New York : Vintage Books, 2004, c2003.
1st Vintage Books ed.
xi, 447 p. : ill., maps, music ; 21 cm.
This is a fantastic and haunting book about the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. Larson's book manages to convey just how incredible the feat of Chicago's hosting the world's fair was (having just over 2 years to organize and build the entire fair venue) - while also telling the story of serial killer Henry H. Holmes and his immense frauds and scams that helped him elude capture for so long.
The book is a wonderful glimpse into the turn of the century world of the US and Chicago, which had been destroyed by fire only a little over twenty years before.
The reader gets to learn so much about the founding architects of Chicago, the landscaping prowess of John Olmsted - creator of NYC's Central Park - the amazing invention of the Ferris Wheel and the massive turnout of visitors to the fair (including a one day attendance total of over 750,000 people!). Following the story of killer, H.H. Holmes, also gives the reader a feel for the fast and loose business dealings of the day, the ease with which people could assume false identities, and the plodding nature of police investigations at the turn of the century.
I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Chicago history, true crime stories, and just an amazing read.
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