Thunderstruck

Written by Erik Larson

Narrated by Bob Balaban

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An “irresistible” (The Washington Post) true story of love, murder, and the last moments of the “great hush” before wireless radio connected the world, from the renowned author of The Devil in the White City and The Demon of Unrest

“Gripping . . . an edge-of-the-seat read.”—People

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 at the turn of the twentieth century 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: wireless communication, 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 innovator who transformed the way we communicate.

Thunderstruck presents a vibrant portrait of the 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 twentieth century.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 24, 2006
• ISBN: 9780739339664

Erik Larson

A Seattle7Writers project for literacy, this novel was written by Kathleen Alcalá, Matthew Amster-Burton, Kit Bakke, Erica Bauermeister, Sean Beaudoin, Dave Boling, Deb Caletti, Carol Cassella, William Dietrich, Robert Dugoni, Kevin Emerson, Karen Finneyfrock, Clyde Ford, Jamie Ford, Elizabeth George, Mary Guterson, Maria Dahvana Headley, Teri Hein, Stephanie Kallos, Erik Larson, David Lasky, Stacey Levine, Frances McCue, Jarret Middleton, Peter Mountford, Kevin O'Brien, Julia Quinn, Nancy Rawles, Suzanne Selfors, Jennie Shortridge, Ed Skoog, Garth Stein, Greg Stump, Indu Sundaresan, Craig Welch and Susan Wiggs. Foreword by Nancy Pearl. Introduction by Garth Stein.

Reviews for Thunderstruck

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book follows the lives of two men in a parallel fashion. Marconi is about to astound the world with his achievements. Crippen, too, is going to astound many in an entirely different manner by becoming a murderer. It’s not until late in the book that the connection between these two is finally made. Crippen becomes the first person to be captured by the aid of wireless telegraphy, Marconi’s invention. For those of us not so scientifically inclined, the long sections on Marconi’s endeavors may prove to be a bit tedious. Likewise, if true crime captures your interest, you find yourself wishing for more on the machinations of Crippen. The book is interesting, though not as intriguing as “Devil in the White City.”

[desiree_reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

THE GOOD: As always, Larson makes history fascinating and eminently readable. The development of the wireless, by the determined and visionary Marconi, is intriguing and inspiring. And background all of us should be aware of as the precursor to our modern, communication-throttled world.

THE BAD: The murder is gruesome, and very disturbing in it's detail, once it's finally revealed. It sticks with you. And like the factual record itself, the conclusions leaves one a bit unsatisfied. Why? And how? We'll never know.

CONCLUSION: A fascinating read, but not for the faint of heart.

[castlelass · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this book, Larson weaves together two seemingly isolated events: the invention of wireless and a gruesome murder. It is a good example of how "showing" is more effective than "telling." No matter how much Marconi tries to convince people that his invention is useful, he never quite succeeds until a newsworthy event demonstrates its global importance. It includes descriptive details that evoke the essence of an earlier age, and allows the reader to step back in time. I found it an interesting study in human nature, in particular the impact of certain personality traits on the interpersonal relationships of the main characters. I recommend this book to people who enjoy dual storylines and are interested in the details of how wireless was developed (lots of details are included, both from a technical and a competitive viewpoint). The parts pertaining to the murder were fascinating, albeit a bit gory.

[bibliophageoncoffee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting, but not my thing.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the fifth Erik Larson book I’ve read, and have been relatively satisfied, if not blown away, by each. The style of this work closely approximates that found in his earlier work, The Devil in the White City, wherein he links a major historical event (in that case, the Chicago World’s Fair) with a lesser-known contemporary story, linked thereto.

SPOILERS FOLLOW

In this case, the historical event is development of trans-Atlantic wireless communication, focusing almost exclusively on the work of Guglielmo Marconi. Lesser known, was the heinous murder of Belle Crippen, by her quiet, unassuming doctor husband. The connection? Dr. Crippen was apprehended largely due to wireless communication between Marconi’s land based wireless transmitter and a wireless unit located on the ship which Crippen, and his lover (disguised as a young man) were using to escape to North America. The manhunt was a cause celebre at the time, the publicity from which helped to establish Marconi’s nascent invention to the forefront of worldwide acceptance.

The thread dealing with Marconi, and his struggles with competitors and the grueling work of perfecting and monetizing his “invention” were educational and interesting. That part of the book dealing with Crippen were equally as captivating.

