City of Scoundrels: The Twelve Days of Disaster That Gave Birth to Modern Chicago, (Paperback)

from cookierooks

Blatant machine politics, racial, ethnic and labor unrest. Murder and gang warfare. Epic battles between Springfield and City Hall. Accusations of buying of political appointments and a showdown over public transit. Big dreams and even bigger plans to transform the face of the city. A blustery, c...

from lindap69

fascinating look at the early days of the city of Chicago and the way politics and people shape our world - good on audio

from ChristineEllei

From July 21st through August 1st, 1919 Chicago was a city of turmoil. This non-fiction account of that time reads like a good historical fiction novel, but as the author states in the forward all the events are factual and no dialogue is invented. Mr. Krist draws from public record, newspaper ac...

from Darcia

This book starts by pulling us into a dramatic scene of a blimp crashing into the heart of Chicago. The author uses personal accounts to re-tell this story and it reads like the best thriller. Unfortunately, the intensity is lost when from there we go into an in-depth look at backroom city politi...

from etxgardener

In 1919, Chicago seemed on the verge of transforming itself from a provincial Midwest city to one of the first cities of the world. It's flamboyant mayor "Big Bill" Thompson was poised to implement Daniel Burnham's architectural plan for the city, which would not only improve thew city's looks, b...