Reddit Reddit reviews The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

We found 84 Reddit comments about The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
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84 Reddit comments about The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America:

u/Onfortuneswheel · 42 pointsr/UnresolvedMysteries

I am planning to pick up a number of books I saw on this list.

Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City is probably the best true crime I’ve read. Some older true crime novels can be really campy and sensationalized.

Also, it’s not true crime, but Mary Roach’s Stiff is a fun read about cadavers and the human body after death.

u/Neon_Bruja · 40 pointsr/history

Not exactly ancient history, but I just got finished reading [The Devil in The White City] (https://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0375725601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469128718&sr=1-1&keywords=devil+in+the+white+city) about H.H. Holmes in turn of the century Chicago, and yeah, it seemed SUPER easy for him.

He did an amazing amount of bad shit in addition to the murdering and got away with it seemingly because he was well spoken and charismatic with pretty blue eyes!

u/lovist · 24 pointsr/todayilearned
u/HundredProofHistory · 23 pointsr/HistoryMemes

H. H. Holmes, born Herman Webster Mudgett, is frequently named as America's First Serial Killer. He built a 3 story building in Englewood, just south of Chicago proper in the late 1880s. The first floor was filled with shops, the third floor was hotel rooms, Holmes's office, and a walk-in vault. The second floor was an oddly constructed labyrinth of dead end passages, secret rooms, doors to nowhere, air tight and soundproof rooms, and rooms with gas jets that were controlled by valves in Holmes's office. There were also greased chutes that dropped straight to the basement where Holmes had an operating table, pits of quicklime, and a furnace that was allegedly used for glass bending but was oddly shaped like the furnaces found at crematoriums. No one knows how many people actually died in the murder castle. Holmes claimed he killed 27 in his final confessions, but some of the people he claimed to have killed were still alive and well. The papers attributed upwards of 200 murders to Holmes, because hundreds of people disappeared during the 1893 Chicago's World Fair and it was easy enough to blame it on the dude who owned a friggin murder castle. There are 9 actual murders that can be attributed to Holmes, including 3 children, so either way he was a tremendous piece of human shit.

For more information:

u/rhinny · 17 pointsr/books

Lighter non-fiction that I have recently loved:

Jon Ronson: Them. Spending time with conspiracy nuts, but quick and self-conscious investigative journalism. It's fun and interesting.


Erik Larson: Devil in the White City. At the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, a serial killer sets up a building to attract and in which to murder stray people who wouldn't be missed. This book reads like a bestseller mass-market paperback murder mystery, but it's based in truth (albeit with some literary embellishments.)

Benjamin Wallace: The Billionaire's Vinegar. Tremendously expensive wine and international wine-sales fraud. Super-rich people are ridiculous.

u/caffiend98 · 17 pointsr/history

If you're interested, I highly recommend the book, Devil in the White City. Does a fantastic job of telling the story of Holmes, the World's Fair, and what Chicago was like that summer. Dark topic, but a great read.

https://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0375725601

"Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that The Devil in the White City is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing. --John Moe"

u/Kiteway · 16 pointsr/books

I heard about this for so long, but it took me forever to get around to it: "Devil in the White City," a book about Chicago, the World Fair, and a serial killer.

And if you want to find out what happened in Chicago after the Fair, "Girls of Murder City" does a fantastic job at ripping open the strange aberrations of the Chicago justice system during the 1920s, with all the Roaring Twenties atmosphere no worse for the fact that it's non-fiction!

u/clifwith1f · 12 pointsr/AskHistorians

This isn't exactly an answer to your question, but The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is a very interesting historical account of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. It was where George Ferris premiered the very first Ferris Wheel, created to compete with the famous Eiffel Tower that was created for the 1889 World's Fair. There were world-renowned architects that spent sleepless nights creating temporary (yet incredibly intricate and complex) constructions on an incredibly tight time schedule. It is also where Pabst Blue Ribbon got their Blue Ribbon status, plus where a murderer was loose in the city during the festivities, building a hotel in the city to capitalize on the surge of visitors coming to Chicago for the fair.

