Review of "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America" by Erik Larson

This magnificent wall-to-wall description of the trials and tribulations of building a World's Fair has my vote for a top slot in the best books from 2003. The author dug into US history to describe just what is involved in the nitty-gritty of producing a world wonder in an old park area of Chicago that looked like an impossible feat at the start.

America was moving toward the 20th century when two very bright men stepped forward to pursue the dream of Chicago hosting a brilliant world's fair. One was the fair's architect, Daniel Hudson Burnham. He was famous for being the father of some of this country's most important structures, including the Grand Central Station and the Flatiron Buildings in New York.

Chicago seemed an unlikely choice for a big World's Fair because of its weather. It was often either too hot or too cold. But Burnham convinced everyone that it could be done. He got approvals and promptly enlisted the talents of Frederick Law and others to begin the work. Then they began to change a swampy park into the wonder of White City. The book takes us through planning stages and the many obstacles that had to be overcome. The details are fascinating. The result was a fairyland of light and unbelievable buildings and displays. Just to read the details of the building of the world's first Ferris Wheel is hypnotic. The scope of it all and the successful results gave the world a brighter look at what was generally cold/hot dusty/dirty Industrial Age city at the time.

The author introduces us to the title character, "The Devil," who lived in Chicago at the same time. He was an unbelievable villain who began as an unethical druggist and moved on to build a huge building that he named, The World's Fair Hotel. His name was Henry Holmes and he had a built-in crematorium in the hotel where he disposed of young women and anyone else that got in his way. It is beyond understanding why it took so long to trap him because he never believed in paying any of his bills, and the hotel, it's furnishings and the infamous furnace were all built on loans that never were paid.

That particular Devil is not the most interesting part of the book. The meticulous following of the construction and the people who became involved in the enterprise is a wonder of writing. There are a few pictures of the fair, but the author is so generous with flowing descriptions that you can visualize White City without any real images of it. Read the joy and difficulties that go into creating a real World's Fair.