The Great Fire of 1871 was one of the most colossal disasters in American history-with damage so profound that few people believed the city of Chicago could ever rise again. By weaving personal accounts of actual survivors together with careful research, Jim Murphy constructs a riveting and dramatic narrative, ultimately revealing how the human spirit triumphed even in a time of deepest despair, and the people of Chicago found the courage and strength to build their city once again.
"[A] diversity and multitude of personal accounts…[provides] a better appreciation of the event as a dynamic experience from which we still have much to learn."
