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Summary: Transports the reader back to the World's Fair of 1893
Review: I usually don't read nonfiction books. However, World's fairs have always fascinated me. This book is not only about the construction of the 1893 Colombian Exposition in Chicago but about a serial killer who prowled the grounds at that time.
The world was recently enthralled by the world's fair in Paris. The United States was to host the event in 1893. They wanted to at least equal if not surpass the efforts of the Parisians. David Hudson Burnham, famous architect of the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington D.C., wanted to bring the fair to the city of Chicago. After winning the bid from such competition as New York and Washington, he then needed architects to participate in planning the fair. He enlisted some of the best in the country after much arm twisting. We then witness the rise of the fair. We also take a virtual trip through the grounds once constructed. It was the fair that introduced Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum, Cracker Jacks, Aunt Jamima's pancake mix and Shredded Wheat. The attempt to build something better than the Eiffel Tower saw the construction of the first Ferris Wheel.
At the same time, a physician, AH Holmes, built a hotel complete with a basement torture chamber. He managed to kill many women- the total number might range from a dozen to a couple hundred. He was a killing machine. The book covers his rise and fall in great detail.
Remniscent of THE ALIENIST, THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY transposes the reader back to a time and place considered simpler in this day and age. However, it proves to be anything but that. It a fascinating look at what made the fair great but well documenting its darkness.
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Summary: Amazing narrative of what men are capable of...
Review: Erik Larson's true story of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair is an engrossing tale of the birth of the fair and two men whom the fair made famous. First is Daniel Burnham, the architect upon whose shoulders the success of the fair lay. His nearly impossible task was to create the greatest fair the world had ever seen, and do so in less than two years. The second man is Doctor H.H. Holmes, a serial killer whose personality and grotesque ingenuity kept his pursuers unaware and his victims plentiful. The lives of the two men don't necessarily intersect, but they do run parallel courses shaped largely by the World's fair.The story is mostly about the World's Fair and the creation of the great White City, the centerpiece of the exposition. Much is discussed about the men and political forces which first brought the fair to Chicago and then shaped the fair as it came to life. The magnitude of the achievement is truly amazing; it is hard to think that any project of such grand size and scope could ever be duplicated. Burnham's story is very interesting, as the man who came from somewhat humble beginnings to become one of America's great architects, largely as a result of the fair's success. The parts of the story involving Holmes are not terribly involved, though it seems that Larson did what he could, given the lack of witnesses and Holmes' dubious 'memoirs', though there is enough factual data to make the reader's skin crawl when reading of Holmes' deeds. Larson takes some license with certain actual events, the details of which can't be factually ascertained, but with some study can be recreated with a fair degree of certainty. This doesn't necessarily make for the best history, but it does make for more interesting reading and a more fluid story. To his credit, Larson explains himself when necessary in the footnotes. This is certainly an interesting book. How the great fair grew out of the dark city of Chicago and affected future events, and even continues to do so, is remarkable. The contrast between the great, gleaming White City and the dark reality of Chicago in the late nineteenth century, where butchery was the leading industry and people disappeared as a matter of regular occurrence, is striking. It was an atmosphere where many men thrived, both for the good of man and for terrible purposes.
Rating: 
Summary: It was ooo-kay.
Review: I couldn't help but feel cheated when I finished this book. I read the title "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America", and I read the reviews. Then I read the book for myself. At times, this book was so dry that I couldn't wait to finish it. I thought the book was supposed to be "gripping". Taking place in the late 1800's, it is basically about the architect that designed the Chicago World Fair, Mr. Burnham, and a serial killer, Mr. Holmes, who was in town about the same time the fair was open. I regret to say that I dont see how the two characters were connected. They never met each other in the story, although the serial killer did attend the fair, which is pure concidence.
The murder scenes were few and in between, very vague and ambiguious. For a title boasting so much about murder and madness, I think that there should have been more gore and description of Mr. Holmes' dirtywork. When Larson wrote about the building of the World Fair, (in my opinion) the architectual events were downplayed. Perhaps he should have written more about the sizes of each building so we could put it into perspective how massive and grand the buildings actually were. I felt as though a lot of information was left out. How did other countries feel about the WORLD FAIR? How did people from other countries come to hear about the fair and how many from outside the United States attended? Larson DID do his homework and researched the facts he did write about so very well, and that was nice. But he should have included more pictures. I think that there were 4 or so pictures total. The book was not completely awful but not a perfect work either. It is refreshing to read about something (The Chicago World Fair) that isn't too common or over-played. I don't think many people in this day know too much about the history of Chicago's World Fair or about early architecture. Erik Larson has a writing style that flows well, making a easy read book.
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Summary: The White City and the Dark Side
Review: This is an easy and enticing read, full of gritty and gossipy details that are presented in a style that keeps the reader interested. I was intrigued by the astounding feat of effort that it took to prepare and present the Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893 and Larson does a good job of introducing us to the men who made it happen -- all led by the talented and tireless architect Daniel Burnham. The cast of characters with whom Burnham worked reads like a Who's Who of culture and design in the 19th Century.