u/[deleted] · 12 pointsr/polandball

Bingo. Most of my knowledge of the World's Fair comes from Devil In the White City, which is an amazing book.

u/SaintSorryass · 11 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Devil In The White City, is maybe not quite what you are looking for, It is written 90 or so years after everything actually went down, and is reconstructed from sources that could possibly be bullshit to one degree or another, but it really is a great piece of storytelling.

u/Tary_n · 10 pointsr/todayilearned

The book also spends close to 50% of its time discussing Louis Sullivan and the politics/architecture of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Those chapters can be dry, but they hold a ton of cool information. That is one of those crossroads of history events that saw people like Wild Bill, Thomas Edison, and other huge names of history come together.

The chapters about Holmes and his house are haunting. Just worth noting that it is not only about HH Holmes; don't want people to be put off by the other content.

Get it here!

u/grumpydwarf · 9 pointsr/chicago

The HH Holmes story as told in Devil in the White City is fascinating to me.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America https://www.amazon.com/dp/0375725601/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_cxEODb8TW37D3

Here's a write up of the Englewood post office that sits on the site
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/englewood-post-office

u/PirbyKuckett · 8 pointsr/movies

Yes. One of the better books I have read as well

u/matthank · 7 pointsr/todayilearned
u/FenderBellyBodine · 7 pointsr/todayilearned

The Devil in the White City is a great book http://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0375725601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418244016&sr=8-1&keywords=devil+in+the+white+city intertwining the organization/construction of the World's Fair and Holmes' escapades. Fascinating read.

u/Rosemel · 6 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Eric Larson writes great, entertaining history books. If you haven't read him already, I'd recommend checking out The Devil in the White City.

u/torpedomon · 6 pointsr/UnresolvedMysteries

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is a fun and fascinating account of not only the Murder Hotel, but how it interwove with the development and building of the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893. EDIT: Erik Larson, not Ken Larson.

u/gblancag · 6 pointsr/AskWomen

I'm traditionally more into literary fiction, but I've been exploring non-fiction recently.

Currently Reading: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

Recently Finished: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration and Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam Trilogy

Next on the List: Either Guns Germs and Steel or Devil in the White City. Haven't decided yet

u/ccb621 · 5 pointsr/ArchitecturePorn

The Devil in the White City offers a nice bit of history about the fair...and a serial killer.

u/despicable_secret · 5 pointsr/wikipedia

I think it was in the book Devil in the White City where I read that it was composed for the Oriental exhibit at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The story goes that the composer came up with it, but failed to copyright it and it passed immediately into public domain. Retirement Fail.

u/wingedcreature · 5 pointsr/AskReddit

The Devil in the White City <About a real serial killer, possibly America's first

Maniac <Not a movie for everyone, but I found even the horrible actress and music kind of fascinating. Special FX are great. Spinell is amazing.

I'm into the same subject, I will add more if I can think of anything.

u/goldfinches · 5 pointsr/femalefashionadvice

if you want some fun reading about frederick law olmstead, devil in the white city is partially good non-fiction about a serial killer in chicago during the 1893 world fair but also! is about designing the fair, with frederick law olmstead making a lot of appearances and having opinions about modern landscape architecture.

u/AsajjVentressBFF · 4 pointsr/ColinsLastStand

I have not read all of these. Hopeful this will be a good excuse to start some of them sooner. Hopefully it is not too late to post in this thread.

u/ngroot · 4 pointsr/chicago

Check out Erik Larson's Devil in the White City. It's an embellished account of the events surrounding the 1893 Columbian Exposition, including the introduction of the Ferris Wheel and the murders committed by H.H. Holmes.

u/DoYouWantAnts · 4 pointsr/AskReddit

The Devil in the White City - by Erik Larson. Story of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, and a serial killer who was preying on the influx of visitors.

