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Seeking Chicago: The Stories Behind the Architecture of the Windy City-One Building at a Time
Richly detailed and full of engaging stories, this charming guide traces the history of Chicago's unparalleled architecture.
Meticulously researched, engagingly presented, and richly detailed, Seeking Chicago is truly a must-read for anyone interested in the story of the Windy City and how it got that way. Unlike other books about local history, here Tom Miller reveals the stories of many smaller, more modest buildings that are off the beaten track - the very structures that most guide books overlook - along with the iconic landmarks.
Chicago is possibly the most important American city for experiencing important architectural masterpieces. There are numerous ways to learn about its architectural heritage, from museums to curated walking and driving tours and even a boat tour. While the basic factual histories of Chicago's landmarks are fairly well known, there are additional layers of history - often with dramatic human interest angles - that don't always get included in the "official" tours. Tom Miller tells the story of Chicago's rich architectural and social history building by building. The stories behind the city's buildings is an impressive architectural history reading and a dramatic sampling of American social history--family feuds, scandals, and mob hits. He excels at uncovering the dramas that have unfolded within the architecture and detailing them to tell an engaging and largely unknown side of Chicago's history.
Meticulously researched, engagingly presented, and richly detailed, Seeking Chicago is truly a must-read for anyone interested in the story of the Windy City and how it got that way. Unlike other books about local history, here Tom Miller reveals the stories of many smaller, more modest buildings that are off the beaten track - the very structures that most guide books overlook - along with the iconic landmarks.
Chicago is possibly the most important American city for experiencing important architectural masterpieces. There are numerous ways to learn about its architectural heritage, from museums to curated walking and driving tours and even a boat tour. While the basic factual histories of Chicago's landmarks are fairly well known, there are additional layers of history - often with dramatic human interest angles - that don't always get included in the "official" tours. Tom Miller tells the story of Chicago's rich architectural and social history building by building. The stories behind the city's buildings is an impressive architectural history reading and a dramatic sampling of American social history--family feuds, scandals, and mob hits. He excels at uncovering the dramas that have unfolded within the architecture and detailing them to tell an engaging and largely unknown side of Chicago's history.
256 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2019
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About the author
Tom Miller
2 books3 followersTom Miller moved to New York City in 1979 from Dayton, Ohio, bringing with him a passion for buildings. He currently holds the rank of deputy inspector within the NYPD's Auxiliary Police Force. In 2009 he started a blog, Daytonian in Manhattan, which has now reviewed over a thousand buildings, statues, and other points of interest.
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September 8, 2019
As someone who knows TOO MUCH about Chicago history, specifically architecture, I was pleasantly surprised to learn some new things from this book. It was also nice to read more historical detail about a couple of my favorite buildings. I could tell it was written from an outsider's perspective (the author is from New York) but that's what made it interesting. I enjoyed discovering houses (Seth P. Warner, William H. Hoyt) I didn't even know about. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Chicago architecture.
Displaying 1 of 1 review