Thunderstruck

I ran across this older work by Erik Larson on the sale table at Oregon State when I stopped by the campus to catch up with friends and former colleagues in July. Having just finished In the Garden of Beasts, I snatched it up and, although it was not as compelling to me as either Garden or Devil in the White City, it was nevertheless a trademark example of Larson's style, wherein he weaves together two lines of history--a murder and the development of wireless communication by Marconi. I would be fascinated to know how he decides exactly which two historical threads to pull on for any particular book, but as always, he has done extensive research and documented the accounts with plenty of primary source material addressed in chapter notes and the bibliography. I would agree with the NYTimes Book Review that this is not Larson's most successful effort, and that the story dragged at times. Marconi emerges as a much more complexly drawn character than does the supposedly mild-mannered homeopath, Dr. Crippen, who murdered his wife in spectacular fashion. I never considered not finishing the book, but it wouldn't be high on my recommended list unless the personalities and politics surrounding the development of wireless intrigue you.