Spanning Washington

Spanning Washington

Author: Craig E. Holstine

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13:

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Designed first and foremost to be practical, bridges nevertheless are often breathtaking in their construction, combining function and aesthetics. The historic structures that span the Evergreen State's highways are no exception. These technological wonders are extraordinary by any measure, yet their stories have remained largely unknown. Conceived by visionary engineers and built by anonymous workmen, Washington's highway bridges are amazing triumphs of skill, and played a significant role in the state's history. Several, at the time of their completion, attracted worldwide attention and the praise of professional engineers, influencing the course of bridge construction. In their quest to compile the first comprehensive history of the state's highway bridges, the authors poured through the extensive records at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), collecting definitive documentation and photographs from across the state. This magnificent book, including more than 100 illustrations, represents the culmination of years of study by many individuals associated with WSDOT and the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (Olympia).


Book Synopsis Spanning Washington by : Craig E. Holstine

Download or read book Spanning Washington written by Craig E. Holstine and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Designed first and foremost to be practical, bridges nevertheless are often breathtaking in their construction, combining function and aesthetics. The historic structures that span the Evergreen State's highways are no exception. These technological wonders are extraordinary by any measure, yet their stories have remained largely unknown. Conceived by visionary engineers and built by anonymous workmen, Washington's highway bridges are amazing triumphs of skill, and played a significant role in the state's history. Several, at the time of their completion, attracted worldwide attention and the praise of professional engineers, influencing the course of bridge construction. In their quest to compile the first comprehensive history of the state's highway bridges, the authors poured through the extensive records at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), collecting definitive documentation and photographs from across the state. This magnificent book, including more than 100 illustrations, represents the culmination of years of study by many individuals associated with WSDOT and the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (Olympia).


The Man Who Ran Washington

The Man Who Ran Washington

Author: Peter Baker

Publisher: Anchor

Published: 2020-09-29

Total Pages: 720

ISBN-13: 0385540566

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BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times • The Washington Post • Fortune • Bloomberg From two of America's most revered political journalists comes the definitive biography of legendary White House chief of staff and secretary of state James A. Baker III: the man who ran Washington when Washington ran the world. For a quarter-century, from the end of Watergate to the aftermath of the Cold War, no Republican won the presidency without his help or ran the White House without his advice. James Addison Baker III was the indispensable man for four presidents because he understood better than anyone how to make Washington work at a time when America was shaping events around the world. The Man Who Ran Washington is a page-turning portrait of a power broker who influenced America's destiny for generations. A scion of Texas aristocracy who became George H. W. Bush's best friend on the tennis courts of the Houston Country Club, Baker had never even worked in Washington until a devastating family tragedy struck when he was thirty-nine. Within a few years, he was leading Gerald Ford's campaign and would go on to manage a total of five presidential races and win a sixth for George W. Bush in a Florida recount. He ran Ronald Reagan's White House and became the most consequential secretary of state since Henry Kissinger. He negotiated with Democrats at home and Soviets abroad, rewrote the tax code, assembled the coalition that won the Gulf War, brokered the reunification of Germany and helped bring a decades-long nuclear superpower standoff to an end. Ruthlessly partisan during campaign season, Baker governed as the avatar of pragmatism over purity and deal-making over division, a lost art in today's fractured nation. His story is a case study in the acquisition, exercise, and preservation of power in late twentieth-century America and the story of Washington and the world in the modern era--how it once worked and how it has transformed into an era of gridlock and polarization. This masterly biography by two brilliant observers of the American political scene is destined to become a classic.


Book Synopsis The Man Who Ran Washington by : Peter Baker

Download or read book The Man Who Ran Washington written by Peter Baker and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2020-09-29 with total page 720 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times • The Washington Post • Fortune • Bloomberg From two of America's most revered political journalists comes the definitive biography of legendary White House chief of staff and secretary of state James A. Baker III: the man who ran Washington when Washington ran the world. For a quarter-century, from the end of Watergate to the aftermath of the Cold War, no Republican won the presidency without his help or ran the White House without his advice. James Addison Baker III was the indispensable man for four presidents because he understood better than anyone how to make Washington work at a time when America was shaping events around the world. The Man Who Ran Washington is a page-turning portrait of a power broker who influenced America's destiny for generations. A scion of Texas aristocracy who became George H. W. Bush's best friend on the tennis courts of the Houston Country Club, Baker had never even worked in Washington until a devastating family tragedy struck when he was thirty-nine. Within a few years, he was leading Gerald Ford's campaign and would go on to manage a total of five presidential races and win a sixth for George W. Bush in a Florida recount. He ran Ronald Reagan's White House and became the most consequential secretary of state since Henry Kissinger. He negotiated with Democrats at home and Soviets abroad, rewrote the tax code, assembled the coalition that won the Gulf War, brokered the reunification of Germany and helped bring a decades-long nuclear superpower standoff to an end. Ruthlessly partisan during campaign season, Baker governed as the avatar of pragmatism over purity and deal-making over division, a lost art in today's fractured nation. His story is a case study in the acquisition, exercise, and preservation of power in late twentieth-century America and the story of Washington and the world in the modern era--how it once worked and how it has transformed into an era of gridlock and polarization. This masterly biography by two brilliant observers of the American political scene is destined to become a classic.


