Customer Reviews

The Encyclopedia of Chicago

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This encyclopedia is a joint effort of the Newberry Library and the Chicago Historical Society, two organizations eminently qualified to condense one of the greatest cities in the world into a single volume. Each page holds a plethora of memory-worthy facts. Maps and diagrams both small and large abound that describe everything from racial distributions to abandoned coal-delivery infrastructure. Scattered among the main entries are special-interest boxes with passages from qualified commentators-- see especially the discussion of the meaning of "downstate" written by former governor James Thompson.

Each of the Chicago area's myriad neighborhoods and localities gets its own detailed entry, including a locator map, that discusses history and present disposition. These are joined by longer discussions of the great social changes that have taken place in Chicago over the years as well as case studies of several neighborhoods that include extensive graphic explanations.

Though it is laid out alphabetically like any other encyclopedia, this volume is a pleasure to browse. A wander through its pages is facilitated by a helpful system of references set into the text and cross-listings provided at the end of each article.

If you've ever walked (or driven, or taken the El over) the streets of Chicago and wondered what's under, over, and around you, you'll become absorbed by this book. What's more, the next time you walk through the city, you'll do so with a more thorough understanding of what you're experiencing.

I am very interested in Chicago history (being the author of "A Chicago Firehouse: Stories of Wrigleyville's Engine 78) myself. The "Encyclopedia of Chicago" has some great information, but I found some of the places it was listed as confusing. This is a HUGE undertaking and realize pulling all that information together was not an easy project, however, I felt some entries should have been included under their own headings, such as Biograph Theater or John Dillinger. Even so, I learned a multitude of information and enjoyed reading through the volume. It will be kept on my reference shelf for many years to come.

This book is amazing. It is, by far, the most complete compedium on all things Chicago that there is.
Many of the entries are brief, but some major topics get full essay treatment. The section on architecture is a fantastic introduction to the architectural history of Chicago.

This is an encyclopedia, and therefore it contains information on a huge range of topics, but is not exceptionally detailed. It does provide reference to related topics within the book, and it provides a number of sources for further reading.

The book employees many excellent charts and maps, as well as a very thorough timeline on the history of this city.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves this great city and wants to know more.

I bought this book as a Christmas present for my sister off a recommendation and I spent all Christmas morning reading through it. I finally had to order one for myself. A lot of information, but so interesting to learn about. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting guide to learning about Chicago.

First and foremost, I hope the "Encyclopedia of Chicago" considers a second edition to improve upon what is missing in the first edition.

The book itself is beautiful, well-designed and the layout is exceptional. The problems arise in what is missing and some bias which peaks its head out on occasion. This book, in short, attempts to be definative, however in this grand effort details and subject matter has been missed.

Not unlike any large anthology or as a more precise example - a general book on baseball - most readers will seek out sections that they are most close to or interested in. Fans of the home run will seek out the section on home run hitters as an example. In my quest, I found several notable individuals and organizations, important to the City of Chicago and its rich history unmentioned.

Take for instance Florence Scala. Scala, the leader of the push to save Chicago's Little Italy from the expansion of the University of Illinois at Chicago is not mentioned. Take for instance the Near West Side Conservation Council. The NWSCC, founded in 1960, was responsible (in part) for the expansion of the concepts of urban renewal that made Hyde Park famous, yet is also not mentioned. Even the University Village Association, a leader in the revival of the Near West Side, which now celebrates over 20 years of existance - is not mentioned.

The section on Italian Americans in Chicago and their role is in short weak and hardly indicative of their role in building Chicago.

I am also critical of the lack of coverage on Chicago's sports teams. While they may not deserve the reams of paper that other books have covered, the Encyclopedia falls flat in its lack of substantive historical notation.

The tone of the book is serious, and it takes itself seriously - which makes my observations hopefully some which the gentle readers of this brief review will also ponder prior to purchase so as to not have the excessive expectations I once had.

In reviewing the contributors, the Encyclopedia's team did not reach out to the extent they should have to find the pre-imminent authors relative to the subject matter. A second edition, I would hope, would really improve upon this first effort.

Surprisingly, the Daley administrations also met with barely a paragraph; when a page at least would seem to be natural.

A more definative list of source material or a bibliography would also be of benefit.

Despite my criticisms, the book is worthy for home sick Chicagoans to look upon its history. The bias however, leaning toward the progressives, does not do justice by neglecting the grit, passion and characters who made Chicago over the past 175 years what it remains today - a great city of promise, hard work and texture - made richer by immigrants and scoundrals, people of faith and people of determination.

This is a wonderful compulation of information for the avid history fan or an educator within the history field. The book is very well organized and has various maps from different eras. I have to admit that this book was a ten year project by my college Professor Ann D. Keating and her colleagues and that because of this fact I might be inclined to say nothing but good things about the book. The fact is that this is the most complete book that I have ever owned concerning the history of Chicago, and if you can't find it in this book it probably doesn't exist. Happy researching to all those historians out there who want to learn about the Chicago area.

This item is great. But, ONLY BUY IT DIRECTLY FROM AMAZON.COM. Buying a few pennies cheaper through someone else at Amazon.com was a disaster.

The Encyclopedia of Chicago is a great resource and guide to anyone who needs to look up reliable information on almost anything having to do with the City of Chicago. This is a great book to have.

I purchased the Encyclopedia of Chicago as a gift to my wife. She is a high school history teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. She had been tasked with teaching a new class, one that had never been taught and that had no text book. The topic of the class was the History of Chicago. The Encyclopedia of Chicago has provided my wife and her classes with loads of little known and truly amazing facts about the city of Chicago and how it developed from a small trading post on the shores of Lake Michigan to a world-class city in the twenty-first century.

While the book looks to be filled to the brim with Chicago-lore and information, it is, in fact, quite empty. It tends to gloss over everything, and events, such as the Eastland disaster (worst loss-of-life event in Chicago's history) and the Chicago fire, get only a couple of paragraphs each, and only the barest of facts are given. As someone else noted, the Daileys are only mentioned in passing, in the Mayor section. Considering how much influence Mayors Richard J. and Richard M. have has on the city, this is a huge missing piece of Chicago history. Frankly, without those two mayors, Chicago might well be a different city today. The glossing over of them is a major flaw in this book.

Another complaint I have is that there are hardly any color photographs (although I give that most of the historical photos would be B&W, there are still places where color photos could be used). In fact, there aren't enough photos at all. This is an encyclopedia, after all, and photos tell half the tale for such a book.

Reading about the various suburbs was interesting. I only wish more time had been spent on Chicago herself. If you want a quick fact-book that has timelines and a paragraph or two on each subject, this would be your book. If you are looking for something deeper, keep going.