The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America Hardcover - 2003
by Erik Larson
In a thrilling narrative showcasing his gifts as storyteller and researcher, Larson recounts the spellbinding tale of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and its devious creators. A blend of "Ragtime" and "Silence of the Lambs, The Devil in the White City" is Larson at his best. 6 photos. 1 map.
About this book
A captivating non-fiction book that tells the parallel stories of two men during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Architect Daniel Burnham struggles to construct the grand fairgrounds known as the White City, while Dr. H.H. Holmes, a charismatic serial killer, preys on vulnerable women in his infamous "Murder Castle." Larson skillfully weaves together the contrasting narratives, highlighting the achievements of the fair and the horrors committed by Holmes. This gripping tale explores themes of ambition, power, and the dark side of human nature, providing a fascinating glimpse into a significant moment in American history.
Summary
From the jacket flap
Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America's rush toward the twentieth century. The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair's brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country's most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, D.C. The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his "World's Fair Hotel" just west of the fairgrounds--a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium. Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake.
The Devil in the White City draws the reader into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and others. In this book the smoke, romance, and mystery of the Gilded Age come alive as never before. Erik Larson's gifts as a storyteller are magnificently displayed in this rich narrative of the master builder, the killer, and the great fair that obsessed them both.
To find out more about this book, go to http: //www.DevilInTheWhiteCity.com.
First Edition Identification
Crown published a First US Edition, First Printing in 2003, New York. Doubleday published a First UK Edition, First Printing in 2003, London.
Details
- Title The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
- Author Erik Larson
- Binding Hardcover
- Edition First Edition
- Pages 464
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Crown Publishing Group (NY), New York
- Date 2003-02-11
- Illustrated Yes
- Features Bibliography, Illustrated, Index, Maps
- ISBN 9780609608449 / 0609608444
- Weight 1.6 lbs (0.73 kg)
- Dimensions 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.6 in (23.62 x 16.00 x 4.06 cm)
-
Themes
- Chronological Period: 1851-1899
- Cultural Region: Midwest
- Geographic Orientation: Illinois
- Locality: Chicago, Illinois
- Library of Congress subjects Serial murders - Illinois - Chicago, Chicago (Ill.) - History - 19th century
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 2002154046
- Dewey Decimal Code 364.152
Excerpt
Media reviews
Citations
- Booklist, 02/15/2003, Page 1022
- Booklist Editors Choice/Adult, 01/01/2004, Page 775
- BookPage, 02/01/2003, Page 5
- Booksense '76 Mar/Apr 2003, 03/01/2003, Page 1
- Entertainment Weekly, 03/13/2015, Page 58
- Kirkus Reviews, 11/15/2002, Page 1676
- Library Journal, 01/15/2003, Page 0
- LJ Best Books of Year, 01/01/2004, Page 49
- New York Times, 03/09/2003, Page 15
- Newsweek, 02/10/2003, Page 67
- People Weekly, 03/10/2003, Page 46
- Publishers Weekly, 12/16/2002, Page 57
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