The Sydney Harbour Bridge turns 80. Living so close to this icon it is hard to ignore. It is both majestic and annoying at the same time. It gets so congested. It costs so much to cross it in a car. It is always being worked on, but nevertheless when you get to stand back from it and look at it in its entirety you cannot fail to be inspired by its engineering and you are awestruck, even when it isn't sunset or festooned with fireworks. Time to dig out John Nicholson's wonderful book Building the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It will add to that feeling of awe when you read about the workers, the materials and the stories surrounding its construction. Here's what the publisher says about the book:
The inside story of a national icon.
'The giant coat-hanger' took 1300 men eight years to build. They used six million rivets and 53 000 tonnes of steel. John Nicholson tells the story step by step, in fascinating detail: the vision, the problems, the solutions, the suspense (would the two halves actually meet?), the risks, the celebrations.
Once you've read this book, you'll never see that soaring arch, that vast maze of steel, the same way again.
'The giant coat-hanger' took 1300 men eight years to build. They used six million rivets and 53 000 tonnes of steel. John Nicholson tells the story step by step, in fascinating detail: the vision, the problems, the solutions, the suspense (would the two halves actually meet?), the risks, the celebrations.
Once you've read this book, you'll never see that soaring arch, that vast maze of steel, the same way again.
Hello Victoria I am very impressed with your blog especially all those entries in 2010 - one each day!! I tried to do 15 each month this year but am failing!! I have linked you blog to mine. http://momotimetoread.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for your talk at the CBCA event.