 The Spirit of the Bay
Published
in 2007, “The Spirit of the Bay” is an outstanding 400-page book
providing the reader with a comprehensive visual and narrative story of the
people, places, and things making the Tampa Bay area unique. The author Steve
Otto writes:
“The Spirit of the Bay is just that, a feeling and a way
of life. The history of the people who have come to this special place is a
colorful and rich story that goes back thousands of years. Although I try to
tell the story of who we are, this book is in no sense a history book. Rather,
it attempts to capture the flavor of the villages and cities that circle Tampa
Bay and perhaps better understood; why this is such a diverse and changing
place.
From the earliest natives to the arrival of Spanish
explorers, on down to the more recent refugees from the cold winters in the
north, we are a mixed bag. People have come here for different reasons, from
looking to build a new home in a new world, to being a part of a famous cigar
industry The military has had a powerful presence, from the earliest forts, to
today's headquarters of the United States Central Command in Tampa. People
looking to get rich quick, or to just retire to a slower life, have all
settled here.
A diversity of cultures has meant that the Tampa Bay
area is a treasure chest of food and festivals, from the colorful Epiphany
cross diving ceremonies in the Greek community of Tarpon Springs, to the many
Latin festivals on the old streets of Ybor City We have our own unique events,
from the incredible Gasparilla parades, where hundreds of thousands of locals
cheer for the invading pirates and hope to get a few strings of beads in
return, to the sultrier sounds of the Clearwater Jazz Festival.
In the end, it is the people who are the story
Characters like Frederick Weightnovel, the strange Russian who built his own
city of Moscow in what is now downtown Tampa, was run out of town along with
his Free Love Society. Tampa Bay has been the haunt of everyone from Hernando
de Soto and Teddy Roosevelt to Babe Ruth. It is a place to enjoy life, where
you can watch or be a part of the spectacle. The Bay's Spirit is here for
everyone to share.”
The Spirit of the Bay is available directly from the publisher by calling
800-510-9596.
 Tampa
and West Central Florida Postcard Paradise
(out of print)
Published in 1998 by the Tampa Tribune and University of Tampa
Press, this 93 page picture book of Tampa and West central Florida effectively
captured places, activities and events that shaped the lives of area citizens.
In the introduction to the book, writer Kathy Feeney states:
"Describing Tampa as beautiful, warm, and friendly, tourists
also applaud the realness and the culture and heritage the area offers,
according to the the Tampa/Hillsborough Convention and Visitors Association
Inc. Our esteemed visitors are on target with such flattering
impressions of the Tampa Bay area . But residents can relish another
truth: The only experience better than visiting this land of sand, surf,
and sunsets is living here."
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