The Opera House cover art

The Opera House

The Extraordinary Story of the Building That Symbolises Australia - the People, the Secrets, the Scandals and the Sheer Genius

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The Opera House

By: Peter FitzSimons
Narrated by: Adrian Mulraney
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About this listen

'The sun did not know how beautiful its light was until it was reflected off this building.' (Louis Kahn, US architect)

If only these walls and this land could talk....

The Sydney Opera House is a breathtaking building, recognised around the world 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 innovation of its 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 about the people whose lives have been affected, both negatively and positively, 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 around this building that are as mesmerising as the light catching on its white sails.

©2022 Peter FitzSimons (P)2022 Hachette Australia Pty Ltd Architecture Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Oceania Opera
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Having grown up during the Opera House's construction, listening to the book was remarkable. Wriiten beautifully and narrated in a very listenable cadence.

Be taken from one extreme to another

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This would have to be one of the most interesting and best books I think I’ve ever listen to Peter Fitzsimons it’s absolute credit to you the work that you must’ve put into this unbelievable. I’ve listen do I have a 220 audible books and this is up there with the best. And to make it more interesting it’s an Australian author and Australian story about an Australian icon it’s a must listen to . Craig jowett

Well done

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As a Sydney sider born in 1969, I have grown up with the opera house in my backyard, I attend performances on occasion and love the atmosphere of the ‘house’. I enjoy seeing tourists take delight in being photographed with the big shells in the background. That all said, I did not until reading this book understand the true nature of this national asset.
Fitzsimmons and his crew have told a fascinating story of the trials and tribulations that took place in the creation of this magnificent building.

I will now look at the opera house and it’s halls through new eyes and appreciation for all who doggedly determined to realise it’s being.

Overall, a great read, all the better for the detail provided by the author.

Beautiful story

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I was in Sydney, or elsewhere in Australia, for the whole period covered by Peter Fitzsimons' book, and remember many of the episodes described in this book, without knowing what was going on below the public surface. This book tells us so much about that, from much research in archives, newspapers and the electronic media. The details become tedious at times, but they are necessary for us to understand what was going on. I always admired JJ Cahill for taking on the project from the very start, and proposing the funding model via the Opera House lottery, in which I had many a ticket; I took a great dislike to Davis Hughes, believing he had sacked Utzon, which he probably would have done if Utzon had not resigned, but I see now that the building may never have been completed if he had remained in Australia with sole charge of the architectural work, with an apparently unlimited budget. It was Hughes who realized this, and appointed the trio of architects led by Peter Hall, who eventually solved the many problems remaining after Utzon's departure. The building is an outstanding one of course, but mainly for its structure and exterior, not the interior. I enjoyed the book very much, and thought the narrator was good - but wondered if his pronunciation of Cahill as Car-hill is correct. Everyone talks about the 'Carl' Expressway, but the footballer of the same name is always called Cay-hill. No doubt the producer of the reading found out that Car-hill is the way JJC pronounced it - surely he or she would not have allowed the name to be said dozens of times during the same audio book incorrectly.

Fine account of a long building process.

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I knew very little of this story once I got into it it was riviting and a true piece of Australian history that should be known by all that are interested in the history of our country

An unsung legend.

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This Peter Fitz book takes 23.5 hr, what a surprise, and took me over a week.
This is the story of, imo, the most famous and most magnificent building in the world. In the 1950s, thanks to a largely forgotten Labour premier Joe Cahill, (he of the Cahill Expressway) the Opera House was conceived, a winning design chosen and commenced building in 1957, that in itself is unbelievable. Nothing like this structure had ever been built and of course, huge budget overruns brought politics and scandal all mixed into the arch-conservative 60s. It's a great story dominated by 4 men, the brilliant Jorn Utzon, the engineer Ove Arup, the ultra-conservative public Works minister Davis Hughes and Peter Hall who led the team that completed the building after Utzon's departure.
Fitz is one for detail and boy do we have it, we also have the history of the world from 1956 to 1973, the Goossens' scandal, Vietnam, JFK, the Beatles, decimal currency and Menzies to Gough.

10 years ago one of the first audiobooks I ever listened to was a similar fascinating book about the building of a structure, The Great Bridge, the building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough, I highly recommend this book also.
If you wish to immerse yourself in a story that became the transformation of our country I highly recommend this book. What was remarkable, was that we have yet another example of the myth that the conservatives have the monopoly on economic management, when despite all the problems with budget overruns the whole building was paid by NSW lotteries set up by the visionary Labour premier Joe Cahill.

The Story of the greatest building in the World

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I was 8 when the SOH opened, it was so informative hearing about the history and issues surrounding the story of how this amazing building was created. Thoroughly enjoyed the conversational presentation of the story as well as the historical & political context.

Presents the history & events of SOH

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I loved the simplicity of this complex and entertaining story. Essential listening for an entertaining insight into a modern part of Sydney's history.

A Fascinating Insight To An Australian Icon

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I was concerned red bandana man’s hard left twaddle would permeate the story, happily it did not by and large. “Written by”. Seems a bit of a stretch, he had a significant team that did the heavy lifting, humility not a strong suite then?

Red bandana keeps under control

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Peter Fitzsimons threads the complex needle of Utzons beautiful tragic masterpiece. A wonderful and local insider's perspective.

The go to SOH big book!

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