Thunderstruck Summary and Reviews

Thunderstruck
by Erik Larson

Thunderstruck
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Book Summary Information

Author: Erik Larson
Edition: Hardcover
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2006-10-24
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 480
Publisher: Crown

Book Reviews of Thunderstruck

Book Review: This time it's Marconi and Crippen
Summary: 4 Stars


Once again using the dichotomy of a great event, Marconi's advancement of communication, with a famous crime, Crippen's murder of his wife and attempted escape to America, Larson does a nice job of combining these tales into a very enjoyable read. Unlike the first book where the murderer remains a cipher, Crippen's story is an intriguing one. The gradual disintegration of his marriage and its horrific end is played out on the page but Crippen remains a truly human figure; he becomes an example of how someone, others think are incapable of violence, can commit the worst of acts.
But as Crippen's tale fascinates, it's Marconi that remains the cipher in this book. Cold and efficient, his experimentation is of interest, with the trials and tribulations of getting the scientific community to accept his invention the focal point, but Marconi the man doesn't interest at all. His personal life leaves the book flat and you just can't wait for Larson to redirect his attention to Crippen or the experiments themselves where his research really has paid off with absorbing details. Luckily, Marconi, plays second fiddle to the more interesting tale of his pursuit of wireless technology and Larson has again succeeded in bringing an interesting chapter of history to life.

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