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Devil in the White City : Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson (2004, Trade Paperback)
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Experience the thrilling true story of The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. This trade paperback by Erik Larson delves into the intertwining lives of a cunning serial killer and the architect behind the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. The book takes you on a journey through the history of architecture, true crime, and social science, spanning 464 pages of captivating storytelling. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group in 2004, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the dark side of American history.
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN-100375725601
ISBN-139780375725609
eBay Product ID (ePID)4606076
Product Key Features
Book TitleDevil in the White City : Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
Number of Pages464 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicMurder / General, United States / 19th Century, Murder / Serial Killers, Individual Architects & Firms / General, United States / State & Local / MidWest (IA, Il, in, Ks, Mi, MN, Mo, Nd, Ne, Oh, Sd, Wi), Sociology / Urban
Publication Year2004
IllustratorYes
GenreTrue Crime, Architecture, Social Science, History
AuthorErik Larson
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height1 in
Item Weight12.8 Oz
Item Length8 in
Item Width5.2 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2002-154046
TitleLeadingThe
Reviews"Engrossing . . . exceedingly well documented . . . utterly fascinating." Chicago Tribune "A dynamic, enveloping book. . . . Relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramtic effect of a novel. . . . It doesn't hurt that this truth is stranger than fiction." --The New York Times "So good, you find yourself asking how you could not know this already." Esquire "Another successful exploration of American history. . . . Larson skillfully balances the grisly details with the far-reaching implications of the World's Fair." USA Today "As absorbing a piece of popular history as one will ever hope to find." San Francisco Chronicle "Paints a dazzling picture of the Gilded Age and prefigure the American century to come." Entertainment Weekly "A wonderfully unexpected book. . . Larson is a historian . . . with a novelist's soul." Chicago Sun-Times, "Engrossing . . . exceedingly well documented . . . utterly fascinating." -- Chicago Tribune "A dynamic, enveloping book. . . . Relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramatic effect of a novel. . . . It doesn't hurt that this truth is stranger than fiction." -- The New York Times "So good, you find yourself asking how you could not know this already." -- Esquire "Another successful exploration of American history. . . . Larson skillfully balances the grisly details with the far-reaching implications of the World's Fair." -- USA Today "As absorbing a piece of popular history as one will ever hope to find." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Paints a dazzling picture of the Gilded Age and prefigure the American century to come." -- Entertainment Weekly "A wonderfully unexpected book. . . Larson is a historian . . . with a novelist's soul." -- Chicago Sun-Times, "Engrossing . . . exceedingly well documented . . . utterly fascinating." -- Chicago Tribune "A dynamic, enveloping book. . . . Relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramatic effect of a novel. . . . It doesn't hurt that this truth is stranger than fiction." -- The New York Times "So good, you find yourself asking how you could not know this already." -- Esquire "Another successful exploration of American history. . . . Larson skillfully balances the grisly details with the far-reaching implications of the World's Fair." -- USA Today "As absorbing a piece of popular history as one will ever hope to find." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Paint[s] a dazzling picture of the Gilded Age and prefigure[s] the American century to come." -- Entertainment Weekly "A wonderfully unexpected book. . . Larson is a historian . . . with a novelist's soul." -- Chicago Sun-Times, "Engrossing . . . exceedingly well documented . . . utterly fascinating." -Chicago Tribune "A dynamic, enveloping book. . . . Relentlessly fuses history and entertainment to give this nonfiction book the dramtic effect of a novel. . . . It doesn't hurt that this truth is stranger than fiction." --The New York Times "So good, you find yourself asking how you could not know this already." -Esquire "Another successful exploration of American history. . . . Larson skillfully balances the grisly details with the far-reaching implications of the World's Fair."-USA Today "As absorbing a piece of popular history as one will ever hope to find."-San Francisco Chronicle "Paints a dazzling picture of the Gilded Age and prefigure the American century to come."-Entertainment Weekly "A wonderfully unexpected book. . . Larson is a historian . . . with a novelist's soul."-Chicago Sun-Times From the Trade Paperback edition.
