Devil in the White City

By Erik Larson

The true story behind the creation of Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and the murderer who stunned Chicago more than the Exposition.

You know, the real stories are always more fascinating and gripping than made up ones. Devil proves this throughout. The book follows 2 parallel story lines. One details the design and the struggle to build the exposition, lead by Daniel Burnham. A visionary in his time who used other leading architects of the day to make the vision come true. The other story follows Dr. H.H. Holmes as he swindles his way into fortune; killing accomplices and naive women along the way. America's 1st psychotic serial killer?

The author draws from diaries, court records and newspapers of the time to tell a fact filled tale. In the footnotes he explains the few liberties he took with the story (mostly in speculating as to how the killing took place) and backs up his reasoning with medical science of the time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it both interesting and gripping. I thought the story was well told and the jumps between the two tracts were well done. There was a heavy use of foreshadowing that wasn't really necessary.

Here are a few things that were 1st's created for the 1893 Fair, which was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus finding the New World (the fair was dedicated in 1892.)
The Pledge of Allegiance, cracker jacks, shredded wheat, the Ferris wheel, the fair popularized AC electricity and incandescent lights, juicy fruit.