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Nevin D. Sitler

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The Sunshine Skyway Bridge: Spanning Tampa Bay (Landmarks) Paperback – February 26, 2013

by Nevin Sitler (Author), Ric Sitler (Author)

12

Part of: Landmarks (200 books)

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Of the more than 5,200 bridges in the state of Florida, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, spanning scenic Tampa Bay, is by far the most famous. But the award-winning bridge that residents and tourists cross on a daily basis isn't the first to hold the Skyway name. Numerous versions of the current bridge have stretched across lower Tampa Bay, and each has its own remarkable history. Nevin and Ric Sitler detail the suspension cables, concrete, nuts and bolts and political battles that combined to produce the fantastic history of the Skyway bridges and other historic Tampa Bay crossings. Join this father-and-son team on their journey across the historic bay.

Part of series

Landmarks
Print length

128 pages
Language

English
Publisher

The History Press
Publication date

February 26, 2013
Dimensions

6 x 0.31 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

162619002X
ISBN-13

978-1626190023
See all details

Bill DeYoung
178
Paperback
20 offers from $7.87

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nevin Sitler is the Director of Education and Outreach at the St. Petersburg Museum of History and holds a Master's Degree in Florida Studies from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. He is a contributing author of Florida's Historic Places, The Rivers of the Green Swamp Anthology and provided historical consultation for Florida's Fabulous Lighthouses. Richard (Ric) Sitler is a retired military journalist whose assignments ranged from the 1968 release of the USS Pueblo crew by North Korea to Norman Schwarzkopf's successful 1991 Desert Storm assault to free Kuwait. His eclectic mix of published articles includes interviews with the comic strip creators of Beetle Bailey and Peanuts and hard rocker Alice Cooper, a Texas barbecue at the LBJ Ranch and a backstage chess game with the legendary Ray Charles.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The History Press (February 26, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 162619002X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1626190023
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.31 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,370,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #182 in Bridge Engineering
- #5,329 in History of Technology
- #88,265 in U.S. State & Local History

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French Roast

Vividly recall the fall of this birdge

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2013

Verified Purchase

I was travelling through Pennsylvania when I heard the words - tragedy from St. Petersburg, Florida. I turned the radio way up to learn of the enormity of this news event. I cannot imagine being in that Greyhound bus with those moments to contemplate your fate. The miscalculation by Captain John Lerro was heart wrenching. This captain had had other incidences too. I recall, that for years to come, to reach the other side one had to use the one span that was left standing and I, every time I crossed this bridge, contemplated the fate of so many people. The new Skyway is quite beautiful and offers unparalleled vistas of Tampa Bay and oyster islands. This is a read worthwhile on many levels.

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DrStat400406

Nice book about the "spans" across the Bay

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

I wish there had been a bit more on the Skyway itself ... but overall, it gave a nice summary of all the ways to get from one side of the bay to the other (and out to the beaches). I would have like a few more photos of the construction of the different skyways.

One person found this helpful

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Elena

Florida

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2013

Verified Purchase

I was hoping that this book would have had more pictures than it did, but it was a good read.

One person found this helpful

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rlmtampa

sunshine skyway bridge

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2013

Verified Purchase

I purchased this book from an article that I read in the Tampa Tribune.

This was purchased for a good friend who enjoys reading about the history of Tampa Bay. He sincerely enjoyed this book and I am glad that I purchased it for him. If you want the history of Tampa Bay purchase this book and enjoy.

One person found this helpful

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Another Satisfied Customer!!!

Very well done. Took us through the history and ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2016

Verified Purchase

Very well done. Took us through the history and right up to the accident. Thanks for a well written book.

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

Very enjoyable and informative

One person found this helpful

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Walter Tulp

Book about a Beautiful Bridge

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2017

Ten years ago my wife and I toured Tampa Bay, looking for a place to retire. When we passed over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, we were amazed at the breathtaking ride across this stunning suspension bridge that unites Pinellas County with Manatee County. But my first thought was: "How exotic! We're not in New England anymore. This is Florida."

Apparently I'm not the only one to have had this thought. Author Nevin Sitler says in Chapter 9 of The Sunshine Skyway Bridge: "At night, with its brilliant yellow cables lit for all to see, it is more than just a bridge. It is the icon of Florida’s west coast, if not the entire state."

The two Sitlers, Richard and Nevin, père and fils, have set out an ambitious task: to document the construction of this bridge and while doing so fill us in on the details of the lead players. But in most cases they aren’t just players in a vast undertaking, but characters in their own right. Like Governor Bob Graham, of the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

"Florida state senator Bob Graham campaigned for governor with a 'workday' program where he took on the jobs of everyday people, from housewife to policeman to short-order cook. Once elected, he retained his supporters by continuing the workday idea. As governor, Graham fought for construction of the present-day Skyway Bridge, spending a hard-hat workday there as well."

Or Kenneth M. King aka “Sky King,” a Florida Highway Patrol trooper who prevented a man far larger than himself from jumping off the bridge. According to Sitler, King "survived Waco, Vietnam and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge." (Sitler later provides a gruesome depiction of suicide by bridge-jumping, clearly not the best way to go.)

Or George Gandy, who built a predecessor bridge, a causeway in the twenties that now bears his name, the Gandy Boulevard. Here is how Sitler conveys the story of Gandy corralling his opposition:

"Erupting like Jack Nicholson in his classic line from A Few Good Men ('You can’t handle the truth!'), Gandy lacerated board members. 'They bear the stamp of one man, you say?' he uncharacteristically shouted. “You bet they do! And I’m that man! If that bridge is ever built…it will be by some fellow who gets behind it like I have and never quits.” The engineers were impressed and gave their immediate approval."

Such men (sorry, no women) appear in special sections of the book called "Post Span." In fact, the whole book is designed in a fashion that will appeal to the popular (as well as the scholarly) reader of history. For example, it’s not just about the construction of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, but about the other bridges that preceded it, as well as different modes of transportation across the bay like ferries and short hop flights. This gives the reader context for how difficult the engineering feats were, both in the early days and the present.

He does not shy away from the grisly either, as he relates the story of the 1980 collision in Tampa Bay between the U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender Blackthorn and the oil tanker Capricorn. (Twenty-three of the ship’s fifty crewmen perished.) And only three months later, the Summit Venture freighter hit the bridge. Here is Sitler’s vivid description:

"The bow of Captain Lerro’s ship veered out of the channel and struck a support column on the southbound span’s support pier at 7:34 a.m., resulting in a horrendous collapse of the 1971 main span. Several automobiles, a pickup truck and one Greyhound bus soared at nearly seventy miles an hour into the bay 150 feet below. Thirty-six people fell into the bay that day. All but one died."

This historical narrative observes the style you might find on a placards at an engaging historical museum exhibit. This is not surprising, since Nevin Sitler is the historian-in-residence at the St. Petersburg Museum of History.

Accompanied by excellent photographs, The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a book you might want to give to your northern friends and relatives; you know, the ones who are always teasing you: "Florida! Whatever happens down there?"

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