Building Empire State

Constructed in 11 months, the Empire State Building, the world's tallest skyscraper for 40 years, was a marvel of modern engineering. In this book, a rediscovered notebook from the 1930s charts the construction of this landmark building. The construction was orchestrated by Starrett Brothers and Eken, premier 'skyline' builders of the 1920s. Compiled from their records, this in-house notebook, typed on graph paper and illustrated with photographs, combines a professional specificity of detail with a rhapsody to the firm's crowning achievement.