u/waitingforbatman · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions
  • Invisible Man vs. Native Son; each takes a different approach to the same topic and time period
  • Beowulf (any translation) vs. Grendel; alternate perspectives on the same event... for example, you could talk about how modern literature has ultimately become more character-centric and detailed rather than actions-based
  • Following this train of thought, you could also do The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Wicked.
  • Any two novels dealing with the Holocaust (e.g. Night and The Painted Bird)
  • In Cold Blood and Devil in the White City; compare and contrast dramatic nonfiction execution
  • Interview with the Vampire and Dracula; detail how portrayal of vampires parallels societal attitudes towards homosexuals and how vampire novels from different time periods deal with vampires differently; PM me if you'd like more info on this, as I'm currently taking a class on it. Alternatively, you could do Interview and then The Vampire Lestat, the next book in the Vampire Chronicles, and analyze how the vampire characters change after the post-AIDS crisis.
  • I second the suggestion of The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Rises.
  • Prozac Nation and The Bell Jar; two women of two different decades writing about their depression. Of course, The Bell Jar is fictional, but thought to be highly autobiographical.

    Please let us know which ones you end up doing!
u/Whitey_Bulger · 4 pointsr/HistoryPorn

This story is told really well in Erik Larson's excellent The Devil in the White City.

u/flashtheready · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

It was supposedly awarded the blue ribbon at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (where the Ferris Wheel also made its debut, and the setting for one of the best historical novels of all time, The Devil in the White City), but Wikipedia says there's some doubt about this: PBR Brand History.

u/ziner110 · 3 pointsr/Bioshock

The Devil in the White City for those who want to learn more about the exposition

u/blink_and_youre_dead · 3 pointsr/offbeatbookclub

The Devil in the White City is coming up in my reading queue. I'd love to have a group to discuss it with.

Review from Amazon:
>Author Erik Larson imbues the incredible events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with such drama that readers may find themselves checking the book's categorization to be sure that The Devil in the White City is not, in fact, a highly imaginative novel. Larson tells the stories of two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor. Burnham's challenge was immense. In a short period of time, he was forced to overcome the death of his partner and numerous other obstacles to construct the famous "White City" around which the fair was built. His efforts to complete the project, and the fair's incredible success, are skillfully related along with entertaining appearances by such notables as Buffalo Bill Cody, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison. The activities of the sinister Dr. Holmes, who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair, are equally remarkable. He devised and erected the World's Fair Hotel, complete with crematorium and gas chamber, near the fairgrounds and used the event as well as his own charismatic personality to lure victims. Combining the stories of an architect and a killer in one book, mostly in alternating chapters, seems like an odd choice but it works. The magical appeal and horrifying dark side of 19th-century Chicago are both revealed through Larson's skillful writing. --John Moe

u/unreplaced · 3 pointsr/CreepyWikipedia

If it happens, it's adapted from/based on Devil In White City.

u/CommentMan · 3 pointsr/books

A quick browse of my bookshelf and the ones that jumped out at me... some nonfiction, some fiction... some light, some heavy...

The Culture of Contentment by John Galbraith

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Pimp by Iceberg Slim

The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris

Bloom County Babylon by Berkeley Breathed

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo

Turned On: A Biography of Henry Rollins by James Parker

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Beyond that, my most prized book is my hardback Norton Anthology of English Lit (2nd vol - the 'modern' stuff).

Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I'm def curling up with a good one when I hit the hay!

u/entailments · 3 pointsr/books
u/DonPancake · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

God, I love Reddit. It has led me to read really awesome books like The Devil in the White City and The Killing Joke. Now, I guess I'm going to read Perfume. Thanks for the book suggestion.

u/murphy38 · 3 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

You should read it because it's a non-fiction story of the 1893 World's Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death, told in a novelistic style.

And because Leonardo DiCaprio bought the film rights to it a few years ago.

