Liberty's Torch: The Great Adventure to Build the Statue of Liberty

Mitchell, Elizabeth

ISBN 10: 0802122574 / ISBN 13: 9780802122575

Published by Atlantic Monthly Press, 2014

About this Item

Fast Free Shipping â Good condition book with a firm cover and clean, readable pages. Shows normal use, including some light wear or limited notes highlighting, yet remains a dependable copy overall. Supplemental items like CDs or access codes may not be included.

Seller Inventory # GWV.0802122574.G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Liberty's Torch: The Great Adventure to Build the Statue of Liberty
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802122574
• ISBN 13: 9780802122575
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: good

About this title

Synopsis

The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world, a powerful symbol of freedom and the American dream. For decades, the myth has persisted that the statue was a grand gift from France, but now Liberty's Torch reveals how she was in fact the pet project of one quixotic and visionary French sculptor, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. Bartholdi not only forged this 151-foot-tall colossus in a workshop in Paris and transported her across the ocean, but battled to raise money for the statue and make her a reality.

A young sculptor inspired by a trip to Egypt where he saw the pyramids and Sphinx, he traveled to America, carrying with him the idea of a colossal statue of a woman. There he enlisted the help of notable people of the age - including Ulysses S. Grant, Joseph Pulitzer, Victor Hugo, Gustave Eiffel, and Thomas Edison - to help his scheme. He also came up with inventive ideas to raise money, including exhibiting the torch at the Phildaelphia world's fair and charging people to climb up inside. While the French and American governments dithered, Bartholdi made the statue a reality by his own entrepreneurship, vision, and determination.

About the Author

Elizabeth Mitchell is an editor, journalist, and author. She is the author of two nonfiction books: Three Strides Before the Wire: The Dark and Beautiful World of Horse Racing, and W: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty.