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Book Report On The Devil In The White City

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The Devil In The White City is a great book. Erik Larson has produced one of the best-written books ever. The way he weaves two highly intricate plots together in one book is astounding. This is the story of two men who never met, but each played large parts in the history of the United States. Daniel Burnham and his partner, John Root, are chosen as the lead designers of the 1893 Columbian Exposition, or the Chicago World 's Fair. Root dies early on, leaving Burnham to design the fair, The location of the fair takes six months to decide upon, building drafts come in late, the economy is significantly declining, a union strikes, many workers are injured or killed during construction, and it takes a while to find an attraction to outdo …show more content…

This book is aptly named, as a similarity that emerged from Holmes ' part in the story was his likeness to the devil himself. Holmes would approach his victims with kindliness, and reel them in with his charismatic personality. Then he would kill them. Several women he met, dated, and eventually married, only to kill. Such is the devil, seeking whom he may devour, drawing men in only to kill them. Holmes is a symbol of pure evil, not unlike Jack the Ripper. The other story in the book is an intricate story of how the White City came to be. Many men toiled long and hard to achieve the effects the World 's Fair had on its visitors. Daniel Burnham led these gigantic efforts, organizing designers, pulling together many businesses, and recruiting many others to help in the design and construction of the Fair. The main thought I took away from this part of the book was the magnificent persistence and determination these men had in putting the Fair together. They fought through tons of obstacles on their way to completing the Fair and making it a success. The Fair represented, for many, a place of wonder and mystique, and yet also of great magnificence and opulence. Several characteristics, in particular, impressed visitors more than

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