drawing on examples of particular bridges from around the world‎,‎ h‎.‎‎.‎‎.‎