The C-span Revolution

The C-span Revolution

Author: Stephen E. Frantzich

Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 9780806128702

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Explores the inception, development, and current status of the public service television network, and examines C-SPAN's impact on public figures and the station's role in the development of cable TV


Book Synopsis The C-span Revolution by : Stephen E. Frantzich

Download or read book The C-span Revolution written by Stephen E. Frantzich and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the inception, development, and current status of the public service television network, and examines C-SPAN's impact on public figures and the station's role in the development of cable TV


Washington St-Maryland St One-way Pair and Washington St Transit Mall Developments

Washington St-Maryland St One-way Pair and Washington St Transit Mall Developments

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1983

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Washington St-Maryland St One-way Pair and Washington St Transit Mall Developments by :

Download or read book Washington St-Maryland St One-way Pair and Washington St Transit Mall Developments written by and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Why Washington Won't Work

Why Washington Won't Work

Author: Marc J. Hetherington

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2015-09-14

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 022629935X

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Polarization is at an all-time high in the United States. But contrary to popular belief, Americans are polarized not so much in their policy preferences as in their feelings toward their political opponents: To an unprecedented degree, Republicans and Democrats simply do not like one another. No surprise that these deeply held negative feelings are central to the recent (also unprecedented) plunge in congressional productivity. The past three Congresses have gotten less done than any since scholars began measuring congressional productivity. In Why Washington Won’t Work, Marc J. Hetherington and Thomas J. Rudolph argue that a contemporary crisis of trust—people whose party is out of power have almost no trust in a government run by the other side—has deadlocked Congress. On most issues, party leaders can convince their own party to support their positions. In order to pass legislation, however, they must also create consensus by persuading some portion of the opposing party to trust in their vision for the future. Without trust, consensus fails to develop and compromise does not occur. Up until recently, such trust could still usually be found among the opposition, but not anymore. Political trust, the authors show, is far from a stable characteristic. It’s actually highly variable and contingent on a variety of factors, including whether one’s party is in control, which part of the government one is dealing with, and which policies or events are most salient at the moment. Political trust increases, for example, when the public is concerned with foreign policy—as in times of war—and it decreases in periods of weak economic performance. Hetherington and Rudolph do offer some suggestions about steps politicians and the public might take to increase political trust. Ultimately, however, they conclude that it is unlikely levels of political trust will significantly increase unless foreign concerns come to dominate and the economy is consistently strong.


Book Synopsis Why Washington Won't Work by : Marc J. Hetherington

Download or read book Why Washington Won't Work written by Marc J. Hetherington and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2015-09-14 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Polarization is at an all-time high in the United States. But contrary to popular belief, Americans are polarized not so much in their policy preferences as in their feelings toward their political opponents: To an unprecedented degree, Republicans and Democrats simply do not like one another. No surprise that these deeply held negative feelings are central to the recent (also unprecedented) plunge in congressional productivity. The past three Congresses have gotten less done than any since scholars began measuring congressional productivity. In Why Washington Won’t Work, Marc J. Hetherington and Thomas J. Rudolph argue that a contemporary crisis of trust—people whose party is out of power have almost no trust in a government run by the other side—has deadlocked Congress. On most issues, party leaders can convince their own party to support their positions. In order to pass legislation, however, they must also create consensus by persuading some portion of the opposing party to trust in their vision for the future. Without trust, consensus fails to develop and compromise does not occur. Up until recently, such trust could still usually be found among the opposition, but not anymore. Political trust, the authors show, is far from a stable characteristic. It’s actually highly variable and contingent on a variety of factors, including whether one’s party is in control, which part of the government one is dealing with, and which policies or events are most salient at the moment. Political trust increases, for example, when the public is concerned with foreign policy—as in times of war—and it decreases in periods of weak economic performance. Hetherington and Rudolph do offer some suggestions about steps politicians and the public might take to increase political trust. Ultimately, however, they conclude that it is unlikely levels of political trust will significantly increase unless foreign concerns come to dominate and the economy is consistently strong.