[formerenglishteacher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Larson’s book recounts the race by Marconi and others to develop the first practical wireless telegraph system. Although land-based systems were up and running, including allowing sending messages across the ocean, there was no way to allow ships at sea to use telegraphy. Larson’s book plods in places to explain the tedious process of developing the wireless system, but, for the most part, Larson does a good job of making the reader understand the enormity of the task. Like many of Larson’s books, there is a parallel story running along the one about Marconi. The murder mystery seems unrelated to the story of the development of wireless message transmission; however, Larson does a masterful job of tying the two stories together at the end. I wouldn’t call “Thunderstruck” a “page turner,” but it is an interesting story. Larson has a real talent for taking nonfiction and making it sound like a novel. It’s an easy read but an entertaining read.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

audio nonfiction; history/true crime/science. The audio version takes some getting used to, as there are no auditory asterisks or page breaks to let you know when the author is switching from one story (the murderer's) to the other (the scientist's), but it's never hard to figure out whom he's talking about in any case. I've not read Larson before, but this abridged version lived up to his reputation of stellar narrative nonfiction.

[renzomalo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good read as are all Erik Larson books but it wasn't as compelling as either "Dead Wake" or "The Devil In The White City."
I didn't know anything about the murderer Dr. Crippen before reading the book and didn't much care about him during the narrative. I picked up the book because I wanted to know how Marconi managed to transmit radio wave prior to the invention and use of vacuum tubes, but that was never explained. Bummer. Still a good read that picked up at the end.

[yukon92 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having read several of Eric Larson's books I was looking forward to reading another one and learning more things that I knew almost nothing about (before I picked up the book!). Naturally Mr. Larson's great attention to detail ensured that I learnt more than I ever wanted to know about Marconi and his wireless telegraph. That part of the book was somewhat boring, because I simply don't have a very scientific mind, still I learnt at least the basics. My biggest complaint about the book was the switching of the time-lines. Yes, it is possible to have 2 parallel story lines, but I always had to double-check the dates when things were happening, especially as most of the Marconi stuff happened 10-15 years (and longer) before the Crippen murder took place. I don't know if some editing on that part would have made the book a better read.

[eoin-311239 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another in the Larson set of paired-biographies-whose-disparate-yet-intersecting-subjects-capture-their-time books. This one is about Marconi and Cripin and makes a better than average case for intersection. A well paced, effectively researched book. Worth it, if you are on the fence.

[carolee888 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

here are two non fiction stories told at the same time until the end. Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of wireless telegraphy had a very different childhood than I had imagined. He did not think of himself as a scientist but rather an entrepreneur. He really did not value science and had to learn a lot by trial and error. I felt disenchanted by his behavior. He would abandon hiss first and second wives in pursuit of perfecting his invention. After a while I wanted to learn less of his story and more of Hawley Crippen.

Hawley Crippen, a homeopathic doctor was unhappily married to a woman for I developed no sympathy for. They pretended to have a happy marriage to their friends and neighbors but she was a torture to live with. Abusive to him, adulteress, and caring only for herself, she pushed Crippen to the edge and when he fell in love he wanted to be rid of her but divorce was a solution in the society of their friends. I must say that I thought Marconi should have been married to Cripin's wife instead of him! Anyway, we do not know what really happened before the murder but we find out how Marconi's invention lead to his own arrest and capture and that of his new lover. I would have liked less of the Marconi story and more of the Cripin one.

My thoughts and feelings of this audionbook are my own.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.75 stars

There are two "stories" (though this is nonfiction) happening in this book. It is the late 1800s/early 1900s. In one story, Guglielmo Marconi is working on inventing wireless communication and wants to make it work across the Atlantic Ocean. Marconi had no scientific training, so it was pretty much all trial and error, and he couldn't really explain why things worked or didn't work for him as he tried. The other story focuses on Hawley Harvey Crippen, an apparently quiet, polite man, who eventually murdered his wife.

It read more like a novel than nonfiction. I did find Crippen's story slightly more interesting than Marconi's, but I expected that, and Marconi was still more interesting than I expected (it may have helped that I've been to Signal Hill in St. John's, Nfld, where Marconi received the first wireless signal). The book definitely picked up steam and suspense in the last 1/4 or so, so that I didn't want to put the book down. It was also a faster read than I'd expected. Very good book.

