{"product_id":"chicagos-great-fire-the-destruction-and-resurrection-of-an-iconic-american-city-9780802148100","title":"Chicago's Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe Complete History of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis authoritative account by acclaimed historian Carl Smith delivers the first carefully researched popular history of one of America's most iconic urban disasters. The Great Chicago Fire of October 8-10, 1871, destroyed much of a rapidly growing city and reshaped American urban development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Fire That Changed America\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChicago had exploded from just over 4,000 residents in 1840 to more than 330,000 by 1871. Built hastily during this breathtaking expansion, the city was largely constructed of wood. When fire began in Catherine and Patrick O'Leary's barn, it quickly spiraled beyond control, jumping branches of the Chicago River twice as it carved a relentless northeastward path through the city's three divisions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe fire left one in three Chicago residents homeless and thousands instantly unemployed. Despite the massive destruction, the death toll remained miraculously low, a testament to the resilience and quick action of residents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eVivid Accounts from Those Who Were There\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCarl Smith builds this narrative around memorable characters both known and unknown to history, including General Philip Sheridan and Robert Todd Lincoln. Through their experiences, readers witness human nature in all its forms during crisis—panic and courage, loss and determination, despair and hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrom Ashes to Renewal\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe story of destruction becomes equally one of remarkable resurrection. Chicago rose from the ashes through local determination combined with generosity and faith from around the world. This disaster and recovery shaped the city's future and influenced urban planning across America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eComprehensive Historical Context\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSmith chronicles Chicago's rapid growth within the broader context of America's post-Civil War expansion. As Franklyn Bliss Snyder Professor of English and American Studies and Professor of History, Emeritus, at Northwestern University, Smith brings decades of expertise in Chicago history. His previous works include \u003cem\u003eUrban Disorder and the Shape of Belief\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePublished by Atlantic Monthly Press in hardcover, this comprehensive account arrives as the fire approaches its 150th anniversary, finally giving this epic event its proper place in American history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCARL SMITH\u003c\/strong\u003e is Franklyn Bliss Snyder Professor of English and American Studies and Professor of History, Emeritus, at Northwestern University. His books include \u003cem\u003eChicago and the American Literary Imagination, 1880-1920\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eUrban Disorder and the Shape of Belief: The Great Chicago Fire, the Haymarket Bomb, and the Model Town of Pullman\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eThe Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City\u003c\/em\u003e; and \u003cem\u003eCity Water, City Life: Water and the Infrastructure of Ideas in Urbanizing Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Atlantic Monthly Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50493595386130,"sku":"9780802148100","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_30ce6126-d91b-4a06-85dd-62e08dea293e.jpg?v=1730653378","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/chicagos-great-fire-the-destruction-and-resurrection-of-an-iconic-american-city-9780802148100","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}