Erik Larson (1) (1954–)
Author of The Devil in the White City
For other authors named Erik Larson, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Erik Larson was born in Brooklyn on January 3, 1954. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania and went to graduate school at Columbia University. Larson worked for the Wall Street Journal and then began writing non-fiction books. He is the bestselling author of the National show more Book Award finalist and Edgar Award-winning, The Devil in the White City, which has been optioned for a feature film by Leonardo DiCaprio. He also wrote In the Garden of the Beasts, Issac's Storm, Thunderstruck and The Naked Consumer. Larson has taught non-fiction writing at San Francisco State University, the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and the University of Oregon. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Steve Campion (benjfrank)
Works by Erik Larson
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin (2011) 7,411 copies
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz (2020) 2,907 copies
Associated Works
5 Books! 1) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time 2) I Capture the Castle 3) The Glass Castle 4) The Devil… (2001) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1954-01-03
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Places of residence
- Freeport, New York, USA
Bristol, Pennsylvania, USA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
San Francisco, California, USA
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Seattle, Washington, USA - Education
- University of Pennsylvania (Russian History, 1976)
Columbia University (Graduate School of Journalism, 1978) - Occupations
- journalist
teacher
writer - Relationships
- Gleason, Christine (wife)
- Organizations
- The Wall Street Journal
Time - Agent
- David Black
- Short biography
- Erik Larson (born January 3, 1954) is an American journalist and author of nonfiction books. He has written a number of bestsellers, including The Devil in the White City, Dead Wake, In the Garden of Beasts, Thunderstruck, and Isaac's Storm (2003), about the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and a series of murders by H. H. Holmes that were committed in the city around the time of the Fair. The Devil in the White City won the 2004 Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category, among other awards.
Erik Larson (born January 3, 1954) is an American journalist and author of nonfiction books. He has written a number of bestsellers, including The Devil in the White City (2003), about the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and a series of murders by H. H. Holmes that were committed in the city around the time of the Fair. The Devil in the White City won the 2004 Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category, among other awards.
Larson has taught non-fiction writing at San Francisco State University, the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and the University of Oregon, and he has spoken to audiences across the United States.
Larson has lived in Philadelphia; Bristol, Pennsylvania; San Francisco; and Baltimore. He and his wife have three daughters. They reside in New York City and maintain a home in Seattle, Washington.
Members
Discussions
Question about Erik Larsen in Non-Fiction Readers (May 2015)
History; Nonfiction; True Crime; Erik Larson; Daniel Stashower in If You Like Then You Will Love (July 2013)
Reviews
Starts off very, very slow. So slow, I almost stopped reading it. But then picks up about 60% through. Not his best work and I am a huge fan. I was going to rate it 2 stars but as I said, it picked up to earn a 3-star rating.
Twenty years later and I have finally read this book! It was worth the wait. It has Chicago, a world's fair--the greatest of them--full of interesting characters and talented men and women who brought together a sum of creative genius rarely equaled in so sublime a way, a madman disappointed that a corrupt political system refused to offer him spoils he felt he'd rightly earned, and a psychopathic serial killer who used the fair as an opportunity to prey upon those unfortunate to fall into his (inexplicable) power.
Larson's book is a real-life page turner that shows a moment of humanity at both its pinnacle and its nadir at the same place and time--accentuating the achievement and the depravity of both. In some ways, this could easily have been two separate books. There is no inherent necessity to raise the murders and machinations of Mudgett/Holmes to the same narrative plane as the productive genius and striving of Burnham, Olmstead, Sullivan, Ferris, Cody, et al. making the impossible a reality. In some ways, the juxtaposition elevates Holmes unjustly while bringing the Fair down just as unjustly.
That flaw aside, this book is compelling, well researched and written. It is crafted more like a novel than a historical monograph--and that certainly accounts for its accolades and urgency. As long as you don't find either half of the book (intertwined in alternating chapters for most of the book) inherently uninteresting, this will be a pretty thrilling read.… (more)
Larson's book is a real-life page turner that shows a moment of humanity at both its pinnacle and its nadir at the same place and time--accentuating the achievement and the depravity of both. In some ways, this could easily have been two separate books. There is no inherent necessity to raise the murders and machinations of Mudgett/Holmes to the same narrative plane as the productive genius and striving of Burnham, Olmstead, Sullivan, Ferris, Cody, et al. making the impossible a reality. In some ways, the juxtaposition elevates Holmes unjustly while bringing the Fair down just as unjustly.
That flaw aside, this book is compelling, well researched and written. It is crafted more like a novel than a historical monograph--and that certainly accounts for its accolades and urgency. As long as you don't find either half of the book (intertwined in alternating chapters for most of the book) inherently uninteresting, this will be a pretty thrilling read.… (more)
1 
JohnLocke84 | 686 other reviews | Nov 17, 2023 |
JohnLocke84 | 686 other reviews | Nov 17, 2023 | 
This is an oddly fascinating book. Erik Larsen knows how to take non-fiction and make it sing. In this book, he follows the career of the Dodds, who were posted to Berlin in 1934, as Hitler rose to power. Mr. Dodd was the somewhat unprepared American ambassador to Berlin, a staunchly moral man adrift in changing values, terrifying developments, and diplomatic dancing. His daughter, Martha Dodds, also had a significant effect on developments through these years, her affairs with Germans and Russians putting her father in difficult circumstances and jittering nerves throughout Europe.
This book describes a little known part of the turmoil around the start of WW2, and though, unfortunately, it seems to indicate that only the Americans had any power in the area to push back against Hitler (a common US arrogance), I found the description of the times fascinating, and Dodds an interesting and likeable character.… (more)
This book describes a little known part of the turmoil around the start of WW2, and though, unfortunately, it seems to indicate that only the Americans had any power in the area to push back against Hitler (a common US arrogance), I found the description of the times fascinating, and Dodds an interesting and likeable character.… (more)
Lists
Boy Protagonists (1)
Chicago Books (1)
Unread books (1)
Carole's List (1)
Book Club 2018 (1)
My TBR list (1)
Page Turners (1)
True Crime (2)
To Read (2)
Disaster Books (1)
Allie's Wishlist (1)
Edgar Award (1)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 12
- Also by
- 1
- Members
- 45,937
- Popularity
- #350
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 1,718
- ISBNs
- 274
- Languages
- 18
- Favorited
- 112
Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game.… (more)