About Erik Larson

Erik Larson is an American author of nonfiction books, many of which are popular bestsellers. His books are known for their narrative style and their focus on historical events that are both fascinating and important.

Larson was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1954. He studied Russian history, language, and culture at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1976. After a year off, he attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, graduating in 1978.

Larson began his career as a journalist, working for the Bucks County Courier Times and The Wall Street Journal. He later became a contributing writer for Time magazine. Larson has also written articles for The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, and other publications.

Larson’s first book, Isaac’s Storm: A Man, His Time, and the Last Great Hurricane, was published in 1999. The book tells the story of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which killed an estimated 8,000 people. Isaac’s Storm was a critical and commercial success, and it won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2000.

Larson’s second book, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, was published in 2003. The book tells the story of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer who built a hotel near the fairgrounds where he murdered his victims. The Devil in the White City was another critical and commercial success, and it was adapted into a Hulu miniseries in 2022.

Larson’s books have been translated into over 20 languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Pulitzer Prize, the Edgar Award, and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.

Larson is a highly respected author, and his books are essential reading for anyone interested in history, true crime, or simply well-written stories. His work provides a fascinating glimpse into the past and the people who shaped it.

Erik Larson’s Bibliography

Isaac’s Storm: A Man, His Time, and the Last Great Hurricane (1999)

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America (2003)

Thunderstruck (2006)

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin (2011)

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania (2015)

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz (2020)

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War (2024)