The reader also comes to learn a good deal about the city of Chicago at that time -- how it so desperately wanted to refine its image from that of a grimy city known primarily as a hog-slaughterer into a cultural oasis and how it self-consciously but determidly sought world-class status, competing with New York and Paris to make the Big Time. The enormous success of the White City was due in large part to that gutsy determination and much hard work. And this book explains that very well. At the same time, it really piqued my interest to the extent that I have done some additional research into this World's Fair. Larson parallels Burnham's story with that of Herman Mudgett, alias Dr. H.H. Holmes, the first notorious serial killer in the United States. Holmes, a charming, fast-talking and handsome con artist, was able to swindle, steal and lie his way into and out of many schemes that a less clever person could have never even imagined, much less succeeded at. He was also a cold-blooded killer who had no qualms about killing women and children as well as men. He ran a hotel and apartments in Chicago during the Fair and attracted tenants and victims there with the Fair's help. Holmes' story is chilling but also fascinating. Again, he is someone I'd like to know more about. Having said all that, I realize that the things I enjoyed about the book were also weaknesses. There is so much going on that I'd have appreciated either more focus on one area or a great deal more focus on the whole picture. The book just left me wanting to know more, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I just wish the paralell stories would have had more of a connection. I wish there had been more illustrations. I wanted more detail about the legacy of the Fair on the City of Chicago. All in all, though, this was a fascinating story and one I could not put down. Be forewarned though, if you enjoy the story, this book will not be enough for you. You'll want to read more. Fortunately, there is an excellent bibliography at the end, as well as extensive notes and a thorough index. (...)
Rating: 
Summary: A brilliant, spellbinding work of non-fiction
Review: This is a fabulous story and an absolutely riveting book. And it details events that I must confess I knew absolutely nothing about! Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element if the great dynamic that characterized America's rush towards the 20th century, The architect was Daniel Burnham, the fair's brilliant director of works, and the murderer was Henry Holmes, a young doctor who built his own hotel just west if the fairgrounds - a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and a 3000 degree crematorium. I loved the way Larson symbolically weaves these two stories together, and paints an invaluable and detailed picture of life at the end of the 19th century. There are many, many treasures in this book - the accounts of the initial design of the White City, the descriptions of dirt and "stink" of Chicago, and the detailing of the engineering marvels that took place at the time. I thought that the account of the invention and subsequent construction of the world's first Ferris wheel was incredibly interesting. I think that central theme raised in this book is the question of how much is a city prepared to sacrifice and spend in civic pride, and what are the ultimate costs - both monetarily and to people - in achieving this? The strive to build the White City in time for the World's Fair entailed many sacrifices, but it also showed how resilient cities can be, and how the sorts of civic decisions can effect urban living for years to come. I've never been to Chicago, but this book really stirred my interest in visiting this city. This is a fascinating book, and a must read! Michael
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Summary: Hard to believe it's nonfiction
Review: I have never thought of myself as a fan fo nonfiction books, but this one was amazing. I felt like I was really there; the details were great.
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Summary: Devil in the White City
Review: The Devil in the White City is one of those stories that is so unbelievable that it has to be true. It takes place in Chicago, in the late 19th Century, at the World's Fair. The primary focus of the book is on two individuals, one an architect responsible for the fair, the other a mass murderer who committed his crimes at the time of the Fair. The author, Erik Larson, has an engaging writing style that makes his books very easy to get caught up in. And, it is an interesting idea to combine the Fair with a killer. The only problem is that the parts about the killer (H.H. Holmes), suspenseful and creepy though they are, are interspersed with the equally well written, but less interesting, parts about the architect's (D.H. Burnham) struggles. So, the reader is tempted to skim the "White City" chapters to get to the "Devil" ones. I realize that that is the reader's prerogative, but the rest of the book has much to offer. This is a great book, but be sure and read the whole thing. It is worth it.
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Summary: Cannot recommend this book enough
Review: The vividness of the descriptions in this book coupled with a shifting historical narrative put it a realm of stranger-than-fiction a la "Professor and the Madman". Erik Larson's attention to the intricate details of late 19th century Chicago and the anticipation of the Colombian Exposition held there is riviting. The grandeur of the "White City by the Sea" contrasted with gritty Gilded Age details of power, wealth, and the wanting of a nation to surpass European ideals in spectacle is thorough and left me wanting more. Reading about the eventual end of the fair left me as saddened as the men and women that saw it burn down after its last day. A truly powerful book and a must-read in our age where the ability to be awed by our fellow human beings through their accomplishments may be a little more hard to come by.
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Summary: Enjoyable Historical Read
Review: I originally bought this book because I was interested in finding out about Dr. H. H. Holmes. However, the facts and descriptions about the Worlds Fair really held my interest. While I'm not normally a history buff, I found this book extremely interesting. I would definitely recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I really enjoyed this beautifully written book and found it a fascinating tale of an era long ago. The wonder of the fair stands in stark contrast with the evil that lurks in the city of Chicago in 1893. A great story well told! Highly recommended.
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