Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. New York : Vintage Books, 2004

The book tells the story of two men who have a single event in common – the World’s Fair of 1893.By telling the story of an architect, Daniel H. Burnham, and a murderer, H. H. Holmes, Larson shows how far a man can go – both how high a man can soar and how low a man can sink. For one man, the fair is his chance to show the world his architectural greatness, for the other man, the fair is a way for him to lure women to their deaths.

A note from the author which precedes the story clearly states the book is a work of non-fiction, which causes the book to be unbalanced.There is much more information in the book about Burnham, fair politics, and fair architecture than there is about Holmes and the specifics of the murders he committed. The reason that the chapters about the fair are generally longer and more detailed is most likely due to the fact that it was much easier for Larson to acquire letters, journals, and public records that had information about the fair than it was to find detailed information about the many murders Holmes committed.

In his book, Larson provides an interesting look at Chicago’s history, more specifically the history of the fair, with exceptional historical detail. He brings to life a time when America is still trying to secure its place in the world, and it is interesting to see the beginnings of things such as Cracker Jack, Juicy Fruit, and the Ferris Wheel. The information that is revealed in the book about the many murders committed by the cunning H. H. Holmes is equally as interesting – and also unsettling.