The Grand Idea

The Grand Idea

Author: Joel Achenbach

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: 2005-06-02

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 9780743263009

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The Grand Idea follows George Washington in the critical period immediately after the War of Independence. The general had great hopes for his young nation, but also grave fears. He worried that the United States was so fragmented politically and culturally that it would fall apart, and that the "West," beyond the Appalachian mountains, would become a breakaway republic. So he came up with an ambitious scheme: He would transform the Potomac River into the nation's premier commercial artery, binding East and West, bolstering domestic trade, and staving off disunion. This was no armchair notion. Washington saddled up and rode west on a 680-mile trek to the raucous frontier of America. Achenbach captures a Washington rarely seen: rugged frontiersman, real estate speculator, shrewd businessman. Even after his death, Washington's grand ambition inspired heroic engineering feats, including an audacious attempt to build a canal across the mountains to the Ohio River. But the country needed more than commercial arteries to hold together, and in the Civil War, the general's beloved river became a battlefield between North and South. Like such classics as Undaunted Courage and Founding Brothers, Achenbach's riveting portrait of a great man and his grand plan captures the imagination of the new country, the passions of an ambitious people, and the seemingly endless beauty of the American landscape.


Book Synopsis The Grand Idea by : Joel Achenbach

Download or read book The Grand Idea written by Joel Achenbach and published by Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2005-06-02 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Grand Idea follows George Washington in the critical period immediately after the War of Independence. The general had great hopes for his young nation, but also grave fears. He worried that the United States was so fragmented politically and culturally that it would fall apart, and that the "West," beyond the Appalachian mountains, would become a breakaway republic. So he came up with an ambitious scheme: He would transform the Potomac River into the nation's premier commercial artery, binding East and West, bolstering domestic trade, and staving off disunion. This was no armchair notion. Washington saddled up and rode west on a 680-mile trek to the raucous frontier of America. Achenbach captures a Washington rarely seen: rugged frontiersman, real estate speculator, shrewd businessman. Even after his death, Washington's grand ambition inspired heroic engineering feats, including an audacious attempt to build a canal across the mountains to the Ohio River. But the country needed more than commercial arteries to hold together, and in the Civil War, the general's beloved river became a battlefield between North and South. Like such classics as Undaunted Courage and Founding Brothers, Achenbach's riveting portrait of a great man and his grand plan captures the imagination of the new country, the passions of an ambitious people, and the seemingly endless beauty of the American landscape.


Indiana Magazine of History

Indiana Magazine of History

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1928

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Indiana Magazine of History by :

Download or read book Indiana Magazine of History written by and published by . This book was released on 1928 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication

Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1910

Total Pages: 404

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication by :

Download or read book Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication written by and published by . This book was released on 1910 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


The Widow Washington

The Widow Washington

Author: Martha Saxton

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Published: 2019-06-11

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0374721335

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An insightful biography of Mary Ball Washington, the mother of our nation's father The Widow Washington is the first life of Mary Ball Washington, George Washington’s mother, based on archival sources. Her son’s biographers have, for the most part, painted her as self-centered and crude, a trial and an obstacle to her oldest child. But the records tell a very different story. Mary Ball, the daughter of a wealthy planter and a formerly indentured servant, was orphaned young and grew up working hard, practicing frugality and piety. Stepping into Virginia’s upper class, she married an older man, the planter Augustine Washington, with whom she had five children before his death eleven years later. As a widow deprived of most of her late husband’s properties, Mary struggled to raise her children, but managed to secure them places among Virginia’s elite. In her later years, she and her wealthy son George had a contentious relationship, often disagreeing over money, with George dismissing as imaginary her fears of poverty and helplessness. Yet Mary Ball Washington had a greater impact on George than mothers of that time and place usually had on their sons. George did not have the wealth or freedom to enjoy the indulged adolescence typical of young men among the planter class. Mary’s demanding mothering imbued him with many of the moral and religious principles by which he lived. The two were strikingly similar, though the commanding demeanor, persistence, athleticism, penny-pinching, and irascibility that they shared have served the memory of the country’s father immeasurably better than that of his mother. Martha Saxton’s The Widow Washington is a necessary and deeply insightful corrective, telling the story of Mary’s long, arduous life on its own terms, and not treating her as her son’s satellite.


