Chicago, Dominic A. Pacyga
Chicago, Dominic A. Pacyga
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Chicago
A Biography

Author: Dominic A. Pacyga

Narrator: Auto-narrated

Unabridged: 17 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/01/2024

Synopsis

Chicago has been called by many names. Nelson Algren declared it a “City on the Make.” Carl Sandburg dubbed it the “City of Big Shoulders.” Upton Sinclair christened it “The Jungle,” while New Yorkers, naturally, pronounced it “the Second City.”At last there is a book for all of us, whatever we choose to call Chicago. In this magisterial biography, historian Dominic Pacyga traces the storied past of his hometown, from the explorations of Joliet and Marquette in 1673 to the new wave of urban pioneers today. The city’s great industrialists, reformers, and politicians—and, indeed, the many not-so-great and downright notorious—animate this book, from Al Capone and Jane Addams to Mayor Richard J. Daley and President Barack Obama. But what distinguishes this book from the many others on the subject is its author’s uncommon ability to illuminate the lives of Chicago’s ordinary people. Raised on the city’s South Side and employed for a time in the stockyards, Pacyga gives voice to the city’s steelyard workers and kill floor operators, and maps the neighborhoods distinguished not by Louis Sullivan masterworks, but by bungalows and corner taverns.Filled with the city’s one-of-a-kind characters and all of its defining moments, Chicago: A Biography is as big and boisterous as its namesake—and as ambitious as the men and women who built it.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Sam on July 20, 2020

This is the best one-volume history of Chicago I'm aware of. Pacyga is a professional historian but he is writing for the layman here; he admits in his preface that this is not a complete history but rather an attempt "[to highlight] those people, places, events and relationships that capture the es......more

Goodreads review by Clara on April 07, 2021

I picked up this book on Michigan Avenue a long time ago and have always wanted to read it but have always put it off. I’ve been fascinated by Chicago since the first time I visited and I hoped this book would fill in some gaps in my knowledge of its history. It definitely did and was very education......more

Goodreads review by Bryan on April 14, 2025

A good if standard broad history. It points the reader in the direction of topics they might want to look into further but offers no great detail for any of them. But hey, that's basically what this book set out to do! Shines especially during the turn of the 20th century.......more

Goodreads review by Greg on June 10, 2021

3.5 stars. A good overview of the history of Chicago, especially with regards to the founding of the city, changes in the ethnic makeup of its various neighborhoods over time, and the tenures of the two Mayor Daleys. But the author’s admitted bias for the South Side of the city is regrettable, givin......more

Goodreads review by Walt on April 23, 2024

I have read several histories of different cities, usually the rise n' fall variety. A few take the approach of cheerleaders. This volume is more like a cheerleader than a rise n' fall story. Pacyga takes a unique angle for this book by focusing on how different ethnic groups impacted the city. Read......more

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