Dewey Edition22
Dewey Decimal364.1523092
SynopsisThis New York Times bestseller intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair 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. 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. 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., #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST * From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile comes the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the cunning serial killer who used the magic and majesty of the fair to lure his victims to their death. "As absorbing a piece of popular history as one will ever hope to find." -- San Francisco Chronicle A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Century * A Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of the Last 30 Years 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. 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 the enchantment of the Guilded Age, 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. 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., #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER - NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST - From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile comes the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the cunning serial killer who used the magic and majesty of the fair to lure his victims to their death. "As absorbing a piece of popular history as one will ever hope to find." -- San Francisco Chronicle A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Century - A Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of the Last 30 Years 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. 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 the enchantment of the Guilded Age, 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. 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.
LC Classification NumberHV6248.M8 L37 2003
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Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Sep 08, 2016
Excellent true story and how America has benefited from the Chicago's World Fair.
This is an accurate account of the task set before Chicago and it's architects to show the world that they could build a World's Fair within a short period of time. It is absolutely intriguing at every step of it progress and the lives of the people that helped bring this major event happen. It also brings to light all the products and inventions that the world still benefits from today. It tells the story of a diabolical, smooth talking murderer who used this opportunity to kill mass amounts of people for his enjoyment and profit. Many of his victims were lured to Chicago by the hopes of employment, adventure and possibilities. It is a book that you can not put down!! Great author. This is the second book that I have read by Erik Larson and he is an exceptional author who brings to light well researched history.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Sep 14, 2018
How much fun can one reader take?
This is a story that is well written and actually fun to read! This is more a history book made into story form. There is no plot as the theme follows the history line of actual facts. The facts and points of interest are wondrous and simply staggering. All of which make this read that more enjoyable. Furthermore, adding this book to your library, for future reference, can actually make your library worthy of showing off. It will be a constant source of confirmation to one's sense of being educated. Eric Larson (the author) has written several books in a like manner but I have not actually read them. However, if "The Devil..." is any indication of the level & amount of enjoyment available, then the series is a year's worth of entertainment waiting to be explored!
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Aug 04, 2019
Amazing read
This is the 2nd time I’ve purchased this book after my dog mistook it for a chew toy. But will be the 3rd time I’ve read it. Why? Because it’s amazing. The writer mixes fiction and history so wonderfully you forget it is a story about a horrible man doing horrible things but yet also a story about the making of an enchanted city of years gone past. Makes me wish I was born 80 years earlier. And for the price vs purchasing new ..... it’s a wonderful dealVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Mar 13, 2019
Fascinating history of the Chicago world’s fair and a serial killer
If you are looking for a book just about the 1893 Chicago World‘s Fair *or* just about a serial killer, this isn’t it. The book recounts how the fair came about as well as a gruesome history of a madman. There is great detail in both stories. I really enjoyed this book ( I like history). The book made me search eBay for more artifacts from that era which I happily found. The book is compelling and not difficult to read. Should have been made into a movie.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Jan 08, 2020
The Devil in the White City
Describes the Chicago Columbian Exhibition (world's fari) and includes parallel chapters of mass murderer H.H.Holmes. The world's fair featured beautiful buildings and landscape including canals and islands, and the first mass demonstration of electric lighting, Holmes murdered using gruesome measures. His body count, impossible to pinpoint, was between 29 and 200, mostly young women. He did them in at his personal chamber of horrors.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Jul 27, 2016
Great book that holds you spell bound.
This is an excellent read recommended to me by my daughter. It is full of history and actual events. The author has written this so well that the book is hard to put down. I highly recommend it.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Mar 02, 2022
Devil was in White City
The book came in excellent condition. It's a long read, yet compelling content and provides details I have not read in other books about the challenges of building the first American World's Fair. And you learn some new terms as well with some of the architectural details.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- May 19, 2020
Interesting
I Learned about the Chicago worlds Fair in the first part of the book. The second was based on the serial killer. An odd combination. Happy I read it. Not sure if I would recommend it.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Aug 15, 2017
Devil in the White City
I read a lot of nonfiction, so some books tend to be difficult to read due to academic style of writing. DWC reads smoothly and has a clear style of writing not seen in most nonfiction. Erik Larson is a great writer and has it down pat. His style of writing flows without becoming entangled in names, times, and places.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Jul 04, 2017
Great True Story
Very interesting with a lot of info about the building of the Worlds Fair including the trials and tribulations. And the story of Dr. Holmes the first serial killer.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
