Chicago's Great Fire

The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City

De: Carl Smith

Narrado por: David de Vries

From an acclaimed historian, the full and authoritative story of one of the most iconic disasters in American history, told through the vivid memories of those who experienced it.

Between October 8-10, 1871, much of the city of Chicago was destroyed by one of the most legendary urban fires in history. Incorporated as a city in 1837, Chicago had grown at a breathtaking pace in barely three decades, from just over 4,000 in 1840 to greater than 330,000 at the time of the fire. Built hastily, the city was largely made of wood. Once it began in the barn of Catherine and Patrick O’Leary, the fire quickly grew out of control, twice jumping branches of the Chicago River on its relentless northeastward path through the city’s three divisions. Close to one of every three Chicago residents was left homeless and more were instantly unemployed, though the death toll was miraculously low.

Remarkably, no carefully researched popular history of the Great Chicago Fire has been written until now, despite it being one of the most cataclysmic disasters in US history. Building the story around memorable characters, both known to history and unknown, including the likes of General Philip Sheridan and Robert Todd Lincoln, eminent Chicago historian Carl Smith chronicles the city’s rapid growth and place in America’s post-Civil War expansion.

The dramatic story of the fire - revealing human nature in all its guises - became one of equally remarkable renewal, as Chicago quickly rose back up from the ashes thanks to local determination and the world’s generosity and faith in Chicago’s future.

As we approach the fire’s 150th anniversary, Carl Smith’s compelling narrative at last gives this epic event its full and proper place in our national chronicle.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Carl Smith (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

From spark to finish, a good read on the fire

A detailed account of the fire and its aftermath. The narrator did a great job.

something's never change. including politicians

this book seems very well researched. the first 3rd of the book is the detail of the fire and it's spread. the second 3rd is the evaluation of the deviation and the huge outpouring of aid from around the world. the final 3rd is the politicians getting involved, accusations of corruption of the massive said sent to help the people who lost everything.

it ends with the reflection by experts, society and historians about what really happened.

the narration is top notch and brings you right to the edge of the fire.

A good read

A well-written history of architecture and what was written well about was the different social classes. The rich became poor, and the poor became destitute. The wealthy families were able to be rescued and put in places of safety, while the poor class people were stuck out on the prairie without food or shelter.
This is very similar to how the United States is in this day and age in 2024 and how we treat immigrants and judge them very similarly. I don’t think we have closed the social classes at all we have pour in the streets without food.
Yet we have $7 million yachts that Americans own.
We have children going hungry families without homes terrible Medical health benefits we’ve not made life better for those who haven’t been brought up in privilege.

Sweat home Catherine

I appreciate the book a person who grew up on the northwest side of Chicago, in an area that was prairie and farmland during the Chicago fire. This is a very good telling of the history and people.

Fairly good

Well-researched collection of anecdotes presented without humor. and interspersed with social editorial from a postmodern perspective.