[josephking6602 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Intricate and interesting history of Marconi’s wireless technology. Very captivating mix once the gruesome murder is brought into thestory. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[phillipfrey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the 2nd book of Erik Larson's I have read. The first was "The Devil in the White City," a masterfully written book. In this one, "Thunderstruck," again the author has woven two stories together. One features Guglielmo Marconi, who against all odds succeeded in bringing the world wireless communication. The other, the story of Dr. Hawley Crippen, a murderer. How is it that these two stories are related? I'm afraid you'll have to read "Thunderstruck" to find out. It will be a terrific read.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reading like a fictional murder mystery, Erik Larson creates a vivid picture of the world around the turn of the century, captivated by a new technology - the wireless. This new technology has a critical role to play in the catching of a murderer, a case examined in detail but which leaves one a little unsatisfied as to knowing the full extent who was guilty of the crime and who carried out the deed. Fun reading and certainly a book which captured the spirit of an age long past.

[indygo88 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story interweaves two seemingly unrelated topics near the turn of the 19th & 20th century -- that of wireless inventor Guglielmo Marconi and unsuspected murderer Hawley Crippen, taking place in both the United States and Europe, as well as on the open seas between the two.

Similar to Larson's The Devil in the White City, the two storylines don't necessarily interweave smoothly, but Larson's writing is good enough to allow the reader to overlook this. While I didn't find this story quite as engaging as the aforementioned book or his later novel, Dead Wake, I did enjoy it. I read the abridged audiobook, and in this case I felt the abridgment was more than adequate in telling the story. (Tony Goldwyn is an excellent reader as well.)

I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but Erik Larson has become one of my go-to authors in this genre, as his non-fiction reads very much like fiction. He has a knack for setting the scene for edge-of-your-seat suspense in true-to-life history.

[maryreinert · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love Eric Larson's books, but this one had a bit too much technology about inventing the wireless. Marconi, an Italian, without being a trained scientist developed a method of transferring messages through the air. At the same time he was developing this, a mild-mannered doctor named Hawley Crippen married a loud and vibrant singer. Although their actual lives never cross, it is Marconi's invention that eventually causes Crippen and his young lover to be captured after committing a heinous murder of his wife.

Set in Edwardian London, the book reads as a mystery and I kept looking forward to how these two very different men would cross paths - they never do, except through the telegraph.

I enjoyed the chapters of Crippen and his wife, Belle, more than the chapters of Marconi although he too led a fascinating life. Totally devoted to his career and his invention, he basically ignored his wife and family. Crippen, on the other hand, was devoted to Edith, a young typist who was his lover. After the murder Crippen and Edith tried to escape to Canada with Edith dressed as a young man. It was the telegraph, however, that caused this murder to become an international sensation. The public knew the whereabouts of Crippen and Edith and knew every move regarding their capture upon reaching Canada.

[mm_jones · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The author includes some extraneous information, but a surprisingly interesting read. The time period was well established with sufficient events and characters of the time.

[kaitanya64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A murder mystery wound around a history of the development of radio communication. Leads one to ponder the connection of modern communication and modern governance and law enforcement. The book's main premise about the central murder has since been disproven by forensic DNA evidence, but the book engaging for any historical mystery fans.

[degenfelder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another great story, with lots of additional historic facts. Lovely little murder mystery along with it.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book combines description of the road Marconi travelled to establish reliable long-distance wireless with a tale of murder and illicit love. Both parts were quite interesting although I could have done with less detail of Marconi's infighting with other scientists which I didn't feel added a lot to the tale. The action certainly picked up in the last third of the book.

Everyone now knows the name of Marconi as discoverer of wireless telegraphy. Canadians proudly proclaim the part we played in his first successful transAtlantic transmission from Signal Hill in Newfoundland (although in fact Newfoundland was not part of Canada at the time) in 1901. I was surprised to learn that this first signal consisted only of three dots which is Morse code for the letter 'S'. I was even more surprised to learn that there was doubt at the time as to whether the transmission ever took place because there were no independent observers and it wasn't recorded by any means. Nevertheless Marconi went on to refine his equipment and technique over the next decade so that it was quite commonplace for ships at sea to communicate with land stations. It was this technology that allowed a Scotland Yard detective to learn where the suspect in a grisly murder was headed. Dr. Crippen, a homeopathic practitioner of meek disposition, was married to a brash woman who ruled their household. His wife, with a stage name of Belle Elmore, often threatened to leave him. Crippen found solace with his secretary, Ethel Le Neve. One day in 1910 Crippen announced to Belle's friends that she had been called away to America. Shortly thereafter he told them he had received a telegram telling him the Belle had died of pneumonia. Belle's friends grew suspicious of this story since Crippen and Le Neve were openly living together and Ethel was even wearing some of Belle's jewelry. Scotland Yard was consulted and Inspector Dew, who had started his career trying to solve the case of Jack the Ripper, was assigned to investigate. Dew questioned Crippen who told him that he had lied about Belle's death and that as far as he knew she was still alive. Dew was prepared to believe Crippen but he was a thorough man and he wanted to ascertain where Belle was. Crippen obviously believed that things were getting too hot for him and Ethel. Disguising Ethel in boy's clothing and shaving off his own moustache the two left England, eventually taking a ship across the Atlantic to Quebec City. The captain of the ship grew suspicious of the two and sent a wireless message to England saying he thought Crippen and Le Neve were aboard his ship. Inspector Dew found a faster ship to Canada and was able to arrest the pair before the ship docked at Quebec City. The use of wireless to apprehend a criminal gave Marconi the boost he needed to gain acceptance of his technology.