And because it's the next book I want to read. It's supposed to be very good!

u/ifurmothronlyknw · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Okay so this isn't what you are asking for but check out The Devil in the White City. Its a story about a serial killer around the turn of the 20th century during the Chicago World Fair. Again- not specifically what you asked for but if that piqued your interest this will too.

u/cybin · 3 pointsr/Timeless

The Devil in the White City is an excellent read that covers this and the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.

Supposedly a film is in the works starring DiCaprio and directed by Scorsese, but there hasn't been much news about this lately.

u/kimmature · 2 pointsr/books

The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. I'm a fan of time-travel, and history, and I was completely sucked into it. She's got a number of books in the same universe- some comedic, some very dramatic, but The Doomsday Book is my favourite.

If you're at all interested in high fantasy, I'd recommend either Tigana or The Fionovar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay. You either love his prose style or hate it, but if you love it, it will definitely take you away.

If you like SF and haven't read them, I'd try either Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos, or David Brin's Uplift Series (I'd skip Sundiver until later, and start with Startide Rising.)

If you're looking for more light-hearted/quirky, I'd try Christopher Moore- either Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal , or The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror. If you're into a mix of horror/sf/comedy, try John Dies at the End. They're not deep, but they're fun.

Non-fiction- if you haven't read it yet, Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air is very difficult to put down. If you're travelling with someone who doesn't mind you looking up every few pages and saying "did you know this, this is awesome, wow-how interesting", I'd go for Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants or Bill Bryson's At Home: A Short History of Private Life. They're all very informative, fun, interesting books, but they're even better if you can share them while you're reading them.



u/manBEARpigBEARman · 2 pointsr/WTF

If you haven't read The Devil in the White City...then fucking read The Devil in the White City. Non-fiction that reads like steamy fiction.

http://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0375725601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247019336&sr=8-1

u/horrorshow · 2 pointsr/books

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I received this as a gift myself, and can highly recommend it. It's about the development of a word's fair in 1890's Chicago and a serial murder operating during that time. Not a book I normally would have bought for myself, but I guess that's what makes great gift books.

u/blackcomedy · 2 pointsr/ThingsCutInHalfPorn

is that show pretty true to the story? great book on this guy btw, devil in the white city

u/meandmaddieg · 2 pointsr/books

I love reading nonfiction books, thanks to a college professor that required us to read two of them for a class. Never realized how interesting they actually are!
After reading The Lost City of Z I have also read Black Hills and am currently reading The Devil in the White City. It's great! Check it out if you want to read about "Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America".......http://www.amazon.com/The-Devil-White-City-Madness/dp/0375725601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341154254&sr=8-1&keywords=devil+in+the+white+city

Edit: Guess I should say that I love reading nonfiction books that are told in a fictional style.

u/drmickhead · 2 pointsr/ifyoulikeblank

Try reading Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson. It's about one of the first documented serial killers who was active during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. It's one of the more gripping and dramatic true stories I've ever read.

u/sassy_lion · 2 pointsr/books

I just finished The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City and Sparked the Tabloid Wars by Paul Collins and just started The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic & Madness and the Fair That Changed America.

I'm also still reading Journey to the West. I'm finally on book two of four (chapter 27/100).

u/Cilicious · 2 pointsr/books

>I'm surprised no one mentioned Capote's In Cold Blood.

I almost listed it. It certainly was a frightening work, and Capote's prose was spare yet descriptive. Poe invented the crime genre, and Capote (have you read his Handcarved Coffins?) carried it to new heights.

Joe McGinnis' Fatal Vision was quite a page-turner of a true story, especially in view of the fact that the author began interviewing his subject not convinced of his guilt.

Eric LArson's The Devil in White City was even more gripping for me. And there was Bugliosi's Helter Skelter. All of these works are suspenseful and indeed scary.


However, I disagree with you that fictional horror novels come off as campy or cheesy. I do not necessarily favor one over the other, but a successful fictional piece often gives me something spontaneously visceral and otherworldly that a nonfiction writer might not provide.

