If you have an interest in learning Chicago history, if you live in Chicago and think you know its history, read this book. This book is the foundation of the largest city in America truly founded by "Americans". A lot of Chicagoans can recite tidbits from the past century, focusing on Capone and the city's Daley-run government as the most intriguing aspects of The Windy City.

But few fail to really understand the foundation of Chicago. This book takes you from its pre-white "settler" days through the city's, and one of the nation's, defining moments on a world scale, the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893.

Donald Miller takes you on an eloquently-written journey through the facts, people, architecture and overwhelming ideals that made Chicago what was in the 1900s and continues to be into the 21st century. Miller's writing, filled with information squeezed into each sentence via the ever-present use of the comma, can at times become overwhelming. However, Miller's style forces the reader to take his or her time and absorb each historic moral.

I do believe a reader can turn this book into a quicker read. Though its incredible amount of information and wonderful description of Chicago culture will not be fully understood in this way. This book is best treated like a fun but serious read. Grab a highlighter and some page flags so you'll be able to go back from time to time and remember little facts that will astound your friends, though your understanding of the city's history will already greatly impress anyone who casually asks a question about Chicago.

This book's build to the 1893 World's Fair is especially apropos currently, given Chicago's bid to bring the 2016 Olympics to the Second City. Many parallels can be drawn.

This is an amazing book for all Chicagoan lovers. There is soo much history about the city of Chicago and the author does an awesome of explaining it and taking you through a walk through the past. The book is a little long but I would recommend it to anyone interested in Chicago's history.

This book was not what I expected. I found the details tedious and boring. Not enough coverage of the most historical event in Chicago's history, the fire and the subsequent rebuilding. I fairness, I was so disinterested I did not finish the second half... I kept falling asleep. John Dwaine/ Chicago

I thought this book was one of the more interesting pieces on Chicago history. I am lucky enough to work in the Loop and loved the section of the book about the buildings and to my surprise many of them are still around. I even took a walk to the Rookery and Monadnock buildings to see them for my self and now have a renewed respect for these buildings. I see some readers have complained about the apparent lack of organization throughout the book but that is because it is theme based and not a chronological history of the city like a history book would be but rather he covers topics of the city's past that cover years,decades or even generations. Anyone that considers themselves a Chicagoan will understand and like this book.

Donald L. Miller's "City of the Century" is one of the best books of its genre. The book has the sweep of a novel with the detail of an exegesis. Miller's forte is the taking of several historical characters and weaving the truth of their lives into the fabric of the history he would have us read. And in "City", he has excelled at his own methodology.

We are introduced to those who settled the "City" and become close to those who not only grew Chicago but soon after it had reached new heights in the 19th century were faced with the destruction by fire of most of what had been built. And we learn that they were not daunted by this monumental task of re-building the "City". And reading the gripping description of the ruins, we are yet elated by the notion that Chicago is not finished. In less than a decade Chicago rose from the ashes -- to become by the end of the century on of America's greatest cities.

Dr. Miller takes us through the whole of Chicago's century of growth, destruction, and rebirth never losing command of the many threads that made the final fabric. And in the telling of Chicago's story we also learn much about the America that contributed its people and its wealth, along with their hopes and dreams to making the "City of the Century".

Read this book and you will agree that the only thing lacking is a volume two depicting the continuing evolution of Chicago through the 20th century.

I was not impressed with this book. The glowing reviews are a mystery to me. Miller seemed to begin one train of thought jump to another and back again. The lack of organization was overwhelming. The dry, unexpressive writing was disappointing. As a text this is muddled, as "engrosing non-fiction" utterly lacking. Furthermore, this book was extremely long. The length is not necessarily a negative in itself, but it is when it seems that nothing of substance is being said. The length of this book can be attributed to the constant reiteration and the poor organization. Pure facts are as difficult to weed out as it is to understand the structure. Very disappointing.

I want to echo the rave reviews this book has gotten. I just finished it tonight. Wonderful stories, insightful analysis. It makes you think past the usual chicago folklore that many of us city dwellers have come to accept as fact. I highly reccomend this to anyone interested in chicago or the growth of urban america in the 19th century.

Miller succeeds in making a vast sweeping history of nineteenth century Chicago an engrossing and captivating read for even the casual historian, by telling Chicago's story through an intricate web of individual stories. By doing so, he reminds the reader that it is impossible to separate history from the individuals responsible, and that a truly inspired phenomenal development - like nineteenth century Chicago - is no accident.

Throughout the book Miller echoes Frederick Jackson Turner's thesis that the West is most emblematic of American ideals, values, and attitudes. At the periphery of Miller's stories about Chicago, one can see the United States itself grow and change.

Miller's engaging style makes this history a must read for anyone interested in Chicago and 19th century America, and a wonderful surprise for anyone with a taste for real stories about the human will to succeed.

This book presents Chicago's nineteenth century history with great clarity. It's the kind of read that stays with you. Chicago's history is surprisingly recent,and the people involved in the growth and flourishing of this city have been shown in Miller's book in a way that brings these people alive. As a lifelong Chicago resident, I feel I know my city much better thanks to this excellent, fast-paced book. I now know where the Chicago Fire burned, where buildings long gone used to stand, etc. It is fascinating for anyone who wants to understand Chicago better. PS -- I wish Miller would do one of the twentieth century Chicago.

I have had the privilege of having Donald Miller as a professor for three semesters, and when City of the Century first came out, I was one of the first to read it. From the opening pages of Joliet and Marquette's exploration of the Mississippi River, the reader is transplanted into the muddy plains that were to become Chicago. Following the next 200+ years, Miller takes you on a fantastic voyage of the successes and failures of one of the most influential cities in American History. The characters and the stories they have are retold by Miller in a style that makes the reader want to learn more. It is the closest that most will ever come to having him as a professor, for his book reminds me very much of his teaching style. A lot of information wound around hours of stories and antecdotes. Miller has the uncanny ability to trick you into learning . You feel as though you are simply sitting at a bar with the man, laughing and discussing whatever topic comes up. But when you finish, you realize that you will walk away with a greater understanding than you ever had before. Donald Miller translates this style into an award winning masterpiece of writing. I would whole heartedly recommend this to all.