Thunderstruck

By Erik Larson

Book Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - An "irresistible" (The Washington Post) true story of love, murder, and the last moments of the "great hush" before wireless radio connected the world, from the renowned author of The Devil in the White City and The Demon of Unrest

"Gripping . . . an edge-of-the-seat read."--People

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 at the turn of the twentieth century 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: wireless communication, a prime catalyst for the emergence of the world we know today. Meanwhile, Crippen, "the kindest of men," nearly commits the perfect crime.

With his superb narrative skills, Erik Larson guides these parallel narratives toward a relentlessly suspenseful meeting on 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 innovator who transformed the way we communicate.

Thunderstruck presents a vibrant portrait of the era of séances, science, and fog, inhabited by inventors, magicians, and Scotland Yard detectives, all presided over by the amiable and fun-loving Edward VII as the world slid inevitably toward the first great war of the twentieth century.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B006VAG0TI
• ISBN13: 9781400080670
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A+

Fascinating and well written. I like all the detail Larson discovers.

Least favorite book of Erik Larson's

I think if the author had stuck to the murder story, it wouldn't have taken me so long to read this. The Marconi part was so dull. According to the Acknowledgements, his wife saved us from even more "boringness." Halfway through it, I was wondering how the two stories were going to meld into each other. Page 319 gave me the answer, although by then I had figured out the connection. I do not recommend this particular book at all.

Erik Larson

I love everyone of Erik’s books. A great writer. Books r in great shape and as described

Erik Larson has become one of my favorite authors

Erik Larson readers should not miss this book

Excellent - Entertaining

This is a great book. I read it on the 8.5 hour flight between Minneapolis and Hawaii - boy was I glad I did. This book is great for history junkies and people who love murder mysteries. If you love both - bonus for you. I loved Devil in the White City, and I loved this book just as much. Larson rips you into this book and just when you think you are going to get some answers - he turns to another plot in the story - it just keeps you reading, and fast. The historical data about wireless communications is worth reading all by itself - not to mention how that piece plays into the final conclusion of this book. For what that is - you will have to read the book. JVD

A Devilishly Good Read!

I am a big fan of the historical thriller, and have tendency to take my time enjoyably absorbing true information and fact presented in good fiction writing. I am of the opinion that the task of a fiction writer to educate and entertain is more difficult than a non-fiction writer. This said, `Thunderstruck' by Erik Larson was a complete read that left me fully satiated on all levels: Larson's writing style was easy and absorbing; the character development, particularly of Guglielmo Marconi (inventor or wireless telecommunication technology) and Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen (The "North London Cellar Murderer") entertaining, consistent, and engaging; the use of historical data and fact to drive the story and remarkably make a story that occurred nearly a century ago relevant and current to today's world, superbly and interestingly executed; and finally, a plot of two that meet head on and merge into one fascinating spin: Marconi's `throw it at the wall' attempt and success to create a wireless communication system, and a murderer attempting to flee England to Canada after killing his treacherous wife who unknowingly has the entire world following his escapades of escape due to Marconi's newly created technology! Very rare is it that two working plots in past historical fiction can run concurrently with a sense of edge of interests that they do not take away from each other or the story as a whole. Historical dual-plot prose' have been the death of many books. Erik Larson's 'Thunderstruck' is one of those rare exemplary stories executed with a forceful yet delicate balance of writing style that demonstrates why, if done right, dual-thematic historical fiction writing can produce stellar fiction. Larson's `Thunderstruck' is a must read for readers interested in technology discoveries, thrillers, and simply put, good storytelling. Sit back and enjoy this devilishly clever read, and journey back a century ago to a time where cutting edge technology would result in the scientific and thus, customs and norms of society today!

history even better than mystery

This is two stories in one. The story of how Marconi struggled to popularize and refine radio technology by trial and error is fascinating, and the story of how mild mannered Harley Crippen became a famous criminal is nearly as interesting, and then the stories merge in a weird but memorable way. And every bit of it is true. I have to say that Larson puts it all together beautifully. He feeds you the perfect detail at the right time. It's not so much a true crime tale as it is a tale of human nature. It has a certain inevitability without ever boring you. I bet this one will spend a long time on the bestseller list, just like Devil in the White City (his previous book) did.