Authors (Ray Bradbury, Shirley Jackson, Daphne Du Maurier,etc) that conjure up something from their own minds have a special gift.

u/sharer_too · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Long time reader and teacher here -

I agree with skipping any phonics instruction at this stage, and that trying audio books is a good idea. Written language is different than spoken, and listening to written will help with reading it. (Besides that, audio books are great!)

There is a lot of great nonfiction out there that he might enjoy -

these are collections of short articles, which may make them less intimidating:

Gene Weingarten: [The Fiddler in the Subway] (https://www.amazon.com/Fiddler-Subway-World-Class-Violinist-Performances/dp/1439181594/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505310496&sr=1-1&keywords=gene+weingarten) (I do my best to read everything he writes)

[Sarah Vowell's books] (https://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Vowell/e/B001ILFO7E/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1505310914&sr=1-2-ent)

some of [Joel Achenbach's books] (https://www.amazon.com/Joel-Achenbach/e/B001HMTVXC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1505310626&sr=1-2-ent), including 'Why Things Are'

not collections, but so good

[The Boys in the Boat] (https://www.amazon.com/Boys-Boat-Americans-Berlin-Olympics/dp/0143125478)

[Seabiscuit] (https://www.amazon.com/Seabiscuit-American-Legend-Ballantine-Readers/dp/0449005615/ref=pd_sim_14_14?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0449005615&pd_rd_r=4P2YTBS454KVBDDS78NP&pd_rd_w=YohLc&pd_rd_wg=g6ySs&psc=1&refRID=4P2YTBS454KVBDDS78NP)

[Tracy Kidder's books] (https://www.amazon.com/Tracy-Kidder/e/B000AQ8T3E)

[Being Mortal] (https://www.amazon.com/Being-Mortal-Medicine-What-Matters/dp/1250076226/ref=la_B00458K698_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505310411&sr=1-1)

And so many more - I just listened to Erik Larson's [The Devil in the White City] (https://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0375725601)...



u/ac91 · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Devil In The White City. The parallel stories of the planning and execution of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the serial killer on its edges

u/puppies_and_unicorns · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon
  1. Ok so dis is a pretty good one. I am from New York and the Amityville House of Horrors is based on a true story. It is both a book and a movie, or many movies really.

    The story is SPOILER ALERT





    Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his parents and 4 siblings while they were asleep. Then ya know, prison. So the house goes up for sale and some family buys it because it is a steal. They don't even last a month there though because some truly scary ish keeps happening. It is known as America's Most Haunted House.

    2 - Good true crime read? I would go with The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair all day long. It is a a mix of true story and storytelling magic about the Chicago World fair and a serial killer who uses the fair to find his (or her) victims.

    I actually might reread this one now that you reminded me of it!
u/gloomyrheumy · 2 pointsr/CasualConversation

Can't say I've read much horror fiction, but a good/terrifying (all the while tragic) tale is the true story of The Devil in the White City. I really enjoy anything by Poe and Ayn Rand. Randomly, I'd recommend A Passage to India by E.M. Forster or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey 🖤.

u/BAMFxWatermelon · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook

The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson. 50% of the book follows the elaborate and seemingly impossible construction of the Chicago World Fair and 50% follows the construction of serial killer H.H. Holmes' kill house. Cited on countless "100 books to read in a lifetime" articles.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0375725601

u/my_interests · 2 pointsr/Genealogy

Good question.

You could just start writing and see where that takes you - don't think too much about structure, etc. but get the stories written up (with cited sources). I'll bet that during the writing you'll find questions that you hadn't considered earlier - it'll make you research further. You may start to find a structure to the story as you progress.

When you feel you're finished, read it over and see what you think. You can move sections around/break the stories into chapters, add more here or there, etc.

Alternatively, you can try to answer a common family question ("Who shortened our Surname?") or investigate a rumor/myth ("Did that ancestor really buy land from Thomas Jefferson like everyone always claims?") or, write individual biographies of notable individuals.

