City of Big Shoulders: A History of Chicago

By Robert G. Spinney

Book Overview

This compact yet comprehensive account of Chicago's history links key events in the city's development, from its marshy origins in the 1600s to today's robust metropolis. Synthesizing a vast body of literature, Spinney presents Chicago in terms of the people whose lives made the city--not only the tycoons and the politicians but also the hundreds of thousands of immigrants from all over the world who have kept the city working.

City of Big Shoulders sweeps across the colorful and dramatic panorama of Chicago's explosive past. How did the pungent swamplands that the Native Americans called the wild-garlic place mushroom into one of the world's largest and most sophisticated cities? What is the real story behind the Great Chicago Fire? What aspects of American industry exploded with the bomb in Haymarket Square? Did the 1920s in Chicago roar as loudly as Hollywood would have us believe?

A city of immigrants and entrepreneurs, Chicago is quintessentially American. Spinney traces formative events in the city's history, bringing to life the people, events, and institutions that are most important for understanding Chicago's story. From Fort Dearborn to Cabrini-Green, P\u00e8re Marquette to Mayor Daley, the Union Stockyards to the Chicago Bulls, City of Big Shoulders draws together diverse threads of the city's development, shedding light on underlying social and economic causes of major events and, especially, on the roles of ordinary people.

Engaging and highly informative, this account will interest students and teachers of urban history, as well as anyone looking for a brisk overview of Chicago's history. Historic photographs and informative tables illuminate the narrative.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0875805833
• ISBN13: 9780875805832
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press
• Length: 314 Pages
• Weight: 1.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Good history book.

Reading it prior to my trip to Chicago. Good narration. Good history. Not too boring.

great Chicago info

I'm from Chicago and always felt I was lacking info on my city's history. I wanted to fill in the gaps without reading a textbook - I found a perfect balance of information and readability in this book. Really enjoyable and well worth a look by Chicagoans and lovers of American history.

An entertaining, informative overview

I loved reading this book, which is full of interesting facts about Chicago's rich history. It doesn't go into extreme detail of every event, but it definitely completes its intended task of entertaining and educating the reader.