Erik Larson is an American writer and historian, particularly well-known for his vivid renditions of historical topics such as Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 and Hitler’s Berlin.
Larson was born on January 3, 1954 in Brooklyn. When asked what he liked to read as a child, Larson told an interviewer, “It depends on the phase. I loved the Tom Swift series, and I actually loved Nancy Drew books. I think I read them all. And then I graduated pretty quickly to the Dumas books. I loved The Three Musketeers. I loved The Count of Monte Cristo. And when I was quite young, I got into reading Dickens. I’m not sure I really understood Bleak House, but I thought it was great. I was not a voracious...