Building the World An Encyclopedia of the Great 2 vols

From the Taj Mahal to the Suez Canal, from Solomon's Temple to the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline, such feats of "macro-engineering" are a testament to the creativity and foresight of engineers, architects, government officials, and diplomats. Who came up with the ideas for these projects, and how did they see them through to completion? What obstacles - diplomatic, legal, logistical, and engineering - had to be overcome for these structures to be built? What impact did these engineering projects have on the economy and culture of their societies? This encyclopedia answers all these questions on over 40 of the most important engineering projects in World History, showing how central these great engineering projects are to the history of civilization. The entries include: 'Roman Aqueducts': Built over five centuries beginning with the Appia in 312 B.C., the capital's aqueducts delivered water over distances approaching 60 miles. According to one estimate, eleven aqueducts serving Rome around 300 A.D. supplied over 1.5 million cubic yards of water a day, or about 200 gallons per person. 'Washington, D.C.: This "master-planned" city was created to house the government of the new country of the United States. 'Eiffel Tower': The construction of this now iconic feature of Paris was protested by such leading French figures as writers Emile Zola and Alexandre Dumas. 'The Channel Tunnel': While not completed until 1993, the idea of a tunnel under the English Channel was considered as early as 1802 by Napoleon. Each entry includes a detailed history of the planning and construction of the project, and a discussion of the importance of the project for subsequent cultures. A unique feature of this encyclopedia is an extensive primary source collection that illustrates the how the decision to create such a structure came to be, showing the importance of individuals in imagining, planning, and building some of the most famous engineering landmarks in the world.