Book Synopsis The Widow Washington by : Martha Saxton

Download or read book The Widow Washington written by Martha Saxton and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. This book was released on 2019-06-11 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An insightful biography of Mary Ball Washington, the mother of our nation's father The Widow Washington is the first life of Mary Ball Washington, George Washington’s mother, based on archival sources. Her son’s biographers have, for the most part, painted her as self-centered and crude, a trial and an obstacle to her oldest child. But the records tell a very different story. Mary Ball, the daughter of a wealthy planter and a formerly indentured servant, was orphaned young and grew up working hard, practicing frugality and piety. Stepping into Virginia’s upper class, she married an older man, the planter Augustine Washington, with whom she had five children before his death eleven years later. As a widow deprived of most of her late husband’s properties, Mary struggled to raise her children, but managed to secure them places among Virginia’s elite. In her later years, she and her wealthy son George had a contentious relationship, often disagreeing over money, with George dismissing as imaginary her fears of poverty and helplessness. Yet Mary Ball Washington had a greater impact on George than mothers of that time and place usually had on their sons. George did not have the wealth or freedom to enjoy the indulged adolescence typical of young men among the planter class. Mary’s demanding mothering imbued him with many of the moral and religious principles by which he lived. The two were strikingly similar, though the commanding demeanor, persistence, athleticism, penny-pinching, and irascibility that they shared have served the memory of the country’s father immeasurably better than that of his mother. Martha Saxton’s The Widow Washington is a necessary and deeply insightful corrective, telling the story of Mary’s long, arduous life on its own terms, and not treating her as her son’s satellite.


Empire of Mud

Empire of Mud

Author: J. D. Dickey

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2014-09-02

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 1493013939

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Washington, DC, gleams with stately columns and neoclassical temples, a pulsing hub of political power and prowess. But for decades it was one of the worst excuses for a capital city the world had ever seen. Before America became a world power in the twentieth century, Washington City was an eyesore at best and a disgrace at worst. Unfilled swamps, filthy canals, and rutted horse trails littered its landscape. Political bosses hired hooligans and thugs to conduct the nation's affairs. Legendary madams entertained clients from all stations of society and politicians of every party. The police served and protected with the aid of bribes and protection money. Beneath pestilential air, the city’s muddy roads led to a stumpy, half-finished obelisk to Washington here, a domeless Capitol Building there. Lining the streets stood boarding houses, tanneries, and slums. Deadly horse races gouged dusty streets, and opposing factions of volunteer firefighters battled one another like violent gangs rather than life-saving heroes. The city’s turbulent history set a precedent for the dishonesty, corruption, and mismanagement that have led generations to look suspiciously on the various sin--both real and imagined--of Washington politicians. Empire of Mud unearths and untangles the roots of our capital’s story and explores how the city was tainted from the outset, nearly stifled from becoming the proud citadel of the republic that George Washington and Pierre L'Enfant envisioned more than two centuries ago.


Book Synopsis Empire of Mud by : J. D. Dickey

Download or read book Empire of Mud written by J. D. Dickey and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2014-09-02 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Washington, DC, gleams with stately columns and neoclassical temples, a pulsing hub of political power and prowess. But for decades it was one of the worst excuses for a capital city the world had ever seen. Before America became a world power in the twentieth century, Washington City was an eyesore at best and a disgrace at worst. Unfilled swamps, filthy canals, and rutted horse trails littered its landscape. Political bosses hired hooligans and thugs to conduct the nation's affairs. Legendary madams entertained clients from all stations of society and politicians of every party. The police served and protected with the aid of bribes and protection money. Beneath pestilential air, the city’s muddy roads led to a stumpy, half-finished obelisk to Washington here, a domeless Capitol Building there. Lining the streets stood boarding houses, tanneries, and slums. Deadly horse races gouged dusty streets, and opposing factions of volunteer firefighters battled one another like violent gangs rather than life-saving heroes. The city’s turbulent history set a precedent for the dishonesty, corruption, and mismanagement that have led generations to look suspiciously on the various sin--both real and imagined--of Washington politicians. Empire of Mud unearths and untangles the roots of our capital’s story and explores how the city was tainted from the outset, nearly stifled from becoming the proud citadel of the republic that George Washington and Pierre L'Enfant envisioned more than two centuries ago.