Thunderstruck /

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, an era of séances...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Larson, Erik, 1954-
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: New York : Crown Publishers, [2006]
Edition:1st ed.
Subjects:
Online Access:Table of contents only
Contributor biographical information
Publisher description
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Summary: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, an era of séances, science, and fog, 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.--From publisher description.
Item Description:Maps on lining papers.
Physical Description:ix, 463 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (pages 437-443) and index.
ISBN:1400080665
9781400080663