Very interesting stuff and Larson is a great writer.

[jrthebutler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Marconi's invention of wireless comminication is used to catch a murderer on the lam.

[carmenere_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As with The Devil in the White City, Larson juxtapositions history and murder in Thunderstruck. When, in the early years of the 20th century, some people were attempting to communicate with the dead, Guglielmo Marconi was attempting communication between countries separated by the Atlantic Ocean through wireless means. Both forms of communication appearing to be magical, ludicrous and beyond the realms of nature yet only one will play in the capture of a kind, gentle, yet horrific murderer. Slow to warm up to the stories of both Marconi and Crippen but it came to an acceptable conclusion.

[bookson23rd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars. An extremely absorbing story! Very well written - so well that it makes one want to read even further about the lives of these people. I especially want to read about Dr. Crippen's love, Ethel Le Neve. She herself wrote a book in 1910 about her experience in this adventure.

[foof2you · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Like other Larson work this book tells a couple of stories that are intertwined by some part of history. Compelling reading.

[busterrll · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Definitely not his best work

[vcg610 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Erik Larson is a master at writing non-fiction that is just as compelling as the fiction version of a similar tale might be. The title, Thunderstruck, refers to the loud noise that accompanied the sending of wireless communication in the early days. In this book, published in 2006, Larson weaves the rocky emergence of wireless communication with a saga of a meek man, a domineering wife, broken vows and an eventual chase across the Atlantic of a suspected killer and his mistress.

Larson chronicles the paths of major and minor players in this saga, more or less chronologically, with chapters switching between the story of Guglielmo Marconi, the charismatic force behind international wireless communication (unless you are talking to some of his fiercest...or perhaps most jealous...) critics, and the complicated story of Hawley Crippen, mild mannered, hen-pecked doctor-turned-purveyor of patent medicines.

Readers will learn a lot of interesting turn-of-the-century history as they follow the exciting threads of these stories, building toward an exciting chase across the Atlantic, as a Scotland Yard detective races to beat the cruise ship on which masquerading murder suspects have booked passage to Canada. And for the first time, the world is listening in, via the telegraph messages flying back and forth between the ship's captain and Scotland Yard.

Yep, even 100 years ago, the expectation of privacy was on the iffy side, but it worked out well for reporters everywhere!

[trgllylibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Skillful blending of two historical episodes over a period of ten years or so, making each more interesting than they might have been on their own. I enjoyed gaining a sense of the mood and interests of society in the Edwardian years, which are strikingly similar to aspects of our collective consciousness today.

[gilroy_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I struggled to get into this book. Not sure if it was the writing style or what, but I couldn't get more than fifteen pages before I just closed the book and set it aside.

[melydia_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two stories here: first you have Marconi and the history of wireless telegraphy, and second you have the story of Dr. Crippen, an apparently famous murderer I'd never heard of. They are tenuously connected by Crippen's capture being the first ever to have been directly aided by wireless. Honestly, the two stories were too far apart for too much of the book. It didn't make sense for them to be in the same book. That said, I did enjoy them individually. Marconi's tale got a bit dry from time to time, but Crippen's tale was fascinating. I also noticed something strange: you know the cartoon stereotype with the fat, overbearing wife in furs and pearls with the small, meek husband with thick glasses? I'm pretty sure that's a caricature of Dr. Crippen and his wife. Which adds a whole new macabre dimension to the old cartoons. Anyway, Larson once again wrote a nonfiction book that (more or less) reads like fiction, so I will definitely be picking up his other works as I come across them.