Author Description

Extensively researched and written by Knute "Skip" Berger, it provides a detailed account of the Space Needle's conception, funding, and construction over 50 years ago, as well as it's important role in the Century 21 Worlds Fair in 1962 and how it helped define contemporary Seattle in the 50 years after the fair. Berger, columnist for Seattle Magazine and the on-line Seattle news source Crosscut, was named "Writer-in-Residence" at the Space Needle last year and has used the opportunity to interview a broad spectrum of people who were associated with the construction, design and management of the Space Needle and to dive deep into Space Needle archives and collections for here-to-for untold stories about the storybook structure. His story adds new information about the conception of the Needle, which began as a doodle in a hotel in Stuttgart, Germany, and includes never-before published images. It tracks the Needle's life through earthquakes, a hurricane and the ups and downs of being a 21st-century symbol that has thrived, for most of its life to date, in the 20th century. He covers visits by the Kennedys, astronauts, Elvis (the King), as well as real kings and emperors. His account includes forgotten history, such as the fact that back in the '60s, an upcoming comedian named Bill Cosby hosted a daily radio from the Needle. Berger also documents the role it has played in the busy life of a growing city. It is, he writes, a "place where we mark the events of our lives, from weddings and anniversaries to bar mitzvahs. It has been the site of first dates, celebrity sightings, births, deaths, and world firsts." With over 210 images, both historical and contemporary, this 184pp coffee table book features the best of the classic images of the needle, as well newly discovered images.