Spanning Washington: Historic Bridges of the Evergreen State

You don’t have to know trestles and trusses from cantilevers to enjoy this extra-illustrated and surprisingly interesting book.

Perhaps the Pacific Northwest has an edge on the rest of the U.S. when it comes to bridges due to its spectacular settings. The bridges range from logs thrown across creeks in the 1850s to modern steel and concrete giants spanning the mighty Columbia River. Particularly interesting are the floating bridges of Seattle and the Hood Canal, and the details on bridges that failed. A personal favorite is the bridge destroyed by sheep—and not by the gross weight of the flock. Unlike G.I.’s of old, like this here reviewer, the woolies were too dumb to “break step” whilst crossing a bridge, and their synchronized vibrations shook down the structure.

—Richard H. Dillon