First rate history about the Second City in the 19th Century

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	• The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America Erik Larson Vintage, 2004 - 447 pages average customer review:based on 739 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Wonderfully written, suspenseful mystery

The Devil in the White City is one of the finest historical novels I have read. It is both lyrically written and packed with fact, a balance which is very difficult to achieve. The plotline essentially reduces to a struggle between good and evil, as the struggles and aspirations of the 1896 Columbian Exposition's leading architect are contrasted with the schemes of a serial killer who runs a "hotel" near the fair. Larson does an excellent job of weaving excerpts of letters, newspaper articles, and even dinner menus into the story of these two men. The book also presents a wonderful picture of Gilded Age America as a whole, and perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the story is the way that, even amid strikes, recession, technical difficulties, and deaths, the fair remained an island of beauty and progress. The 1896 World's Columbian Exposition may not be a well-known historical event like the roaring twenties, the world wars, the Great Depression, or the baby boom, but, as this book shows, it had a huge impact on and in many ways, saved, the American psyche.

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First rate history about the Second City in the 19th Century

Erik Larson has written a wildly entertaining story, intersecting two pieces of late 19th century American history. However, the two stories couldn't be more dissimilar. One is the triumph of imagination and will with Daniel Burnham as the principal character. The other centers around H.H. Holmes, a charming con man and brutal serial killer.

Daniel Burnham was the chief architect behind the ambitious effort to hold a World's Fair in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the New World by Christopher Columbus. Burnham wasn't looking to just put on a good show. He was bent on surpassing the 1889 World's Fair that took place in Paris and gave the world the Eiffel Tower. Larson does a masterful job of painting a picture of Chicago (and most American cities) at the turn of the century. Chicago was a bustling place characterized by the terrible odors emanating from the meat packing industry and other poor sanitary conditions. The story weaves together such American architecture luminaries, including Hunt, McKim and Sullivan along with Landscape Architure Frederick Olmsted in a way that breathes life into these individuals. As one looks at the current state of modern American urban architecture, it is amazing to think of what Burnham, his partners and the thousands of workers were able to accomplish in such short a period of time.

I also found the parts about George Ferris and Buffalo Bill. Everyone recognizes Ferris by the structures that bear his name, but I certainly didn't realize that this fair led to invention. I tried putting myself in the shoes of those first riders and what it must have been like in this new marvel -- both awesome and incredibly harrowing. Equally enjoyable were the escapades of Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley. While not technically inside the fair grounds, Buffalo Bill generated sales of over $30 million dollars in current dollars, regularly playing to packed crowds of 15,000 plus.

My only criticism of Larson's book is that his ongoing portrait of Holmes loses steam about midway thorugh the book. At first, I found the chapters and portrait Larson painted of Holmes quite eerie. As the book went on, I felt Larson got a little verbose and could have shortened some of the chapters to keep a brisker pace and provide a little more mystery to Holmes. Unfortunately, I thought Larson filled in some of the detail more than he needed to and would have preferred the ambiguity. As one read the footnotes, it became apparent that he recreated more than I realized given the lack of detail in Holmes confession or the reliability of some of his statements.

All in all, this was a highly entertaining and fun read. At times, especially the parts about Holmes, one could mistake this book for a novel. Ultimately, the ability of Larson to create a wonderful sense of time and place -- late 19th century Chicago -- brought this book to life in a way that is well worth the read.

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Read this book

What can I say about this masterpiece of the non-fiction novel other than READ THIS BOOK. I have heard about it for years, yet somehow never got around to reading it. I happened upon the book at the library and didn't put it down until the last page, regrettably, was done. I have never written a review on amazon either, but this book compells me to do so. In fact, I would rate this book one star higher than James Swanson's Manhunt, which I also loved. This book led me to other books about the history of Chicago, which I have never been interested in previous to reading this phenomenal book. The details about Chicago and the fair are informative and lushly descriptive, not to mention Larson is noticably respectful and sympathetic concerning H.H. Holmes victims. If you like historical true crime or even simply non-fiction history 'novels' this is the book for you.

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The Devin in the White City

I really enjoyed this book. It took awhile to get through it though. I haven't read a "history" book that reads like a novel in such a long time. The author uses facts like his own ideas and thoughts.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men--the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America?s place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.

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