I've been meaning to read this book for years, I'm glad I finally got around to it! This year we are celebrating architect Daniel Burnham's plan for Chicago, which ensured the lakefront remained the gem it is today. Before that, however, he made his name by designing and building the Columbian Exposition -- a world's fair that was, at the time, the greatest ever. The impetus behind the fair was a strong national desire to eclipse the Paris Exposition, where the Eiffel Tower was the marvel of the show. By the time politicians all agreed and funding and location was secured, Burnham had only about two years to construct his vision, which featured among other things, the first Ferris Wheel.

Meanwhile, nearby a young, charismatic man changes his name to H.H. Holmes, begins down the path of a swindler only to wind up a notorious serial killer, more insidious than his English contemporary Jack the Ripper, as these weren't random acts of violence, but calculated plots involving people he knew that had trusted him.

The Devil in the White City narrates the two stories (and a third involving an attorney who went off his nut and assassinated the mayor) to highlight the dichotomy of the era. On one hand, there was the monumental accomplishment of the fair, bringing world renown to the city and country. On the other, there was the shadowy "black city" of what was and what was yet to come -- corruption, violence, soul-sucking industry, and poverty. It reads like a fascinating novel -- yet it all really happened. I'm interested in reading more about Burnham -- Holmes? Not so much. There aren't many characters in history more fundamentally evil. ( )

I knew virtually nothing about the Chicago World's Fair before I started this book. And, honestly, I didn't think I cared. Was I ever wrong!

Erik Larson paints a vivid picture of what Chicago was like in the late 1800s. He weaves the personal tales of the architects who designed the fair into the story with meticulous research. During the time of the fair, a prolific serial killer lived and worked in Chicago. His incredible story is told here as well.

Larson is an excellent writer and kept me involved throughout the book. I found the style sort of a cross between nonfiction and historical fiction. The "characters" came to life on the pages, as if I was living during this crazy period in history. ( )

This is really two books. One is the story of Daniel Burnham and the construction of the World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago world's fair. The other is about serial killer H. H. Holmes. Other than time and place, the two stories have almost nothing in common, but this doesn't distract from the book as a whole. This is nonfiction written like a novel, with vivid details and memorable characters. I was completely sucked in, perhaps all the more because I knew it was true. I never realized just how much modern popular culture stems from this fair. The story of Holmes was fascinating as well, to the point where I'm kind of surprised I'd never heard of him. Definitely recommended to anyone with an interest in this time period. ( )

Larson brings this period in America's history to life with his gripping story-telling. He relates the parallel stories of Burnham, the architect of the White City, and Holmes, the "Devil" who murders young women and children in and around the time of the World Fair. Very well-researched and well-written! ( )

I really liked this book (though some on my one book selection committee did not agree and found it a bit of a bore.) Architects, Chicago World's Fair, serial murderer, what more could i ask for?
The time is Chicago at the turn of the century and Larson interweaves the story of the architects designing the World's Fair buildings with H. Holmes, a serial murderer running amuck in the city. Oddly enough i found the architecture stuff more interesting with the serial murder... ( )

Reviewed by K. Osborn Sullivan for TeensReadToo.com

In 1893, Chicago was gearing up for its shining moment on the international stage. The city had been selected to host the World's Fair, beating out New York and a number of other American contenders. A prominent local architect, Daniel Burnham, had taken the reins to organize and construct the massive project. He assembled a dream team of architects, landscapers, engineers, and other professionals to help pull the fair together. Certainly Chicago could outdo the Paris Fair, which had been a worldwide success years earlier.

Unfortunately for Burnham and his team, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Due to a lack of organization and bickering among the committees responsible for the fair, construction began far later than it should have. Partially completed buildings blew over and burned down. Union workers threatened strikes. One sideshow act showed up a year early, while another (which was believed to be made up of cannibals) killed the man sent to retrieve them and never showed up at all. And there was a monster on the loose. A man who used the chaos of Chicago at this time in history to conceal the murders of dozens of people - many of them young, single women. A man who constructed a building with stolen money, then used the building as a slaughterhouse to lure, kill, and dispose of his victims.

THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY is a terrific book. It is nonfiction, but it reads like a novel. The real-life details of this story seem almost too bizarre to be true, yet this is one example of the old saying that "truth is stranger than fiction." The author, Erik Larson, even includes a lengthy section at the back where he documents his facts and explains his suppositions.

