Vintage The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Such a great book!

A really well written and engaging book on Daniel Burnham (creator of Chicagos White City) and the notorious serial killer H H Holmes.

I found this book so stressful with the two story lines - the building of the 1893 World's Trade Fair in Chicago and the serial killer on the loose. They had 2 years to design and build the site including the buildings and the site. As the Landscape Architect could not do his work until the buildings were erected and finished due to the railway tracks coming into the site to deliver the goods and he had to finish his work after whereas when he designed Central Park in NYC it was a 25 year project. With all the contractors and the short time frame - I was stressed wondering how they were going to get it done. The story line of the serial killer - every time he met with someone or took a girl on a date - would this be the time he got rid of them. I must say I certainly got my $s worth in reading this book. It was the July selection for our Book Club - great choice. A great read and enjoyable. Great discussions after.

This book mixes history and true crime in a way that keeps you turning the pages. The parts about the Chicago World’s Fair are fascinating, and the darker storyline running alongside it is unbelievable at times. It reads more like a novel than a history book, which makes it easy to get pulled in. If you like real stories that feel almost too crazy to be true, this one is worth it.

Ein absolut faszinierendes Buch, das einem die Zeit der Jahrhundertwende in Chicago nahebringt. Auch ohne den Plot des psychopathischen Frauenmörders hochinteressant. Wer einen klassischen Krimi erwartet, könnte enttäuscht sein, wer offen dafür ist, ein Stück Zeitgeschichte zu erleben, den wird die Fülle der Informationen und die lebendige Schreibweise sicher begeistern.

A hugely enjoyable, readable and informative book on a subject that would not necessarily sell itself from the bookshelves. The Devil in the White City is a history of the bidding, creation and construction of the Chicago World Fair 1893, the Columbine Festival in honour of the 500th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of the new world. Much attention was focused on the largest cities in the USA as they vied for the honour of hosting the world fair. In the end Chicago is victorious, and the city elects one of its own most successful sons to be the lead architect. On the dark side on this balanced, Tao-like book is the story of Dr H.H. Holmes. This gentleman has the dubious honour of being America's first recorded serial killer. His 'career' mirrored the construction at the world fair, and of course took place just a stones throw from the festival's building site. It reached its apogee as the country's attention was focused on Chicago, and the details would shock a still naïve country. Erik Larson is a spectacularly lucid writer. One imagines that whatever he turns his pen to will come out as gold plated as this. Whilst it might seem that the machinations over the building of a world fair over 100 years ago would not survive as a matter of interest, Larson proves that a book is as interesting as the person telling the story. Larson uses key historical details, diaries, letters, weather reports and newspapers to evoke a complete world and bygone age. He tells us of the moods, health conditions and character of the people involved and even whether they would have been rained or shone on by careful dredging of meteorological records. An example of the gloriously pleasing phraseology is his description of various meals which the worthies of the city treated themselves to. After reproducing the menu in its entirety, Larson notes wryly that it was a wonder that the city's leading dignatories had working arteries at all. In a a similar vein Larson wonders whether the plan for an extending, pneumatic tower should have featured a bordello rather than the planned café. It is in switching between the two stories, that of destruction and creation, building and cruelty, wonder and death that the book really wins. There is an amazing pace fashioned out of the knowledge that both stories are hurtling to vastly different end points - worldwide success for the fair and the discovery of Holmes's brutal crimes. Accompanied by the forensic eye for research and detail, a silken writing style and a story of fascinating personalities it is certain that this book is one of the best narrative histories I have had the pleasure to read. I am going to enjoy seeing if his subsequent books are as readable.