2009marks the centennial of the influential Plan of Chicago. Designed by Daniel H. Burnham, coauthored by Edward Bennett and produced in collaboration with the Commercial Club of Chicago, the forward-thinking plan proposed many of the city s most distinctive features, including its lakefront parks and roadways, the Magnificent Mile, and Navy Pier. As a result, by the time he died in 1912, Burnham was one of the most famous architects in America as well as an internationally renowned city planner. Thomas S. Hines s book is at once both a biography of Burnham and a vivid portrait of the birth and growth of an American city. In commemoration of the historic anniversary of Burnham s Plan, this edition of "Burnham of Chicago" includes a new introduction by American history scholar, Neil Harris.
Indeed, the book as a whole is a model of the balanced portrait, sure of Burnham s importance but always conscious of his failings. Paul Goldberger, "New York"" Times Book Review"""
In every sense this is the definitive biography. Harry Weese, "Chicago"" Tribune""" Professor Hines has written what may prove to be an epoch-making book in the study of American civilization. Reyner Banham, "Times Literary Supplement""