An account of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 relates the stories of two men who shaped the history of the event–architect Daniel H. Burnham, who coordinated its construction, and serial killer Herman Mudgett.
The Devil in the White City
By eriklarson
GREAT
Excellent book! Chicago history was the highlight for me.
Excellent. Recommend to anyone!
I read everything this author writes. He writes it and I read it. No question. His research is meticulous, his prose is crystal clear. His choice of subject matter is brilliant.
As someone who hated history in high school, Erik has brought it back to life for me. I’ve read all of his books and this is another great story. The seamless way he weaves a murder mystery into historical events forces you to come to the realization that history is about real people and real events.
I loved reading this book, especially as a Chicagoan. I could picture the areas to which the author referred — and, in fact, felt compelled to visit some of them after finishing the book. While focusing on “the Devil” in this true account, we learn an immense amount about the the “White City”, the nickname for the World’s Fair, which is quite a …
True crime —–Years ago–50 to be exact– I worked in a state mental hospital and on my ward was a young man who was institutionalized because the several murders he had committed. It was the first time I had ever heard of the term serial killer. Since then I have read several true crime stories on serial killers and I still do not understand …
Running two worlds side-by-side in a descriptive manner that is fascinating and extremely informative and exciting, the author has created a masterpiece of historical storytelling. Somehow the architectural challenges of the building of the
Chicago Worlds Fair is as dramatic and captivating as the tail of the warped, serial killer who’s tale …
Good researched background. Nicely presented.
The Devil in the White City, like one half of its subject matter, is brilliantly architectured. If you had told me someone could weave two practically unrelated stories – the design and building of the World’s Fair and a serial killer – I wouldn’t have believed it, but Erik Larson does just that.
This book is full of the greatness of the human …
Larsen did a fantastic job of pairing the true story of a serial killer with the places and personalities of the Chicago World’s Fair. I’m from Chicago, and I loved the peek at the city’s history during this time period.
A book that will put on edge start to finish but you won’t want to put it down.
The Ferris wheel, Cracker Jack, shredded wheat, alternating current, and the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry all have their origins in the World’s Fair that was held in Chicago over 100 years ago.
Erik Larson, the author who wrote In the Garden of Beasts, brings all of these little details to life in telling the story of how the 1893 World’s …
Author Erik Larson is one great story teller, who weaves the events surrounding the 1893 World’s Fair into a chilling novel. Follow the architect Daniel Burnham and serial killer H.H. Holmes as they plan in Chicago. . . . . . one for good and the other for evil. Hard to put down.
The single most important thing about Larson’s writing is that he writes history like it is a fictional mystery. It never lets your mind wander!
A bloodthirsty tale of a serial killer told factually and dispassionately. I guess I expected a little more screaming blood and guts, but I was able to read it in bed at night and still sleep well.
Can be slow at times, such as when discussing landscaping, but worth it to stick with it. Overall a great read with so much history and interesting facts.
Eric Larsen’s books are fascinating history that is little known. I look forward to reading every book he has written and will write
Erik Larson has a way of weaving a story and they don’t get much better than this. If only we could have learned history through his eyes! This is an intriguing tale of the World’s Fair and the serial killer who preys on the city. This was my first book of Erik Larson’s and while I really want to say it’s his best they are truly all so very well …
Intriguing and well written