Erik Larson (born January 3, 1954) is an American journalist and author of mostly historical nonfiction books. His books include Isaac's Storm (1999), The Devil in the White City (2003), In the Garden of Beasts (2011), and Dead Wake (2015). The Devil in the White City won the 2004 Edgar Award in the Best Fact Crime category, among other awards.
Early life and education Larson was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Freeport, Long Island, New York. He studied Russian history at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated summa cum laude in 1976. After a year off, he attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, graduating in 1978. He was inspired to go into journalism after seeing the movie All the President's Men.Everett, Matthew. "Q&A: Author Erik Larson." Knoxville Mercury, 16 March 2016.
Writing career Larson's first newspaper job was with the Bucks County Courier Times in Levittown, Pennsylvania, where he wrote about murder, witches, environmental poisons, and other "equally pleasant" things. He later became a features writer for The Wall Street Journal and Time. His magazine stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, and other publications.
Books
Larson has written a number of books, mostly historical nonfiction. In a 2016 interview with the Knoxville Mercury, Larson stated he does all of his own research, asking, "why should I let anybody else have that fun?" He included among his literary inspirations David McCullough, Barbara Tuchman, David Halberstam, and Walter Lord.
Larson's 2006 book, Thunderstruck, intertwines the story of Hawley Harvey Crippen with that of Guglielmo Marconi and the invention of radio.
Larson released his first novel in audiobook format only, titled No One Goes Alone, on September 28, 2021.
Teaching and public speaking Larson has taught non-fiction writing at San Francisco State University, the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and the University of Oregon, and he has spoken to audiences across the United States.
Personal life Larson has lived in Philadelphia; Bristol, Pennsylvania; San Francisco; and Baltimore. He and his wife, Dr. Christine Gleason, have three daughters. They reside in New York City and maintain a home in Seattle, Washington.
Works
TitleYearISBNPublisherSubject matterInterviews, presentations, and reviewsCommentsThe Naked Consumer: How Our Private Lives Become Public Commodities1992Henry Holt and CompanyConsumer privacy, Market research Lethal Passage1994Crown PublishersGun culture in the U.S., Gun law in the U.S., Gun politics in the U.S., Gun violence in the U.S. The subtitle for the 1994 hardcover version is How the Travels of a Single Handgun Expose the Roots of America's Gun Crisis; The subtitle of the 1995 paperback version is The Story of a Gun.Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History1999Random HouseIsaac Cline, 1900 Galveston hurricanePresentation by Larson on Isaac's Storm, November 6, 1999, C-SPANPresentation by Larson on Isaac's Storm, August 22, 2000, C-SPANBook group discussion on Isaac's Storm, November 21, 2005, C-SPANThe Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America2002Crown PublishersWorld's Columbian Exposition, Daniel Burnham, H. H. HolmesPresentation by Larson on The Devil in the White City, February 18, 2003, C-SPANBooknotes interview with Larson on The Devil in the White City, September 14, 2003, C-SPANBook group discussion on The Devil in the White City, October 13, 2005, C-SPANThunderstruck2006Crown PublishersHawley Harvey Crippen, Guglielmo MarconiPresentation by Larson on Thunderstruck, June 9, 2007, C-SPANIn the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin2011Crown PublishersWilliam Dodd, Nazification of GermanyFresh Air interview with Larson on In the Garden of the Beasts, May 2, 2011, National Public RadioPresentation by Larson on In the Garden of the Beasts, May 23, 2011, C-SPANQ&A interview with Larson on In the Garden of the Beasts, July 24, 2011, C-SPANDead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania2015Crown PublishersSinking of the RMS LusitaniaQ&A interview with Larson on Dead Wake, March 29, 2015, C-SPANPresentation by Larson on Dead Wake, March 27, 2015, C-SPANPresentation by Larson on Dead Wake, June 6, 2015, C-SPANThe Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz2020Penguin Random HouseThe Blitz, Winston Churchill in the Second World WarInterview with Larson on The Splendid and the Vile, May 5, 2020, C-SPANNo One Goes Alone2021Penguin Random HouseWilliam James Fiction; Audiobook only.The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War2024Crown BooksAmerican Civil WarErik Larson On The Dawn Of The Civil War, May 1, 2024, NPRUNUM Chat: Ken Burns and Erik Larson, May 2024, Ken Burns
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