For some inspiration, take a look at how other authors handle writing biographical-based history. Something like:

  • Never Caught:The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge

  • The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

    There are as many different approaches as there are people in your tree, but really just try to get started, see where you end up.
u/yeahhhsortof · 2 pointsr/todayilearned

If anyone wants to learn more about Holmes' story or just hear about things that were going on in 1898 Chicago during the planning of the World's Fair, I highly recommend Devil in the White City. Great read, 100% non-fictional, but it's written in such a way that it feels like a fiction thriller. Really anything by Erik Larson is great.

u/isopropyldreams · 2 pointsr/MorbidReality

A surprising number of these books were assigned reading from classes.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

And I'm currently reading a book recommended by an excellent redditor somewhere in this sub, Mad in America by Robert Whitaker

u/girkuss · 2 pointsr/rpg

Devil in the White City- By Erik Larson A fantastic nonfiction that reads like fiction.

Anything by HP Lovecraft for a dose of Horror. I think the story, "Horror at Red Hook" and "Lurker in Darkness" have more of an adventurer GM theme to them than others. Fair bit of warning, when reading his stuff have a dictonary pulled up on your phone. Since it's older material there are a lot of anitquated words in there. Don't worry about learning every new word for future reference. Your brain will pick a couple.
My favorite collection.

I have used some history books about WWI and WWII to make campigns for Iron Kingdoms.

I'm a fan of varied mediums, if you haven't done graphic novels before, maybe look into one that could strike your fancy. Hellboy, Batman-The Long Halloween, most titles by Allen Moore, Superman-Red Son.

Also sneak some poetry in there. Even light stuff like Shel Silverstein was helpful to me. It helps you think of how to use words in new ways.

Edit: Formatting

u/xowasabi · 2 pointsr/books

Root Returned to Chicago while the architects where in jackson park.
The Devil in the white city - Erik Larson

u/txbruno · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

The only thing on my list starting with D is a book. The Devil in the White City

Erik Larson—author of #1 bestseller In the Garden of Beasts—intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.

u/thelostdolphin · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

This isn't quite what you're asking for, but it sounds as though it will be up your alley: [Devil in the White City] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0375725601?pc_redir=1412772479&robot_redir=1)

u/craig_hoxton · 1 pointr/malelifestyle

Ernest Shackleton's South - the early 20th century polar explorer's account of the ill-fated Endurance voyage that was trapped in Antarctic ice.

Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure: The Way of the Warrior - the 18th century Japanese book on the samurai code that gets quoted a lot in the 1999 Jim Jarmusch movie "Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai".

Erik Larson's Devil in the White City and Isaac's Storm - two excellent non-fiction accounts of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the gruesome murders that surrounded it and the 1900 storm that destroyed Galveston, Texas.

Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire - it may be fiction, but it doesn't get any manlier than 300 Spartans facing off against thousands of invading Persians at Thermopylae.

u/gotterdammerung · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I am also a research scientist, so I like reading non-fiction that has nothing to do with Klenow fragments or PCR. Examples are The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson, which is about both the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and a serial killer; or Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer, which is about how truly bizarre Mormons are. Both authors have other excellent books, as well.

u/ScreamingVegetable · 1 pointr/screenplaychallenge

Idk if you would even have time for a book, but Devil in the White City is THE book on H.H. Holmes who famously had a murder hotel.
Here's a great illustration of his hotel

u/kyleohiio · 1 pointr/movies

I honestly cannot wait for this movie. I've read the book at least 5 times and would highly recommend it to anyone.

Some people couldn't get through it since it's basically two stories in one that end up intertwining at the end. One is the actual process of obtaining the right to and building of the World's fair and the men involved with that. The other is H. H. Holmes story about how he ended up in Chicago.

I think Leo is going to be fantastic in this role. H. H. Holmes is a complex character to play and it takes the right actor to bring that alive.

