Bridge over the Mississippi by Jean Léturgie

Why read the book?

The engineer James Buchanan Eads is charged with raising a bridge to link the towns on either bank of the Mississippi. For Bat Cayman, who grows rich by controlling every crossing of the river, the bridge spells ruin, so he and his men set out to wreck it.

Lucky Luke takes on the job of seeing the work through, countering one act of sabotage after another. The story rests on a real piece of American history, the Eads Bridge at St Louis, and turns it into a steady contest between honest building and crooked obstruction, with Luke always a step ahead.

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What I Loved

Grounding the tale in a genuine engineering feat gives it a pleasing solidity, and the parade of sabotage attempts keeps the pace up. Bat Cayman makes a fittingly slippery opponent, and watching Luke guard a great public work rather than chase outlaws is a welcome change. The mix of history and comedy works well.

Key Takeaway

A real bridge across the Mississippi becomes the prize in a fight between progress and a river racket.

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