180 Book Reviews TECHNOLOGYAND CULTURE lians in the 14th century; it endured as the world’s tallest dam for more than 500 years. A History ofDams explicates water-storage technology within the context of various functions (e.g., irrigation, power, domestic supply, fish ponds) and provides descriptions of important ancillary technologies such as movable gates and siphon spillways. Additionally, extensive material on the mathematical “rationalization” ofdam design addresses topics such as DeSazilly’s “profile of equal resistance” for masonry gravity dams devel oped in the 1850s, the “variable-radius” arch designs first built by Lars Jorgensen in 1913, and the mathematically complex “trial-load” method of arch-dam analysis popularized in the 20th century. While Schnitter clearly describes the range of dam types and construc tion technologies developed by engineers and builders, he is less success ful in imparting to readers a sense of why or how different designs might reflect varying interests and objectives on the part of engineers, finan ciers, and governments. As such, his purpose is not so much to analyze the technology of water storage as it is to instruct readers on fundamental issues relating to the development of dams over a period of 5,000 years. For scholars, the value of the book is enhanced by a detailed bibliography that lists more than 250 important books and articles; most important, these references are frequently keyed into the text as an aid to further research. Anyone interested in the technological history of waterresources development and/or the history of hydraulic engineering will find this to be a useful and often intriguing reference work. Donald C. Jackson Dr.Jackson is assistant professor of history at Lafayette College. His article, “Engineering in the Progressive Era: A New Look at Frederick Haynes Newell and the U.S. Reclamation Service,” appeared in the July 1993 issue of Technology and Culture and was awarded the Western History Association’s Billington Prize in 1994. Les ponts modernes: 18'-19' siècles. By Bernard Marrey. Paris: Picard, 1990. Pp. 319; illustrations, notes, glossary, bibliography, index. F 550.00. The civil engineering sessions at the 1993 SHOT conference in Washington, D.C., seemed to indicate that there is still a bloc of historians eager to provide traditional “objective” accounts of civil engineering—and that there still is an audience to embrace such work. This audience will enjoy Les ponts modernes, a large, expensive, illustrated volume that surveys bridge building in France during the 18th and 19th centuries. Those who believe that the history of technology can be understood better through the exploration of general questions will find this book less engaging. Bernard Marrey, who has written extensively on engineering and architecture, states that Les ponts modernes is a continuation of an uncompleted bridge history by an engineer named Dartein. Hence he TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE Book Reviews 181 perpetuates a tradition of civil engineering histories written by engi neers or closely based on their accounts. While the engineer’s viewpoint can provide insight into design and construction, the mindset and concerns of engineers often vary from those of historians as well as most of the general public. For those who seek to go beyond the bounds of the historiographic tradition that Marrey chose, Les ponts modemes will appear somewhat lacking. It avoids thematic interpretation and passes over scholarship in the history of engineering. While it covers 200 years in 300 pages, no explicit questions tie the book together. Chapter organization is ran dom: bridges are grouped according to geography, material, type, and supposed historical epochs; the overall organization is chronological. Marrey does not clarify the agenda that leads him to reject recent synthesis while citing primary materials. Most or all of the book originally appeared as a series of articles, and these have not been well accomodated to book form. This compendium nevertheless has much to recommend it. There is a lot of information here; in a field as underresearched as the history of modern civil engineering, a book of this type will automatically become a source for those who need to identify the major engineers, entrepre neurs, and works. And Les ponts modemes contains many entertaining stories. Moreover, Marrey often emphasizes neglected aspects of...