The book's chapters alternate between the World's Fair and the exploits of serial killer, Dr. H.H. Holmes. I found myself enjoying both stories, as they ran parallel throughout the book. The Herculean task of putting together the fair in record time was fascinating, and the sociopathic actions of Dr. Holmes were chilling. It made for a brilliant contrast - just when the frustrations of the Fair seemed overwhelming, the book switched to Dr. Holmes as he lured yet another young woman into his web. And just when Dr. Holmes' evil seemed too much to bear, the chapter would end and the reader would be back at the World's Fair dealing with political back stabbing, instead of Holmes' more literal variety.

I rarely read nonfiction, but this book came highly recommended to me, so I gave it a try. I'm so glad I did, too. It offers a wonderful historical perspective on Chicago and the world near the close of the 19th century. For a Chicago-area native like me, its frequent mentions of famous local names, like Burnham and Adler and Marshall Field, that still grace street signs and the sides of buildings, were an added treat. Just a brief word of warning, though: it does contain some of the dreaded "adult themes." Some of Dr. Holmes' crimes are described - although not too graphically - and they might be upsetting for "younger or more sensitive" readers.

I strongly recommend THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY to anyone who enjoys an engrossing, well-written story, whether they normally read fiction or nonfiction. In particular, if readers have a book report in school, this book should be considered. It makes history come alive. ( )

fun read.

non-fiction, adult, read, audio, Chicago, serial killer, murder, history, architecture ( )

Not nearly as much about H.H. Holmes/Mudgett as I would have thought, but a fascinating read about the politics and pressures of architecture in the U.S. in the late 19th century. I'd been to many of the places remaining and had no idea they were part of the fair -- and in fact didn't know there *had* been a fair until I saw the book. Would gladly read this again. ( )

This book was little on the gruesome side, but fascinating nonetheless. The facts about the World's Fair at which this story takes place are interesting and informative. I love a book that teaches me something while entertaining me, and this book does just that. ( )

A suspenseful read infused with historical facts about Chicago. The title says it all: murder, magic and madness. A page-turner I thoroughly enjoyed. ( )

While I found the dual stories distracting, as though I were reading two seperate books at once, both stories were facinating and all the more interesting since they are based on true characters. The Devil in the White city follows the lives of the famous architect Daniel Burnham and famous mass murderer H.H. Holmes as they lead their lives in 1800's Chicago. The setting is late 1800's Chicago during the years leading up to the World"s Fair. The theme is man's relationship to man as we see the contrasts and similarities between two different men driven by opposing goals, My background is in the sciences rather than engineering so I found the scientific/medical details of the Holmes story more facinating than the architectural details of Burnham's accomplishments. Both stories were thrilling to follow and find out how the plot would resolve. From a LMC perspective, this book would be good for the high school LMC, but a bit too difficult for the middle school LMC. The subject setting and plot tie in perfectly with upper high school social sciences curriculum. ( )

http://wheretheresallison.blogspot.co... ( )

I can't read anymore of the monstrous killer Holmes. ( )

This is a great book. Larson has a gift for weaving facts into a captivating story that reads like a page turning novel. ( )

Devil In the White City is really two stories intertwined in one. Historically it describes the city of Chicago as it builds and prepares for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, notably introducing Daniel Burnham and his dreams. The other story, dark and detailed, relates the sinister life of serial killer H.H. Holmes during that same time, luring young girls into his lair. I learned much about Chicago by reading this book and used this knowledge to recommend a similar less dark tale, A Long Way From Chicago and Fair Weather, both by Richard Peck, to fourth graders.

This book was very informative on how the 1893 Chicago World's Fair came about and all the many conficts, events and mysteries that accompanied it. I couldn't put it down! ( )

Well, Larson did it again in this book. He takes an event from history, one that has many gruesome and tragic aspects, and weaves an amazing story. Much of the book was dedicated to the horrors committed by one H.H. Holmes. At least, Holmes was one of many names used by this murderer.

I find myself having difficulty finding descriptive words for this man. If you read the book, you will understand why, as simply confirming him as a killer, does not come close to describing what he did.

