W H Smith

Based on a study presented by the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology featuring 50 serial killers, troubled childhoods showed a higher percentage than the societal average. “Over one-third were shown to have a history of physical abuse, 26 percent were sexually abused, 50 percent were psychologically abused and 18 percent were neglected.” The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson is a depiction of how H.H. Holmes (Herman Webster Mudgett) uses his skills of manipulation, charm, and deceit…

of the hotel’s basement. From these crimes, Holmes is said to be one of America’s first known serial killers (Larson, 2003). Furthermore, building the fair was a long and brutal process since it had to be completed in a short about of time. Daniel H. Burnham, one of Chicago’s talented architects, was the exposition’s director of works. Him and his team of architects designed the World’s Fair from scratch and it needed to be finished by opening day. Of course, many obstacles got in the way,…

Erik Larson, the author of The Devil in the White City, was born on January 3, 1954 in Brooklyn, New York. He studied Russian history at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated at the top of his class. One year later, Larson enrolled at another Ivy League School, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he graduated in 1978. After starting his career as a journalist for The Bucks County Courier Times in Pennsylvania, he worked for The Wall Street Journal, Time…

The Devil in the White City by: Erik Larson Crown Publishing Group, 2003, and 447 The book "The Devil in the White City" is about the serial killer H.H. Holmes and the architect of the World's Fair Daniel H. Burnham. Who was Daniel H. Burnham? Burnham was a man who rose to prominence. In 1893 Chicago won the bid for the World's Exposition. The architects chosen were Burnham and his partner John Root, Burnham and John needed to build something to give their city a better reputation. Burnham…

The biggest reforms Churchill brought involved the education of naval officers, the progressive switch from coal to oil as the main source of fuel for ships, the “bigger is better” mentality when it came to ships and gunnery, and more accurate gunnery by means of adapting to technological advancement. Churchill was shocked that officers did not have to study or pass an exam on naval warfare and that no British officer had contributed anything to naval literature. Churchill was also outraged and…

Inciting Event In 1893 the whole of United States celebrates the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the America's and the World's Columbian Exposition opens to waiting public. In the nearby Chicago community of Englewood resides a businessman, a doctor, and the United States first documented serial killer, Dr. H.H. Holmes. First Plot Point As the trains which shall overwhelm Chicago with tourist and people seeking new opportunities so is it occupied by predators…

The Devil in the White City is written by Erik Larson, an author that takes historical events but instead of just explaining the events, he leaves his readers at the edge of their seats, wanting more, and explains gaps that are left in history regarding the events of this book. This book is set during the World's Columbian Exposition or better known as the World’s Fair of 1893. The book is based on two men that are on the opposite side of the spectrum in society: Daniel Burnham, the architect of…

he claimed the works incompetent and unable to do a proper job. The building was built containing three floors and a basement. The first floor contained multiple store fronts such as a pharmacy, jewelry store, barbershop, a restaurant, and a black smith. The second and third floors of the building were built using a labyrinth design used to confuse and allow…

I chose to read about H.H. Holmes in The Devil In The White City: Murder, Magic, And Madness At The Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson because I wanted to learn about something new rather than the alternative athlete that I’ve done biographies on in the past. The novel shows the stories of two different people during the time of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, one…

The two speeches I decided to compare and contrast are, Republican President, Ronald Reagan’s 1983 speech on the Creation of the Martin Luther King Jr., National Holiday and Democratic President Bill Clinton’s 1995 address on Race Relations. In Reagan’s speech he addressed the King family, the members of Congress and honored guests, about Martin Luther King Jr. Day becoming a national holiday and how racism still remains in the United States, however every Martin Luther King Day we as Americans…