The Great Extravaganza details the Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905 from its planning stage, through the heady days of the fair, and into the decade of growth and prosperity that followed. Abbott captures the progressive sentiments that motivated early twentieth-century developers and politicians and the part the Exposition played in the development of Portland.

Now in its third edition since its original publication in 1981, The Great Extravaganza includes a new introduction by Carl Abbott along with historic photographs that give readers a tour of the extensive fairgrounds, the grand exhibit halls, and the dozens of attractions that drew a million and a half people to Portland during the summer and early fall of 1905.