From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Devil in the White City, 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 … 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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The story of the Crippens and the advent of the wireless communication. It takes place in such a time of change and is a story that is timeless.
I was a little hesitant to try this book because I wasn’t all that interested in the Marconi wireless, but I loved Devil in the White City, so I gave this one a chance. Fantastic read, very informative. Very glad I gave it a chance.
If you read only 1 non-fiction book this year, this is it. The story of Marconi’s invention, coupled with the race to catch a murderer, makes for a riveting and informative read.
Great googly moogly.
Just a story about Marconi and his mission for wireless transmission would have been fascinating enough. There were many things I never even knew about all those events so it was fascinating learning about all that.
But then Mr. Larson throws in a story about a nobody who becomes famous for both the murder of his wife and the …
Typical Erik Larson offering. . .very well researched and his style of going back and forth between the two parallel storylines makes this a book you cannot put down.
As always, Larsen turns out a fantastically crafted true tale filled with memorable personalities and amazing world history. I devour every book he writes.
Larson is a national treasure. Read everything he has.
Holds the reader from start to finish.
Basically a well researched parallel storyline. The juxtaposition of these two events takes some time to come together, and when they do it’s quite glancing. I liked that about it; historical context is so much easier for me to absorb when somewhat disparate events are synthesized in that way. Toward the middle the “point of view” switches started …
Every one of Erik Larson’s books is an opportunity to learn about history, but his focus on one or two singular characters offers readers a reason to find his books hard to put down.
This is one of two books by Erik Larsen (the other being Devil in the White City) that I absolutely love and for the exact same reasons. They tell two completely different parallel stories that are perfectly intertwined. One is the story of Dr. Hawley Crippen, an American homeopath who moved to London with his wife, Cora (who performed in music …
Erik Larsen always takes history and brings it to life in a unique story telling fashion.
What a story from one of my favorite authors. This book was a page turner for sure. History brought to life in the very best way. Tragic story, well told. Highly recommend this book.
If you like history you’ll like this book.
Eric Larson wrote one of my other favorite books, Devil in the White City. He likes to combine science and murder. Devil the White City intertwined the building of the Chicago World’s Fair with the story of a serial killer who preyed on young women who came in to work at the fair. Thunderstruck, also non-fiction, weaves together Marconi’s …
Erik Larson doesn’t disappoint. This is one of his best.
Great narrative nonfiction! Suspense-filled history
Read it for my book club. Loved it.
I like Eric Larson books. He writes excellent historical novels – more history than fiction.
I read this with my library group and was intrigued by the science and fate that came together to catch a murderer.