Cruise Talk: Book: Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson

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»	Cruise Talk » Mid-Ships Lounge » Book: Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson

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Topic: Book: Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson

joe at travelpage
Administrator
Member # 622

posted 02-05-2007 11:31 AM

Have any CruiseTalkers read this book - Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson ?

I am tempted to pick it up but wanted to see if anyone else here had read it...

Partial Review:

...The parallel tale recounts the story of Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, accused of murdering his volatile, shrewish wife. As he and his unsuspecting lover attempted to escape in disguise to Quebec on a luxury ocean liner, a Scotland Yard detective chased them on a faster boat. Unbeknownst to the couple, the world followed the pursuit through wireless transmissions to newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic...

Joe at TravelPage.com

Posts: 29976 | From: Great Falls, Virginia | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Thad
First Class Passenger
Member # 1224

posted 02-05-2007 11:55 AM

I have started it, but it has not grabbed me so far, like his previous book, Devil in the White City, did. Will let you know when I finish it...

Posts: 1967 | From: Boston, MA | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 02-05-2007 01:16 PM

I will let you both 'test drive'. I have Isaac's Storm which I never did get into. Just dragging it out, my bookmark is on page 75.. & I've had it 3 or 4 years.
No thanks.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Linerrich
First Class Passenger
Member # 4864

posted 02-05-2007 01:38 PM

I haven't read Larson's book yet, but am familiar with this case from several history books--in 1910, this was considered the "Crime of the Century", and it still makes for compelling reading nearly 100 years later.

Dr. Crippen and his accomplice took Canadian Pacific's MONTROSE of 1897 (top photo) from Antwerp to Canada. Chief Inspector Dew, tipped off by the ship's captain, took the faster White Star liner LAURENTIC (bottom photo) from Liverpool to Quebec, where he met the killers upon their arrival.

Another twist of fate: Captain Kendall, of the MONTROSE, would later be master of the ill-fated EMPRESS OF IRELAND when she sank in 1914 with great loss of life. He survived, however, and lived into his 90s.

Rich

[ 02-05-2007: Message edited by: Linerrich ]

Posts: 4210 | From: Miami, FL | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

bearbuns
First Class Passenger
Member # 6418

posted 02-08-2007 05:15 PM

I have read this book, albeit slowly as it didn't really grab me as I expected from the review. A great deal of it dealt with the wireless growth, which if you're interested went into great depth...also quite boring. Also a lot of background on the Dr and what led him to do what he did. I expected more shipboard content than the book actually had. I won't be recommending it as a good read...it's far from riveting and drags thru too much minutiae.
Cheers, Penny

Posts: 82 | From: South Carolina | Registered: Apr 2006 | IP: Logged

Maasdam
First Class Passenger
Member # 3858

posted 02-08-2007 07:17 PM

Saw on Discovery (good old Discovery) an Documantairy about Crippen if i remember it well was he the guy who killed his wife and .......... to disposel here? Quite an story to be filmed.

Ben.

[ 02-08-2007: Message edited by: Maasdam ]

Posts: 4695 | From: Rotterdam home of the tss. Rotterdam. | Registered: May 2003 | IP: Logged

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