Erik Larson is amazing

I'm currently reading The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Erik Larson is a very accredited author. He currently has four New York Times bestsellers, not including The Devil in the White City. He has a master in journalism from Columbia University. 

The Devil in the White City is a twisted tale, intertwining two stories of a serial killer and a brilliant architect. The story takes place surrounding the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Prior to the world fair, America was not decorated with architectural attractions. France, however, had their own world fair where they showcased one of their own architectural wonders, the Eiffel Tower. America decided to have a world fair of their own in order to compete with this. Daniel H. Burnam was the architect responsible for the fair. He was also responsible for the creation of Montauk, the first building to ever be classified as a skyscraper. H. H. Holmes was a doctor. He lured in women who were new to the city life, and murdered them. Burnam discovers many struggles in the creation of the White City in Chicago. He created the start of electricity and lighting, the way we use it on our homes today. He also creates a magnificent and highly successful world fair. Holmes also had many achievements, from creating the World’s Fair Hotel, complete with a gas chamber and a crematorium. This engrossing work of nonfiction is haunting, almost as if it was a work of fiction. However, Erik Larson only writes of completely real events from the Chicago World’s Fair.

The book is interesting from page one. The story starts off slow as the author sets up the atmosphere of Chicago and America as a whole during the 19th century. Chicago is a dimly lit city dealing with the suddenly population flow. Crime was prevalent and fires were a pressing problem. Death was frequent. Yet, Chicago had great pride after rebuilding the city after the Great Fire of 1871.  Larson also marvels at the migration of people to cities, particularly women. He writes of Burnam and his creation of the first skyscraper, along with his partnership with John Wellborn Root. I’m loving the book so far, but I’m even more excited for the action to start.