Rating: 
Summary: Truth is stranger than fiction
Review: After finding myself on the outside of an argument between 2 people 'discussing' whether this book is fiction or nonfiction, I had to read it for myself.
What a journey! It's really the story of the re-making of Chicago, the site of the 1983 World's Fair, but that doesn't even begin to describe all the shenanigans that are detailed in this book. The result of all the efforts was the 'in record speed' creation of The White City, at which time the world was introduced to a bazillion innovations including electric kitchens, zippers, the Ferris wheel, and Juicy Fruit Gum.
Will ceases never wonder?! A great book that saves for posterity a piece of our history that might otherwise have been lost to the archivalists.
Rating: 
Summary: Prepare to be taken back in Time!!!
Review: I am from Chicago and i have always been fascinated by its short history. This book takes you back to the turn of the the century to The Colombian Exposition. All i have seen from the Exposition are remnants left behind in beat up old photographs that i am sure do the exposition no justice whatsoever!!! Larksons vidid images of the fair and the exitement that was going on in Chicago at the time could have never been read from simply looking at a photograph. I applaud Larkson, its not everyday that i open a book and am immediately drawn in from the first sentence i read!! I loved the fact that Larkson drew me in by teasing with Holmes story, he gave you the impression that this man was indeed handsom and charming and loved by both women and men alike, but he also contrasted by going deeper into his mind and letting us now that there was something more powerfull, more sinister behind his handsome phisique, all within the first few chapters.
I love the detail (some people might not however) in which he goes into the construction of the fair, and what it takes to get done! Daniel Burnham is one of the greatest architects of chicago some might say the world, through Larksons writings you get a feel of what a great man went through to earn the respect from not only his peers but from the nation as well. I do have to say that i was completely drawn in by Holmes story! His story was just fascinating and truly sad. You know Holmes is a lier, a fraud, an adulturer, and worst of all a serial killer, but you still have a heart for him!!! It goes to show you just how much of a charmer he actually was, i was charmed through Larksons writing!! I find that amazing!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Most Intriguing Book of the Year
Review: "The Devil In The White City" is the kind of history you won't find in text books or the topic of this week's lecture at your local high school. This is a part of history I was never taught, but should have been. These are the conclusions you will come to if you read Eric Larson's book "The Devil In The White City." In this totally absorbing book, Larson tells the story of the 1893 world's Fair in Chicago. It basically concentrates on telling the story of the man in charge of building the fair, Daniel Burnham, and America's first serial killer who used the draw and appeal of the fair to kill many people, mostly women and children. I felt that Larson ballances these two stories in an effective way. Some may say one part of the story is more focussed on than the other, but overall he does a credible job of bringing you each man's story in an entertaining way. When I say entertaining, I mean entertaining this book never is dull and reads with the richness and flavor of a great novel. Larson puts you in Chicago in 1893. The descriptions are brilliant and vivid. You can smell the smoky streets of Chicago and the horrible odor from the stockyards. The when the story shifts to the "White City" of the fair you can feel the excitement and extravagance of the fair. Larson really makes you feel what it was like to be living during that time period. Of course, the book is littered with historical figures who make cameos like Buffalo Bill Cody, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Susan B. Anthony, and others. What really impressed me were the details of the architects of that time. It really gave me an appreciation about what these men where able to accomplish. As a person who lives near Chicago it also gave me an appreciation of some of the things these men did that still exist today like the Museum Campus and the Museum of Science and Industry which is one of the few remains of the great fair. This is the kind of book that will leave you with thoughts that will remain long after reading it. It is no doubt one of the best books of the year. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love of history or what it was like to attend the great World's Fair of 1893.
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Summary: Gasp!!! Fun Non-Fiction
Review: Many of us have read non-fiction that seems too much like a text book and not fun at all. Erik Larson does a great job interweaving dozens of characters and their role in Chicago's World Fair. Specifically, the in-fighting amoung the Chi-Town leadership was the most interesting because anyone who has worked in a large group can understand the squabbling.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: A great read! I will recommend this book to all of my friends. This book is so good I am planning on buying a ticket to Chicago this summer and hopefully by then there will be a "World's Fair" Chicago tour (and then a Cubs game of course). Like the book "Seabiscuit" this book will grab you and make you want to visit the historical location.
