Chicago’s Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City

Chicago historian Carl Smith’s new book, Chicago’s Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City, described by the Wall Street Journal as “a wonderfully thoughtful and concise retelling of the tragedy and its aftermath,” and by Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune as “simply put, the best book ever written about the fire,” is a comprehensive and compelling narrative of this legendary event, whose 150th anniversary is this fall. In his presentation, Smith will reflect on the fire, the rebuilding, and their place in the city’s history, including a special emphasis of the role of maps in telling the unfolding story.

BIOGRAPHY: Carl Smith is Franklyn Bliss Snyder Professor of English and American Studies and Professor of History, Emeritus, at Northwestern University. His books include Chicago and the American Literary Imagination, 1880-1920; Urban Disorder and the Shape of Belief: The Great Chicago Fire, the Haymarket Bomb, and the Model Town of Pullman; The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City; and City Water, City Life: Water and the Infrastructure of Ideas in Urbanizing Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago.