The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
This 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.
BUY THE BOOK
These clubs recently read this book...
Community Reviews
Read when it first came out. I have a degree in City Planning and practiced in planning and related field for 40 years, I found the world's fair info fascinating, but it did read like two separate books
Took me years to finish this book. I stalled out in the middle, but finally completed it. Two true stories intertwined around the quest to being the World's Fair to Chicago. Reveals so much about people's character and how their ambition drives them to various depths of genius, depravity and desperation. H.H. Holmes' Murder Castle Hotel is creepy and fascinating.
Discover the magic behind the curtain of the 1893 Chicago’s world fair and witness the pure evil that lurks amongst the most fatal
of it attractions!
This spell-binding work by Erik Larson was an instant hit with me. It combined two things I love (history and great story-telling) to great and compelling effect. The story centers around the 1893-4 Chicago's World Fair and two men key to its impact on the American psyche: Burnham, the architect who engineered the masterpiece of showmanship, and H. H. Holmes, "America's First Serial Killer". It follows both of them through their career while expertly interweaving the tale of the fair itself, which was not only a seemingly impossible feat but also introduced several important and exciting inventions to America and the world at large (the two that come to mind are Shredded Wheat and the Ferris Wheel, although I'm sure there were others far more important and a tad less whimsical). It's a fascinating glimpse into the time period, too, both in terms of the social structure, the evolving subject of architecture (which is actually interesting), and the medical community. For example, it was relatively easy for Holmes to dispose of his murder victims because he would sell them to medical schools and doctors (after first removing all traces of identity). Cadavers were so limited yet so high in demand that students robbed graveyards of insane asylums and doctors didn't question the sources of their lucky acquisitions. Overall, it was an intricate, well-thought out book that hooked me in from the beginning and kept me interested till the last. I would highly recommend it.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.