The Opera House by Peter FitzSimons

Book Description

Secondhand. Good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges. Sunning to top foredge. Small area of front cover has separation of laminate from backing card. Interior and binding are still very good.

Full title: The Opera House: The Extraordinary Story of the Sydney Building That Symbolises Australia the People, the Secrets, the Scandals and the Sheer Genius.

The Sydney Opera House is a breathtaking building, recognised worldwide as a symbol of modern Australia. Along with the Taj Mahal and other World Heritage sites, it is celebrated for its architectural grandeur and the daring and innovative design. It showcases the incomparable talents involved in its conception, construction and performance history. But this stunning house on Bennelong Point also holds many secrets and scandals.

In his gripping biography, Peter FitzSimons marvels at how this magnificent building came to be, details its enthralling history, and reveals the dramatic stories and hidden secrets of the people whose lives have been affected, both positively and negatively, by its presence.

He shares how a conservative 1950s state government had the incredible vision and courage to embark on this nation-defining structure; how an architect from Denmark and construction workers from Australia and abroad invented new techniques to bring it to completion; how ambition, betrayal, professional rivalry, sexual intrigue, murder, bullying and breakdowns are woven into its creation; and how it is now acknowledged as one of the wonders and masterpieces of human ingenuity.

In The Opera House, Peter FitzSimons captures the extraordinary stories surrounding this building, as mesmerising as the light catching on its white sails. (back cover)