Of the thirty miles of Lake Michigan shoreline within the city limits of Chicago, twenty-four miles is public park land. The crown jewels of its park system, the lakefront parks bewitch natives and visitors alike with their brisk winds, shady trees, sandy beaches, and rolling waves. Like most good things, the protection of the lakefront parks didn't come easy, and this book chronicles the hard-fought and never-ending battles Chicago citizens have waged to keep them "forever open, clear, and free." Illustrated with historic and contemporary photographs, Wille's book tells how Chicago's lakefront has survived a century of development. The story serves as a warning to anyone who thinks the struggle for the lakefront is over, or who takes for granted the beauty of its public beaches and parks. "A thoroughly fascinating and well-documented narrative which draws the reader into the sights, smells and sounds of Chicago's story. . . . Everyone who cares about the development of land and its conservation will benefit from reading Miss Wille's book."—Daniel J. Shannon, Architectural Forum "Not only good reading, it is also a splendid example of how to equip concerned citizens for their necessary participation in the politics of planning and a more livable environment."— Library Journal Through photographs and narrative, Lois Wille recreates the story of how Chicago's lakefront has survived more than 150 years of development. Lois Wille (1931-2019) won the Pulitzer Prize in 1963 for a series of Chicago Daily News articles covering the refusal of public health agencies in Chicago and Cook County to provide contraceptive services for indigent women. In 1989 she received her second Pulitzer Prize, this time for editorial writing as the editorial page editor for the Chicago Tribune . In between, she was also editorial page editor of the Chicago Sun-Times for six years. She was the author of Forever Open, Clear and Free: The Struggle for Chicago's Lakefront and At Home in the Loop: How Clout and Community Built Chicago’s Dearborn Park .