When I first picked up this book I wondered what the title had to do with the building of the world fair, and the serial killer H.H Holmes. When I started reading the book it became clear why the book is titled The Devil In The White City. I believe Erik Larson titled the his book The Devil in the White City because the buildings where the World Fair where white, they used white stucco for the buildings. This was a big thing because compared to the rest of the city it was a big difference. Chicago was also called the White City because of the technological advances during this time with the lights being illuminated at night e street lamps.
Know that we have figured out the White city part of the name I can explain where the devil part comes in. The devil in the title refers to H.H Holmes. Here's a little background information on H.H Holmes. Holmes was a serial killer who used the World Fair as a picking ground for potential victims. So when you put those to explanations together you get the title The Devil In The White City. So after I finished reading the book the title made perfect sense. In personally opinion the title is a perfect fit for the content of the book.
