A true story of love; murder; and the end of the world’s “great hush.â€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 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.
#281645 in Books Vintage 2006-09-12 2006-09-12Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.20 x 1.50 x 6.00l; 1.95 #File Name: 1400030978848 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Ms. Ruth P. NagerVery informative2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. WonderfulBy Ilya ElyashkevichI've been looking for a secular based book of Jewish history for a while and I randomly stumbled upon this gem. Firstly; I really like Sachar's writing style; for me the reading was like a history textbook on one side and a novel on the other; it grabs you to an extend where it's actually difficult to put it down sometimes. His approach is also great; this is a secular based book and one realized this almost from the start. It does not go into any religious interpretations of events; but shows the effect secular life had on the mainstream Jewish religion. I think that's great; if I want to read a religious or philosophical history of the Jews; there are lot of options; but this is the first real HISTORY book I've found.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. greatBy joanngreat
