H.H. Holmes : the true history of the White City Devil

by Selzer, Adam,

Format: Print Book 2017
Availability: Available at 12 Libraries 13 of 13 copies
Available (13)
Location Collection Call #
Andrew Carnegie Free Library Nonfiction 364.1 SELZER
Location  Andrew Carnegie Free Library
 
Collection  Nonfiction
 
Call Number  364.1 SELZER
 
 
Baldwin Borough Library History and Politics HISTORY & POLITICS SEL
Location  Baldwin Borough Library
 
Collection  History and Politics
 
Call Number  HISTORY & POLITICS SEL
 
 
C.C. Mellor Memorial Library Non Fiction 364.1 Sel
Location  C.C. Mellor Memorial Library
 
Collection  Non Fiction
 
Call Number  364.1 Sel
 
 
CLP - Brookline Non-Fiction Collection HV6248.M8 S45 2017x
Location  CLP - Brookline
 
Collection  Non-Fiction Collection
 
Call Number  HV6248.M8 S45 2017x
 
 
CLP - East Liberty Non-Fiction Collection HV6248.M8 S45 2017x
Location  CLP - East Liberty
 
Collection  Non-Fiction Collection
 
Call Number  HV6248.M8 S45 2017x
 
 
CLP - Hazelwood Non-Fiction Collection HV6248.M8 S45 2017x
Location  CLP - Hazelwood
 
Collection  Non-Fiction Collection
 
Call Number  HV6248.M8 S45 2017x
 
 
CLP - Homewood Non-Fiction Collection HV6248.M8 S45 2017x
Location  CLP - Homewood
 
Collection  Non-Fiction Collection
 
Call Number  HV6248.M8 S45 2017x
 
 
CLP - Main Library Mezzanine - Non-fiction HV6248.M8 S45 2017x
Location  CLP - Main Library
 
Collection  Mezzanine - Non-fiction
 
Call Number  HV6248.M8 S45 2017x
 
 
Crafton Public Library Adult - Non-Fiction 364.1 SELZER 2017 CRAFTON 4/17
Location  Crafton Public Library
 
Collection  Adult - Non-Fiction
 
Call Number  364.1 SELZER 2017 CRAFTON 4/17
 
 
Northland Public Library Nonfiction 364.1523 SE4
Location  Northland Public Library
 
Collection  Nonfiction
 
Call Number  364.1523 SE4
 
 
Northland Public Library Nonfiction 364.1523 SE4
Location  Northland Public Library
 
Collection  Nonfiction
 
Call Number  364.1523 SE4
 
 
Penn Hills Library Non-Fiction 364.1 SEL
Location  Penn Hills Library
 
Collection  Non-Fiction
 
Call Number  364.1 SEL
 
 
Shaler North Hills Library Non-Fiction 364.1 S
Location  Shaler North Hills Library
 
Collection  Non-Fiction
 
Call Number  364.1 S
 
 
Summary
Shares with readers America's first and most infamous serial killer and his diabolical killing spree during the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago The first comprehensive book following the life and career of H. H. Holmes A fascinating true story about a dark moment in Chicago's history
H. H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil uncovers not only the true story of Holmes but also how the legend evolved. It uses hundreds of primary sources that have never been studied before. This includes letters, articles, legal documents, and records that have been tucked away in archives for more than 100 years.

While H. H. Holmes is now as famous as he was in 1895, a thorough analysis of modern materials clarifies how much of the story as we know it came from reports who were far from the action, an incredibly unqualified new police chief, and lies from Holmes himself.

This book is a tale of an outlaw. It covers Holmes's own story with new insights. The author, Adam Selzer, has uncovered stunning new data about Holmes. He combines turn-of-the-century America, the crazy group of characters who were in and around the famous "castle" building, and the killer's own background. This book is the first fully accurate account of what truly happened in Holmes's horror castle.

H. H. Holmes , with its exhaustive research and careful detail, is an irreplaceable partner to the upcoming Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese movie about Holmes's murder spree based on Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City .
Published Reviews
Booklist Review: "*Starred Review* Selzer has made a career of fact-checking the most sordid details of Chicago history, disseminating the weird and gritty true history of the city and its most unsavory people through popular mystery tours, a podcast, and books. When the unprecedented success of Erik Larson's Devil in The White City (2003) stirred up renewed interest in serial killer H. H. Holmes, Selzer made it his mission to painstakingly research Holmes' life, family, and crimes with intense determination and doggedness. The result is this comprehensive, compelling, and surprising biography of Holmes, written in a conversational style, as if we are passengers on one of Selzer's tours. The book follows every move Holmes ever made, dragging readers all over the country, breathlessly following his trail of deceit and lies. Using thousands of primary sources to draw the most accurate picture yet of this American villain, Selzer keeps the delicate balance of salacious (and mundane) details maintained with solid facts. What emerges is a picture of a terrible but intriguing man, one who continues to capture our imagination over a century later, and one whose story leaps off the page in Selzer's uniquely suited hands. A must-read for fans of The Devil in The White City, of course, but this biography will also hold its own independently in true-crime collections.--Spratford, Becky Copyright 2017 Booklist"
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Publisher's Weekly Review: "Was late 19th-century mass murderer H.H. Holmes motivated more by psychological compulsions than practical concerns? Selzer (Ghost of Chicago) suggests the latter, diverging from the perspective put forth in Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City. He works hard to assemble historical evidence that strays from accounts by Larson, and others, but he never loses sight of the fact that Holmes "almost certainly killed at least nine people, ruined the lives of numerous others, and seemed to feel very little guilt about it." This highly readable account of the case walks readers through Holmes's nonviolent crimes before getting to his first murder. Selzer believes that Holmes's 1891 killing of Julia Conner, a woman he had sued for nonpayment of a loan, was, like his others, committed, not out of bloodlust, but as a "necessary part of furthering his swindling operations and protecting his lifestyle." He makes a convincing argument that current perceptions of Holmes are not always solidly grounded, even as he concedes that there's "a lot of mystery left to be solved" about the case, a concession that will lead many aficionados of quality true-crime narrative to monitor his Mysterious Chicago blog for updates. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved."
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Additional Information
Subjects Mudgett, Herman W., -- 1861-1896.
Serial murderers -- Illinois -- Chicago.
Serial murderers -- Illinois -- Chicago -- Biography.
Chicago (Ill.) -- History -- 19th century.
Biographies.
True crime stories.
Publisher New York, NY :Skyhorse Publishing,2017
Other Titles True history of the White City Devil
Language English
Description xii, 430 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Bibliography Notes Includes bibliographical references (pages 389-422) and index.
ISBN 9781510713437
1510713433
Other Classic View