The Burning of the World
The Great Chicago Fire and the War for a City's Soul
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In the fall of 1871, Chicagoans knew they were due for the “big one”—a massive, uncontrollable fire that would decimate the city. It had been bone-dry for months, and a recent string of blazes had nearly outstripped the fire department’s already scant resources. Then, on October 8, a minor fire broke out in the barn of Irishwoman Kate Leary. A series of unfortunate mishaps and misunderstandings along with insufficient preparation and a high south-westerly wind combined to set the stage for an unmitigated catastrophe.
The conflagration that spread from the Learys' property quickly overtook the neighborhood, and before long the floating embers had been cast to the far reaches of the city. Nothing to the northeast was safe. Families took to the streets with every possession they could carry. Powerful gusts whipped the flames into a terrifying firestorm. The Chicago River boiled. Over the next forty-eight hours, Chicago fell victim to the largest and most destructive natural disaster the United States had yet endured.
The effects of the Great Fire were devastating. But they were also transforming. Out of the ashes, faster than seemed possible, rose new homes, tenements, hotels, and civic buildings, as well as a new political order. The elite seized the reconstruction to crack down on vice, control the disbursement of vast charitable funds, and rebuild the city in their image. But the city’s working class recognized only a naked power grab that would challenge their traditions, hurt their chances to keep their hard-earned property, and move power out of the hands of elected officials and into private interests. As soon as the battle against the fire ended, another battle for the future of the city erupted between its entrenched business establishment and its poor and immigrant laborers and shopkeepers.
An enrapturing account of the fire’s inexorable march and an eye-opening look at its aftermath, The Burning of the World tells the story of one of the most infamous calamities in history and the new Chicago it precipitated—a disaster that still shapes American cities to this day.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
September 26, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593786208
- File size: 397098 KB
- Duration: 13:47:17
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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July 17, 2023
In this vivid and immersive history, Berg (38 Nooses) describes the Great Fire that devastated Chicago in October 1871. Over the course of three days, the conflagration burned more than three square miles of the then 34-year-old city, killed at least 300, and left more than 100,000—a third of its population—homeless. Even before the fire had run its course, the municipal government, led by city council president Charles Holden, set up makeshift headquarters in a church and made arrangements for public safety, food kitchens, and emergency public shelters. Their efforts, as Berg shows, were soon undercut by a coterie of powerful “stakeholders” bent on protecting their property and businesses who, over the objections of the police, enlisted the aid of Chicago resident and Civil War legend Gen. Philip Sheridan to declare martial law. In addition to Holden and Sheridan, Berg provides many other lively character portraits, including of influential Tribune publisher Joseph Medill; dry goods retailer Marshall Field; and real estate tycoon Potter Palmer. As Berg traces the battles between public and private interests that played out in the years after the fire, he astutely observes how the city was transformed into “a hothouse of populist democracy,” with the ever-growing working-class immigrant population, enraged by elite overreach, joining together as a unified voting bloc. This impressively researched account fascinates. -
Sean Patrick Hopkins narrates this deep dive into Chicago history with an engaged tone as the listener hears how Mrs. Leary got a bad rap for the notorious fire that ravaged the city in 1871. The audiobook details the fire itself before launching into a comprehensive look at the aftermath and several of the key players involved--publisher/politician Joseph Medill and politician Charles C.P. Holden. Hopkins knows pacing well and can match his tone and speed to the author's intent. His intonation is excellent. He does a great job guiding the listener through an audiobook that plunges into a topic that most of us know only a little about. And there's so much more to learn. M.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine -
March 1, 2024
Narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins offers a riveting performance of journalist Berg's (English, George Mason Univ.; 38 Nooses) account of the Great Chicago Fire. Berg sets the scene by describing the dangerously dry summer of 1871, when understaffed firefighting companies struggled to keep up with numerous fires that threatened the city. On October 8, a barn in a neighborhood close to the city center caught fire; owing to miscommunication and high winds, the fire spread rapidly. With superb pacing, Hopkins describes how, as the wind shifted, people abandoned their homes and ran for their lives. By the time the fire was extinguished, more than three square miles of Chicago had been destroyed, and up to a third of the city's residents were left without homes. The aftermath of the fire was an opportunity for change. Donations poured in from across the country and worldwide as change makers vied for power, while the immigrant community fought for worker's rights and affordable housing, and rebuilding efforts set Chicago on a new path to the future. VERDICT Hopkins's skillful performance of Berg's meticulously researched narrative of the fire and its aftermath is a must-listen for anyone interested in American history and urban development.--Joanna M. Burkhardt
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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