James R. Grossman is Vice President for Research and Education at the Newberry Library and senior lecturer in history at the University of Chicago. Ann Durkin Keating is professor of history at North Central College in Naperville, IL. Janice L. Reiff is associate professor of history and interim director of the Oral History Program at UCLA.
"The Encyclopedia of Chicago can be approached in a million or so
different ways. . . . It is unimaginable that it will not thrill,
frustrate, surprise, inspire, amuse, confound, enlighten and
entertain anyone who picks it up. It is much like the city it seeks
to capture in 1,100 or so pages: . . . There is not, cannot be, the
definitive story of Chicago, for it is being written as you are
reading this. The Encyclopedia of Chicago will have to do, and it
does so in a way that will quietly amuse you."--Rick Kogan "Chicago
Tribune" (10/31/2004 12:00:00 AM)
"The Encyclopedia of Chicago is no mere collection of fun facts. It
is a work of stunning scholarly achievement. . . . [It] is easily
the most comprehensive reference book on the Chicago region ever
published. To find a work that even remotely rivals it in daring
and scope, one must return to 1886 when A.T. Andreas produced his
hodgepodge and highly eccentric three-volume History of Chicago.
Developed by the distinguished Newberry Library in cooperation with
the Chicago Historical Society, the 1,117-page Encyclopedia of
Chicago features more than 1,400 entries by more than 600
historians, journalists and other experts, in addition to hundreds
of maps and illustrations, a dictionary of Chicago-area businesses,
a biographical dictionary and a 21-page timeline. . . . This is a
work of depth and gravity, written largely by scholars but aimed at
the intelligent regular Joe, an approach that becomes self-evident
in the first ten pages."--Tom McNamee "Chicago Sun-Times"
"In our ideal reference world, there would be an encyclopedia like
this one for every great American city. This is a superb
ready-reference work on Chicago, a good starting point for students
doing research, and just a wonderful book to browse through."
-- "Booklist" (1/1/2005 12:00:00 AM)
"The motto of any worthy encyclopedia ought to be that byword of
Sgt. Joe Friday, 'Just the facts, ma'am, ' and in as lucid a manner
as you can deliver them. This The Encyclopedia of Chicago does
indeed deliver, and consummately well. It also delivers excellent
maps and carefully chosen, unobtrusively placed photographs. . . .
I hope this doesn't get around, but Chicago is just now one of the
best cities in the world, lively and beautiful and happily youthful
in spirit."--Joseph Epstein "Wall Street Journal" (10/8/2004
12:00:00 AM)
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