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The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America |  | Author: Erik Larson
Publisher: Vintage
List Price: $15.00
Buy Used: $0.69
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You Save: $14.31 (95%)
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Seller: snowlionbooks
Rating:  888 reviews
Sales Rank: 512
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Pages: 447
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0375725601
Dewey Decimal Number: 364.15230977311
EAN: 9780375725609
ASIN: 0375725601
Publication Date: February 10, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | ISBN13: 9780375725609 | | • | Condition: NEW | | • | Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. |
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| Also Available In:
| • | Paperback - The Devil In The White City - Murder, Magic, And Madness At Teh Fair That Changed America | | • | Paperback - The Devil In The White City | | • | Turtleback - Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, And Madness at the Fair That Changed America | | • | Hardcover - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America | | • | Audio Cassette - The Devil in the White City | | • | Audio CD - The Devil in the White City | | • | Audio CD - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, Madness, and the Fair that Changed America (Illinois) | | • | Audio Cassette - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic & Madness and the Fair that Changed America (Illinois) | | • | Audio CD - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, Madness, and the Fair that Changed America | | • | Audio CD - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America | | • | Hardcover - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America | | • | Paperback - THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY | | • | Hardcover - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed | | • | Library Binding - The Devil In The White City: Murder, Magic, And Madness At The Fair That Changed America (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) | | • | Audio Download - The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America | | • | Audio Download - The Devil in the White City (Unabridged) | | • | Kindle Edition - The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America | | • | Hardcover - The Devil in the White City |
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Product Description
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.
Amazon.com Review
Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that The Devil in the White City is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing. --John Moe
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 888
 On The Devil in the White City March 10, 2010
Chase M. Turner (Minneapolis, MN)
Set in the chaos of late nineteenth century Chicago, Devil in the White City is one of the most meticulously researched and engrossing books I've read in years. It's a page turner. I would be reading on a week night and look up to find it was 4 am. The book hones in on two fascinating events of the late 1800s: architect Daniel Burnham and the construction of the World's Fair, and the notorious serial killer H.H. Holmes. Chicago at the time was full of dualities, simultaneously a place of wild possibility and total despair. Burnham (and many others, including Olmsted, who designed Central Park) set out to achieve the impossible against all odds, creating a "white city" set against the backdrop of a dark and rough metropolis. Concurrently, Holmes preys on naive young women coming to the city seeking adventure and opportunity, constructing a "murder castle" in which he would slowly lure in his victims and murder them.
Recommendation: This book encompasses so many interesting facts and subjects, it's got something for everyone. Highly recommended.
Loved the World's Fair of 1893 with the Ferris Wheel-Fascinating! March 8, 2010
carol irvin (United States)
I expected to like the serial killer aspect of this work the best. However, I found myself totally captivated instead by all the details of getting the World's Fair of 1893 underway in Chicago. The Ferris Wheel was invented for this fair as American engineers vied to come up with something at least as good as the Eiffel Tower, made for the Paris Expo (by Ferris of Pittsburg). Bill Cody had his Wild West show next door to the fair and it was wildly successful. The planning for the fair was incredible. The difficulties were enormous. Health problems affected the project on every level. On one hand, there were constant worries about protecting against typhus and cholera outbreaks. On another level, the men in their 50s and 60s in charge of the fair had medical problems which couldn't be fixed so they just suffered or, even worse, one of them would just die upon getting anything the least serious. One pivotal person was knocked out just by needing an appendectomy. It killed him. Although the city was covered in grime from coal and gas lamps, electricity was brought to the world's fair. That alone made everything look spectacular. I would love to get into a time capsule, see the fair for a day or two, get right back in and come back to modern life. This is because the fair is super intriguing and it would be quite an experience. However, we would find the privations of living back then unendurable for more than that. There is a serial killer with his own hotel adjacent to the World's Fair. He's pretty interesting but not really necessary to the outstanding detail of the World's Fair.
 Wanted more develped serial killer storyline March 7, 2010
Rachel McElhany (http://chaosisafriendofmine.typepad.com)
This book alternated between the construction of the Chicago World's Fair and the story of H.H. Holmes a serial killer operating in Chicago at the same time.
I was a lot more interested in the serial killer story line than the World's Fair construction story line. It brought back my high school days when I read true crime almost exclusively. Because the serial killer part was less than half of the book, I didn't feel like it was developed as it could have been.
Architecture buffs will like the construction story line more than I did I'm sure. I had trouble keeping all of the different men who were involved straight and some of the more technical references went over my head.
 Thrifit March 7, 2010
Cle Thompson
I did not receive the book I ordered. When I contacted Thrifit they responded very quickly and refunded my money immediately. Based on their customer service, I would give them another try.
More "City" less "Devil" March 4, 2010
M. Ruble (Iowa)
First, let me say how impressed I was with Erik Larson's research into the stories he weaves in this book. He's obviously taken a lot of time and energy to get things right. Even if the author wasn't in every World's Fair Planning meeting or watching the evil H.H. Holmes murdering one of his victims you still get a sense that "this happened" and he backs up his quotes with their sources at the end of the story, which flies along nicely for the most part.
The "White City" part of this book focuses on the Chicago's World's Fair and the hustle and bustle and fighting and clawing to get it up and running. No one, even those in charge, thought it could be pulled off and the progression and setbacks of this monumental undertaking are fascinating to read about. To think that all this took place at the turn of the 20th century is amazing, and shows how far we've come. "Worlds fair" like theme parks are all over the country and many of them pull ideas from this first grand event in our nations history. These chapters, focusing mainly on Charles Burnham and his crew of men who put the Colombian Exposition together is the best part of the book and the chapters I wanted to read the most. You feel the joy and anticipation as the fair opens and the loss when it comes to a close. You hold your breath as the Ferris Wheel makes its first unsteady turn.
The "Devil" of the book is maniacal serial killer H.H. Holmes, who murdered anywhere between 8 to 200 women, men, and children during after and before the fair came to Chicago. no one is sure of the exact figure.I felt these parts of the book were less interesting, which is surprising considering the lunacy that Holmes managed to pull off. He conned his way into money and into woman's hearts only to stab everyone in the back and move on using his wits and charm to lure everyone into his traps. Truly creepy.
I just wonder if Larson didn't feel his story was too "feel-good" and threw Holmes in as a yang to the Fairs ying. The details, while accurate as possible, are more fuzzy with Holmes story. Some of this is because Holmes killed many of his witnesses, but I felt Larson held back when it came to the grisly parts of his book. After doing some more research into the actual depravity of Holmes I found Larson's portrayal of his sick tendencies very PG. If he was going to make almost half his book about a serial killer you might as well make it about the blood and guts and sexual arousal Dr. Holmes's story intailed. I kept finding myself speed reading the parts about the back-stories of Holmes many many victims to read more about the Fair. That was where Larson had me enchanted.
This book could have been about nothing else but the Fair and been much better in my opinion. It likely wouldn't have sold as well, but it would have felt more put together and less jumpy. Larson is like a juggler in his book trying to keep track of at least 5 main characters, and I feel like the juggling act was a bit much for him at times. All that being said, this book is still a great read and a fun history lesson come to life. Four stars for sure.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 888
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