Link To Book on Amazon

u/Aces_8s · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Well if you are into true crime at all, then two that jump to mind are In Cold Blood by Truman Capote and The Devil in the White City. The first is an older book written about a small town murder while the latter is about the serial killer H. H. Holmes. Both are fantastic reads despite their subject matter.


Speaking of serial killers, Gary Stewart makes a compelling argument in his book The Most Dangerous Animal of All that his biological father might have been the Zodiac Killer. What started out as a simple story of an adopted son trying to find his biological parents turns into a quest of discovery of a murderer. Many "experts" on the subject aren't sure about Stewart's claims, but his discoveries make a compelling argument.


Lastly, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand was recently made into a pretty decent movie, and In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis is often featured on shark week and will soon have a movie made as well. Both are fascinating WWII-related reads that seem to cross the line from being biographical to novelized due to the content and excellent writing.

u/ds20an · 1 pointr/books

I picked up the lost city of Z randomly in a bookstore and started to thumb through it. Needless to say ended up buying it and loving it. It's a great book. If you haven't already, you should read The Devil in the White City, and Seabiscuit

u/nunobo · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Devil in the White City. Very cool book.

u/thedryyyyyycracker · 1 pointr/books

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is about the Columbia Exposition in Chicago that mixes in a murder mystery.

The Teapot Dome Scandal by Laton McCartney was also a good quick read about a lesser known scandal.

u/jdoug13 · 1 pointr/todayilearned

There has been at least one, /r/nanichuki posted this




u/mistral7 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson. It has the added benefit of being based on historic fact.

u/brickman1444 · 1 pointr/AskMenOver30

Normally I'd recommend Devil in the White City for an interesting history book, but it might be too soon for a book about murder.

u/thelawsmithy · 1 pointr/PS4
u/burstaneurysm · 1 pointr/AskReddit

It isn't really 'unsolved' but it's fascinating...

H.H. Holmes.
Go read Devil in the White City.

There's also a new theory that Holmes may have also been Jack the Ripper.

u/eileensariot · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

This wine carafe would hold my wine for when we are drinking during dinner (full school experience). I would imagine I may be able to use the bottle to store potions, if needed.

This umbrella resembles the shape of a broom with it I would be able to keep myself dry when it rains, and possibly would be able to substitute it for flying, if I could figure out how.

If I had this kit, I could learn to crochet myself a hat. The hat would clearly be needed for days when it is chilly and we are doing outdoor activities, like gathering stuff for spells.

In between studies, I will need a book to help pass the time. What better than a book with murder and magic!

People carry stuff in their trunk. They also carry stuff in luggage. I will need luggage to bring things to school. I will also need these straps to keep my trunk/luggage closed, and to make sure I can identify which is mine. Obvious necessity. =)

So I have this towel, which could clearly be used as a cape. It may say yoga towel by definition, but a towel is a towel. I will have to shower sometime, and no one wants to just drip dry.

u/live3orfry · 1 pointr/Atlanta

If you like historical fiction The Saxon Tales is some pretty good reading. https://www.amazon.com/Last-Kingdom-Saxon-Tales-Book-ebook/dp/B000FC2RR2#navbar

bonus the bbc is doing a series on them coming out soon. I find them compelling because I have dutch/wasp ancestry.

I also like nonfiction that reads like fiction. I highly recommend literally anything by Eric Larson. I'd start with Devil in the White City. Great true story about a serial killer operating during the Chicago World's Fair in the 1890s. https://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0375725601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467895439&sr=8-1&keywords=the+white+city

You said no sci fi but The Expanse series is some of the best reading I've ever had.

https://www.amazon.com/Leviathan-Wakes-Expanse-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0047Y171G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1467895699&sr=8-4&keywords=the+expanse#navbar

u/dave_casa · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Not my favorite of all time, but I just finished The Devil in the White City, about the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Very interesting book mostly about the construction, but also following the story of a serial killer who lived in Chicago at the time. All kinds of things debuted there, including the Ferris Wheel, breakfast cereal, hamburgers, ragtime, zippers... You read about how quickly everything had to be thrown together, then you get to a picture like this and think "holy fuck". Unfortunately there were only a few pictures, I think it could have done with a nice big section of them in the middle.

u/TheyAreNightZombies · 1 pointr/HistoryPorn

From Devil In The White City, p.252:

"Although such interior exhibits were compelling, the earliest visitors to Jackson Park saw immediately that the fair's greatest power lay in the strange gravity of the buildings themselves."

