The Electrifying Fall of Rainbow City: Spectacle and Assassination at the 1901 World’s Fair

In the tradition and style of Erik Larsen, Creighton explores the intersecting lives of common and elite people as they came together at the 1901 World’s Fair in Buffalo, N.Y., where President McKinley was assassinated. Though McKinley’s assassination is a major focus, Creighton presents many other fascinating people who were also present, from animal tamers and barrel riders over the Niagara Falls to the man who tried to protect the president and many others. Reader Beaulieu moves deliberately through the narration, with intentional pauses and hesitations when the prose demands it and a bit more pitch and vigor in the more intense scenes. Her straightforward style of delivery coupled with Creighton’s keen scene setting and mix of characters serves listeners well in this fascinating slice of history. A Norton hardcover. (Oct.)