The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

A Memoir

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Bill Bryson

Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Bill Bryson was born in the middle of the American century, 1951, in the middle of the United States, Des Moines, Iowa, in the middle of the largest generation in American history, the baby boomers. As one of the best and funniest writers alive, his is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24-carat memoir gold. Like millions of his generational peers, Bill Bryson grew up with a rich fantasy life as a superhero. In his case, he ran around his house and neighborhood in an old football jersey with a thunderbolt on it and a towel about his neck that served as his cape, leaping tall buildings in a single bound and vanquishing awful evildoers (and morons) in his head as "The Thunderbolt Kid".

Using this persona as a springboard, Bryson recreates the life of his family and his native city in the 1950s in all its transcendent normality, at once completely familiar to us all and as far away and unreachable as another galaxy. Warm and laugh-out-loud funny, and full of his inimitable, pitch-perfect observations, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is as wondrous an audiobook as Bill Bryson has ever recorded. It will enchant anyone who has ever been young.

©2006 Bill Bryson (P)2006 Random House, inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This affectionate portrait wistfully recalls the bygone days of Burns and Allen and downtown department stores, but with a good-natured elbow poke to the ribs." (Booklist)

Wonderful and funny memories

Loved the narration, wonderful and hilarious remembrances of an innocent childhood in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Funny!

So different from A Short History of Everything. This book was very funny! My stomach hurt from laughing at times. I loved the way he imitatates the adults. I have to go and listen to some of his other "memoir" type books.

Wonderful, simply wonderful.

Bill Bryson takes us back to a much simpler time and much happier place in a joyful, hilarious and somewhat emotional memoir.

I can't recommend this chapter of Billy's life highly enough.

Enchanting and memorable.

Even though Bill Bryson was a few years older than me, many of the experiences of his childhood brought back many of my own memories of the 50's and 60's. It reminded me of a simpler time yet one that wasn't quite as utopian as we all thought. I loved it!!!

loved the story and the history!

the beginning got me hooked. without giving to much away, I loved the history and the story! will listen to bill Bryson again.

A blast from the the past

I too grew up in Iowa, although a bit later and not in Des Moines (my parents still mourn the degeneration of the Des Moines Register), however I totally relate to this story of how life used to be in the 50's for kids in the Midwest. We should all be dead or seriously maimed. The story is very funny and a great listen - I've listened several times just to smile. His descriptions are so great - exaggerations worthy of any school aged boy!

Highly Entertaining

I have loved this book for years. I frequently pick it up and re-read or re-listen. Worth every cent and more.

Even better with Bill

Bryson laces some stunning historical strands into the stories of his childhood and shows them to be as absurd in retrospect as were many of the norms he puzzled over with a child’s unvarnished eyes. So the book is a graceful, double gift— as forgiving a look-back as it is funny. I had never before heard his voice and imagined a different one. But this personal reading made it all the more genuine, and the interview with him was unusually interesting (He must have written the questions, himself.)

Bill Bryson’s voice is so 1950’s and calming

This book is great.... very funny...very nostalgic—lots of childhood mischief—days when Mischief was safe... and was just “kids being kids”
A great listen for a lazy Saturday afternoon.... Keep them coming Bill👌

Fantastic!

This book is so much fun. I’ve listened to it several times and I absolutely adore it. Bryson’s narration is perfect & he’s hilarious. I highly recommend this audiobook.