A true story of love, murder, and the end of the world’s “great hush.” In Thunderstruck, Erik Larson tells the interwoven stories of two men—Hawley Crippen, a very unlikely murderer, and Guglielmo Marconi, the obsessive creator of a seemingly supernatural means of communication—whose lives intersect during one of the greatest criminal chases of all time. Set in Edwardian London and on the stormy coasts of Cornwall, Cape Cod, and Nova Scotia, Thunderstruck evokes the dynamism of those years when great shipping companies competed to build the biggest, fastest ocean liners; scientific advances dazzled the public with visions of a world transformed; and the rich outdid one another with ostentatious displays of wealth. Against this background, Marconi races against incredible odds and relentless skepticism to perfect his invention: the wireless, a prime catalyst for the emergence of the world we know today. Meanwhile, Crippen, “the kindest of men,” nearly commits the perfect murder. With his unparalleled narrative skills, Erik Larson guides us through a relentlessly suspenseful chase over the waters of the North Atlantic. Along the way, he tells of a sad and tragic love affair that was described on the front pages of newspapers around the world, a chief inspector who found himself strangely sympathetic to the killer and his lover, and a driven and compelling inventor who transformed the way we communicate.
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"Interconnected tales of a London murder suspect fleeing across the Atlantic, and Marconi's efforts to build a cross-ocean wireless system. Not as strong as Larson's other books: the connection between the two tales feels forced, and neither is especially strong on their own. 3.5 stars."
— Stacy (4 out of 5 stars)
" This was not my favorite Larson book. The story of the possible murder interested me much more than the parts about Macaroni. I felt that Larson spent too much time on the technicalities of radio waves which is a subject a non-science major like myself has trouble understanding. Unlike "Murder in the White City, the connection between the two stories in this book seemed more forced. It was interesting to find out that Marconi had little formal education and that his success was largely achieved through trial and error. Lots of trials and lots of errors! "
— Catherine, 2/17/2014" Very interesting. While on one hand it gives a fascinating history of two men, Marconi the inventor and Crippen the murderer, on the other it jumps between these two men so much, that it is hard to keep track of both. And the connection between the two doesn't become apparent until nearly the end of it (which isn't much of a connection at all between the actual men). Overall, kind of confusing. "
— Alyssa, 2/7/2014" I've read other books by Larson. This was not my favorite... "
— Suz, 2/7/2014" great interweaving of 2 disparate yet ultimately linked stories "
— Mark, 2/6/2014" Exciting and interesting but not as good as Devil and the White City. Still my husband LOVED it. We later read an article which addresses his guilt or innocence "
— Rysiegel, 1/26/2014" I like his 'history as a novel' books. "
— Julie, 1/26/2014" Another excellent read - if you're into historical non fiction, you'll enjoy this book. "
— David, 1/20/2014" Erik Larson writes an interesting book, always, and Thunderstruck, about Marconi, is no exception. Nevertheless, this book is a far cry from Devil in the White City, and there were parts I had to force myself to read because I found the long, detailed descriptions of radio wave technology tedious. I also didn't like the way he skipped around in time; that took some getting used to. This is a worthwhile read, but not the most exciting book by Larson. "
— Judi, 1/20/2014" 3 and a half to 3 and 3/4. This is an interesting book. I just didn't like it as much as Larson's other books I have read (Devil in the White City and Isaac's Storm). "
— Alice, 1/10/2014" Even though the book highlighted Marconi and even mentioned Tesla a couple of times, I still liked "Devil in the White City" quite a bit more. I do enjoy the perspective Larson uses to weave moments in history together. "
— Terri, 12/7/2013" It was kind of hard to read because it was slow and technical when it talked about Marconi. Overall, I'm glad I read it though. I would say it's worth reading. "
— Shirley, 12/3/2013Erik Larson is the author of six previous national bestsellers—The Splendid and the Vile, Dead Wake, In the Garden of Beasts, Thunderstruck, The Devil in the White City, and Isaac’s Storm—which have collectively sold more than ten million copies. His books have been published in nearly twenty countries.
Bob Balaban is the author of the McGrowl series for young readers, and he has appeared in nearly one hundred movies, including Midnight Cowboy, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Waiting for Guffman, and Moonrise Kingdom. He has been nominated for an Oscar, a Tony, four Emmys, a Producers Guild Award, two Directors Guild Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, one of which he won for his appearance in Gosford Park, a film he also produced. A Chicago native, he now lives in Bridgehampton, New York.