Once again, however, Larson manages to tell a good story, and to bring history to life along with the tale of tragedy. This time, it is the story of the the creation and eventually the destruction of the Chicago World's Fair, and those who dedicated an important part of their lives to building it. In this way, with the story of Holmes is embedded within another story, and the feeling of horror and the gruesome activities of this man are somehow eased. Rather than being left with only repugnance as otherwise would be the case. this man is a storyteller of extraordinary talent. ( )

Review by Lludmilla Mirrikh
Larson has used the Simon Winchester trick of starting with the very end of the story and then suddenly starting over. Okay, maybe other people use that, I just associate it with Winchester. He chooses to tell two stories, one of the creation of the Columbian Exhibition in Chicago and the serial-killer-next-door (inevitably bringing to mind The Professor and the Madman). Both narratives, I suppose, could be called stories of obsession. The building of the White City is tacitly compared with the building of the serial killer's dreamhouse-of-death, also making the comparison between Burnham and Holmes.
Both stories are engrossing and II rate this pretty highly considering how much I complain about it. Holmes's part of the story reads more like fiction. I have made, consequently, more notes on the notes themselves than for the narrative. How can we know what Holmes was thinking? And if he wrote a memoir or confession (which of course he did), how can we trust the word of a psychopath? How can we know the details of how one of his victims died and his reaction? I take issue with this. Oh, it's evocative and thrilling and all, but can it be called non-fiction?
In the notes, Larson gives his excuses, which I still find thin. He makes speculations based on other people's speculations or "improves" on other people's speculations. I would also complain about the ghoulishness of writing about this, but I can't because I read Caleb Carr ... and then scoff that characters like that don't exist in real life. Guess I can't do that anymore.
I recommend this book to peope who like Caleb Carr's thrillers/mysteries and Simon Winchester's non-fiction.

I was unexpectedly pleased when I read this book. The setting was unusual and lent the book and unique historical perspective. The 1893 World's Fair offered a great backdrop to the more involved stories of the main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in a combination of murder mystery and historical fiction. ( )

This is an unusual book, a cross between a historical account of the 1893 world's fair and a true crime page-turner about a serial killer, written in novel form. Most of the book deals with architect Daniel Burnham's struggle to build the white city and, since I am an architect, it's no surprise that Burnham's story is what grabbed me about the book. For me, the sections dealing with H. H. Holmes's murder spree were a captivating interlude.

I think that The Devil in the White City would appeal to a wide range of people - architects and designers , true crime lovers, anyone who enjoys early Americana. But I will warn you that this book does get into some unpleasant territory and may not appeal to everyone.

http://archthinking.blogspot.com/2009... ( )

#14 The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Awesome! Brilliant! Totally absorbing. Who would have thought so much was involved in the creation of the 1893 World's Fair held in Chicago? Who would have guessed that so many innovative items, such as the ferris wheel, the Pledge of Allegiance and Shredded Wheat to name a few, were introduced at this fair, Nothing was going to stop this fair from brightening the shores of Lake Michigan not chaos, sickness, missed deadlines, suicides, the faltering economy nor freak storms hindered the opening as scheduled.
Behind all the action going on in Jefferson Park there was a sordid side to Chicago. Many people new to the area were never heard from again. One person responsible for these disappearances was a man by the name of Dr. Henry Holmes. He's charming and handsome....a real lady killer so to speak and his story is gruesome and sad.
Larson transitions so easily between both story lines that you can hardly tell it's happening. I highly recommend this story and will be on the look out for more of Larson's work. Thanks to Stasia for her recommendation. Lucky me, read three 5 star books in a row! ( )

This book reads like fiction and has some great facts about the World's Fair in Chicago while leading you through the mind of a serial killer. ( )

This is a well written book, but can only be called History Lite. It is geared to the short attention span readers who just want the juicy gossip and really aren't interested in all of the messy details of building an entire ephemeral city in months. The juxtaposition of the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 and the serial killer who lived nearby and took advantage of the insatiable need for housing was clever, but took away some of the drama of the builders who suffered to erect the Fair. The extreme conditions of poverty and pollution in the real city was gruesome enough. I would have liked to have read much more about the Fair or Chicago and seen many more pictures, rather than have been distracted by the body count. ( )

I loved Larson's first book, Isaac's Storm, but this one just didn't do it for me. Larson has two parallel stories going on at the same time. Granted the world's fair and Holmes murder spree took place at the same time and Holmes did live close to the world's fairgrounds but so what. I never understood why Larsen felt these two occurances had so much in common, and that what they had in common was of any significance.
Larson's use of foreshadowing got pretty ridiculous, as did his waiting to disclose certain facts, like the engineer who was building the great wheel, oh by the way, just happened to be named Ferris. ( )