"Some visitors found themselves so moved by the Court of Honor that immediately upon entering they began to weep."

u/carthum · 1 pointr/books

Some good nonfiction: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Freakonomics by Steven Levitt

u/theaviationhistorian · 1 pointr/worldnews

Nice, if you are into morbid things, I recommend reading the mudraking stories of that exposition there are a few books regarding the racism (I haven't read it but some profs recommended it) or about one of the notorious serial killers that took advantage of that exposition, which is a really cool book.

As for the exposition itself, it was groundbreaking since it was one of the most grand expositions since the Crystal Palace at Hyde Park, London in 1851 (and it didn't spark a genre of literature such as with Crystal Palace and existentialist Fyodor Dostoyevsky). It also helped establish a Disney-esque feel to world fairs (such as the 1915 Panama–California Exposition in Balboa Park, San Diego) with grand, yet temporary, structures. But this sucks because most of the buildings at the Columbian were awesome even by today's standards and would have been kept to symbolize the city in the same fashion as Balboa Park and the Eiffel Tower, also temporary structures for the 1915 expo in SD & 1889 expo in Paris. You could argue that the ones kept from the 1964 New York and 1968 Hemisfair at San Antonio weren't that famous but they are location fixed landmarks. But I am glad that at least the Palace of Fine Arts and the World's Congress Auxiliary Building still stand (Art Institute & Museum of Science), and they are impressive to see when visiting them.

Arcadia Publishing did this good book (prominent among the olde timey historians) encompassing the exposition for us Millenials.
As for history itself, it is interesting to know which part you interests you. The whole length of human history is separated into many parts but most of what I focus on is with "late modern history" (Yes, 200 years ago is still modern to international historian standards) which begins after the French revolution and Industrial revolution.

Great to know you got your feet wet with history books!

u/dontspamjay · 1 pointr/audiobooks

Ghost in the Wires - The story of famed hacker Kevin Mitnick

Any Mary Roach Book if you like Science

In the Heart of the Sea - The true story behind Moby Dick

The Omnivore's Dilemma - A great walk through our food landscape

Gang Leader for a Day - Behavioral Economist embeds with a Chicago Gang

Shadow Divers - My first audiobook. It's a thriller about a scuba discovery of a Nazi Submarine on the Eastern US coast.

The Devil In The White City - A story about a serial killer at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893

u/SlothMold · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

This is fiction, but heavily researched: The Devil in the White City is about a serial killer and the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

There are also several serial killers in Deborah Blum's nonfiction book, The Poisoner's Handbook. The focus is more on historical poisons and the birth of modern forensics in New York though.

u/Hoardhelpme · 1 pointr/television

This book

https://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0375725601

Oh great--read the summary! The serial killer pretends o be a Charming Doctor.

Charming indeed.

Holmes pretends to be something he's not, and manipulates people.

In 1893Chicago.


u/spisska · 0 pointsr/MLS

Big Bill of Chicago is basically a companion volume to Lords of the Levee -- by the same authors and covering the period under mayor Big Bill Thompson. Also rollicking good fun.

For more recent history, see Boss by Mike Royko -- an eviscerating portrait of the Richard Daley administration.

All three of these books, you'll note, are the works of journalists rather than academic historians, which means they're captivating and engaging stories by people who write with a joy and a sharpness you don't typically find among more academic works.

Not a history, but Devil in the White City is an excellent novel set in Chicago at the time of the World's Fair.

As for histories, Distant Corners and Soccer in a Football World constitute the definitive history of the sport in North America.