Thunderstruck

By: Erik Larson

Narrated by: Bob Balaban

Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

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. Their 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 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 inventor who transformed the way we communicate.

Thunderstruck presents a vibrant portrait of an 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 20th century.

Gripping from the start, and rich with fascinating detail about the time, the people, and the new inventions that connect and divide us, Thunderstruck is splendid narrative history from a master of the form.

©2006 Erik Larson (P)2006 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Larson has a knack for creating genuine suspense in his writing, and his latest is thoroughly enthralling." (Booklist)

"Splendid, beautifully written.... Thunderstruck triumphantly resurrects the spirit of another age." (Publishers Weekly)

Well worth listening to

A fascinating story with powerful plots and characters intertwining. Larson delves into the biographical, scientific, and historical issues with great gusto and detail, both a strength and a weakness of his writing. Excellent presentation.

TV/movie actors are generally unfit to narrate.

This is the second audiobook I've listened to that featured a famous actor narrating. The first was awful (Tim Robbins). This one is worse. His inflections and stresses are bewildering: turning statements into questions and making odd pauses in otherwise simple sentences. It's like whoever was in the studio listening didn't want to upset Mr. Balaban. I'm just about done with it, but it's been a beating.

Marconi and the Kindly Doctor

Among Guglielmo Marconi's greatest advantages was that he didn't have too much education. He was home schooled and thus spared the mental set of a university education. Marconi was fascinated with electricity and read everything he could find about the experiments of Michael Faraday and Heinrich Hertz. Supported by his wealthy parents, Marconi applied his intuitive intelligence and dogged determination to develop a seemingly supernatural means of communication. But he needed an event to grab the public's attention.

Erik Larson in his book, "Thunderstruck", describes the evolution of early radio in the context of Edwardian England and a notorious crime. Second only to Jack the Ripper, kindly Dr. Hawley Crippen kills his shrew of a wife and buries parts of her dissected body in their basement. He then escapes with his mistress on a steamer to Canada.

Marconi's new invention is used to pursue the doctor. In the process, the press grabs the public's attention by publishing the details of the crime, the doctor's flight and Marconi's wireless. But Crippen is ignorant of all this since the ship's captain keeps the wireless communications a secret. This book is for the omnivore reader who likes to mix science history with human drama.

Great book. Sub par narrator.

I don't know if it was just the narrator or if it was the editing that made the audio so terrible for this book, but either way it really detracted from great author Erik Larson is. I recommend the book but I think it would be better to read rather than to listen to.

Wonderful story

Erik Larson tells a great story that makes it hard to stop listening. Highly recommended.

He's a magician

Eric Larson is amazing. He ability to interweave two seemingly dissimilar stories into a cohesive thread is great fun. What he did for the Chicago Exhbition in the Devil and the White City, he does again for Marconi. I was educated and entertained simultaneously; a rare combination.

Thunderstruck

Very good story and well delivered audible book. Highly recommend it to those that find history fascinating. Larson has become one of my favorite authors.

riveting

Larson is ingenious in weaving together two seemingly unrelated story lines. it is amazing and yet really happened.

interesting series of events

Very interesting series of events that brought these 2 stories together to help further science

Three dots out of five.

Book has missed words ,noticeable changes in voice and a delivery that’s borderline acceptable . Story is light on science of radio and while it goes more into the forensic science , there’s not that much , with more gory detail that seemed out of place re the lack in other areas . It’s ok but a pretty weak title given the two subjects he’s trying to bring home