Erik Larson (1) (1954–)
Author of The Devil in the White City
For other authors named Erik Larson, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Erik Larson was born in Brooklyn on January 3, 1954. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania and went to graduate school at Columbia University. Larson worked for the Wall Street Journal and then began writing non-fiction books. He is the bestselling author of the National show more Book Award finalist and Edgar Award-winning, The Devil in the White City, which has been optioned for a feature film by Leonardo DiCaprio. He also wrote In the Garden of the Beasts, Issac's Storm, Thunderstruck and The Naked Consumer. Larson has taught non-fiction writing at San Francisco State University, the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and the University of Oregon. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Steve Campion (benjfrank)
Works by Erik Larson
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin (2011) 7,715 copies
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz (2020) 3,236 copies
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War (2024) — Narrator, some editions — 364 copies
Larson Erik 1 copy
Associated Works
5 Books! 1) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time 2) I Capture the Castle 3) The Glass Castle 4) The Devil… (2001) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1954-01-03
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Places of residence
- Freeport, New York, USA
Bristol, Pennsylvania, USA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
San Francisco, California, USA
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Seattle, Washington, USA - Education
- University of Pennsylvania (Russian History, 1976)
Columbia University (Graduate School of Journalism, 1978) - Occupations
- journalist
teacher
writer - Relationships
- Gleason, Christine (wife)
- Organizations
- The Wall Street Journal
Time - Awards and honors
- Carl Sandburg Literary Award (2016)
- Agent
- David Black
Members
Discussions
Question about Erik Larsen in Non-Fiction Readers (May 2015)
History; Nonfiction; True Crime; Erik Larson; Daniel Stashower in If You Like Then You Will Love (July 2013)
Reviews
Lists
THE WAR ROOM (2)
Book Club 2018 (1)
Boy Protagonists (1)
Chicago Books (1)
Carole's List (1)
Unread books (1)
Disaster Books (1)
Page Turners (1)
My TBR list (1)
To Read (2)
True Crime (2)
Allie's Wishlist (1)
Florida (1)
My List (1)
Edgar Award (1)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 14
- Also by
- 1
- Members
- 48,325
- Popularity
- #325
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 1,793
- ISBNs
- 277
- Languages
- 19
- Favorited
- 112
A welcome addition to any Civil War buff’s library.
The bestselling author is back with an intriguing tale from the beginning of the Civil War.
In his latest appealing historical excavation, Larson, author of The Splendid and the Vile, Dead Wake, and other acclaimed books of popular history, examines the run-up to the Civil War during the six months between Lincoln’s November 1860 election and the surrender of Fort Sumter: a dismal period when bumblers, not excluding Lincoln, and fanatics dominated. People will fight for their freedom, but more will fight for their money, a fact that persuaded the Founding Fathers to continue the practice of slavery. Abolition became a major issue in the North early in the 19th century, enraging southerners. At the time, there was a widespread belief that Black men and women were fit for nothing better than being enslaved. All major southern religious traditions agreed, along with scholars, educators, journalists, and scientists. Most northerners agreed but hated that enslaved people worked for nothing; this depressed wages so there was opposition to slaves moving into territories and new states. Powerless before taking office, Lincoln vastly overestimated pro-Union sentiment in the South. He assured northern audiences that matters would calm down, believing (against all evidence) that secessionists were rational and that slavery in existing states was inviolate. Popular history demands a hero, so Larson concentrates on Maj. Robert Anderson, commander of the forts in Charleston harbor. Although he was a slaveowner, he did his duty, defending Fort Sumter until it became impossible and returning to the North to great acclaim. True to his style, Larson includes interesting portraits of obscure peripheral figures that enrich the narrative, including James Hammond, a wealthy but obnoxious planter and senator, and Mary Chesnut, wife of an even wealthier planter who kept an invaluable diary.
A welcome addition to any Civil War buff’s library.… (more)