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

Especially in light of the current spectacle that is the 2008 Olympics held in China - Devil in the White City is a fascinating read. The book tells a story of the quest to outdo the Paris World's Fair at which the Eiffel Tower was showcased. The book also tells of the stark contrast between the "white" and "black" cities - both a part of the landscape. The story of H.H. Holmes is an eerie tale of evil that is part of the white city, which is thus not as pure as it seems. Just as the U.S. emerged at the turn of the century with newfound respect of having accomplished the impossible (even with the fair's flaws), today we are seeing China strive to present itself as a thoroughly modern and capable of making the impossible come true. Very topical read with present day themes that are hard to miss.

Loved it from start to finish! Wanted it to never end. As an enthusiest of non-fiction, I was pleased with all of the interesting tidbits of history as well as the main "plot". I never review anything but this is worth spreading the news about. Read it 1st, then get the audio CD for a trip. I could read it again and again.

Not too many people these days have heard of the infamous Doctor HH Holmes or the Columbian Exposition. Both were major news stories over a hundred years ago, but now are forgotten.

This book aims to change that, and it does so admirably. You get a real feeling of what life was like in Chicago and, indeed, much of America in the Guilded Age. You also see that serial killers like John Wayne Gacey, Ted Bundy and others are hardly a new development in crime.

What I found particularly fascinating about this story was reading about the logistics involved in creating something like the Columbian Exposition. It must've been a wonderful sight to see! I only wish it had survived into the modern age.

If, like me, you have an interest in the Guilded Age I could hardly find a book I'd recommend more! An excellent read.

Larson captures the best and worst of mankind. Two bigger than life men, Daniel Burnham and H.H.Holmes set about creating beauty or destroying life on grand scales. Both were successful and both had setbacks.
Burnham was the visionary who was largely responsible for the success of the 1893 Chicago Worlds' Fair, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the New World. Holmes took advantage of (mostly) vulnerable women who made their way to Chicago on their own, killing them when he tired of them.
The story of the fair or of the slaughters would have been interesting books on their own. Weaving the tales took away from the story of the fair. While the fair was the background that enabled Holmes to have his pick from thousands of potential subjects, the detail of the how the fair developed didn't add to the story of the slaughters.
Larson is a good writer, but I would have preferred that he wrote two separate books.

If you believe truth is stranger than fiction, then this book is for you. No fiction writer can make up the strangeness that is history. Excellently written.