Rating: 
Summary: Disjointed storytelling
Review: I thought this was merely okay. I live in Chicago so for me there's an intrinsic interest to know more about the colorful history of the city that is my home. I'm familiar with all the addresses mentioned in the book, so it was fascinating to read about how much it has changed (or not changed) in the last 100 years. Frankly, if I didn't live in Chicago I'm not sure I would have liked this book at all. The author alternated the storytelling between chapters of the logistical trials & travails in launching the 1892 Columbian World's Exposition off the ground between chapters on the opportunist Dr. Holmes (The "Devil" in the title) , who turns out to be an archetype 20th century sexually predatory serial killer ,preying on the unsuspecting female populace. The raw material makes for a great story and it is a deeply researched book, with lots texture and detail and interesting side stories. As a whole, I found that moving between the two stories via alternate chapters absolutely distracting. The result is I never got into either story or I'd rush or skip through a slow chapter so I could get to the next chapter. I also found it difficult to keep track of everyone involved in the creating Exposition and why they are interesting enough to include in the book or read about. I found the story on the creepy Dr. a much more fascinating story and wanted more from the standpoint that it's hard to fathom how horrific a nature one has to have to inflict so much pain and commit that he crimes did. Realizing that this is a non-fiction book the author was probably limited by the amount of material available.
This book had loads of potential, but it just wasn't what I expected. I would have to say was rather disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: A great story; well told. You can't find a better book for your summer reading pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: Two stories, neither fully told
Review: This book tells two stories that intertwine around the fabulous Chicago World's fair of 1893. One story concerns itself with the monumental challenge the actual construction of the fair presented to the various architects, engineers, and landscape artists involved in the event. The other story tells the tale of murderer H.H. Holmes, who constructed a large hotel near the fair to accommodate the young, female tourists needing a room for the event. Holmes, in fact, had constructed a murder factory, complete with gas chambers, crematorium, and chemical decomposition facilities. There is a third story which makes brief appearances as well: the story of Patrick Prendergast, the sad lunatic that stalked and killed Chicago Mayor Carter Harrison just as the fair was wrapping up. This is an extremely ambitious book. Too ambitious. For me, the story of the architects and the trails in constructing the fair was fascinating and more than sufficient to carry the book. I had no idea the fair of 1893 was so towering an undertaking. They basically built a city within a city, complete with fire and police departments, municipal workers, and political offices - all built on earth that was, in essence, a quicksand-like foundation that had no real bedrock. The stresses and ultimate successes of this side of the story are captivating and incredible. The anecdotal stories about the fair make wonderful reading, my favorite being the story of George Ferris and his incredible Ferris Wheel, which was built to outshine the Eiffel Tower, introduced at the Paris fair a few years earlier (which it did in spades). The Book fell flat for me whenever the author undertook to tell the story of H.H. Holmes, the handsome, smooth con man who many call the first serial killer in American history. In the book, these episodes feel unfocused and hasty. Particularly rushed and episodic was the description of Holmes' pursuit and eventual conviction by Pinkerton Detective, Frank Geyer. When reading these portions of the book, I felt myself whishing the author had dedicated a book just to this aspect of his tale. Mr. Larson has sensed the great story that lies in wait for the telling, but hasn't given himself the space or time to tell it well. Read it for the magnificent, melancholy story of the engineers, artists and architects, whose ultimate triumph came at such sad, personal costs. For all the men involved in this project, it seems to have sapped the very strength right out of their lives.
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Summary: Mystery and History
Review: The Devil in the White City seems like a funny name for a book. The White City is the Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1892 to honor the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of America. It was called White City because the major exhibition buildings were painted white. To contrast this Herman Mudgett who called himself H H Holmes after the famous fictional detective was the devil. He was a mass murderer with 9 documented killings and likely many more.
This book brings to life both events that have mostly been forgotten now but were very important at the time. The book is both interesting and entertaining and kept me reading late into the night. The murders were described with detail but not any of the gore that might turn a reader off. The building and execution of the fair was also detailed but was informative without a dry and textbook sound. Even though this book reads like fiction it has been well researched and contains many direct quotes from letters and articles of the times.
One of the best parts of this book was to come away with a real feel of how it was to live in a large city in the 1900's. That alone was worth the price of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Murder by the fair
Review: Erik Larson's new book, "The Devil in the White City" is simply terrific. The juxtaposition of the stories of architect Daniel Burnham and killer H. H. Holmes centered by the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 is deftly handled and Larson provides rich color in its telling. It's a hard book not to read in one sitting. While Burnham's account is related in a straightforward manner, Holmes's is not. Slowly, the author builds up the wickedness in Holmes and it is not until the last few chapters of the book that the massive evil deeds of the murderer come to light. If there ever was a tale of good and bad happening in the same city at the same time, this is it. Larson gives a good deal of historical perspective to the planning and building of the fair. He takes much pride in the detail and loves numbers. Statistics are inserted throughout the book, but never in a dry way....they are always directly relevant to the story. And what a nice sidelight regarding the first-ever Ferris wheel! I appreciated the postscript of Larson's book. Many authors leave their readers at a loss as to what happened to the characters. The author finishes them out to their collective dying days. Don't be surpised if you find yourself asking if the events in this book actually happened. It could have been a book of well-written fiction, but it is not....this is real history. Erik Larson has done a masterful job in balancing the lives of two men and the strange and wonderful people who surrounded them.
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