Thunderstruck discussion

If you you liked Devil in the White City, you may like this as well. While the technology story (Marconi's invention of wireless telegraph) isn't as fascinating as the building of the World's Fair, it is very interesting. And the murder story is easily as fascinating as the one in Devil.

I just finished reading Devil in the White City and was completely engrossed. I thought of picking up some of Larson's other works--I'm glad it will be worth it.

It is definitely a different kind of thriller. The world's fair actually got me excited and felt close to home. there were time i had to put the book down at night as to not terrify myself with my own imagination.

Being from MA, I enjoyed the connection with Cape Cod. I have been to the site a few times.

If you've read one I don't think you need to read the other. While they are about totally different topics the books seem to follow a formula that to me made Thunderstruck seem redundant.

I enjoyed this one just as much as " The Devil and the White City". I thought the technology part was interesting. It was often like a big soap opera with all the competition and backstabbing. The murder part though was the most interesting. But, the last few chapters, with the ship race, was awesome! I read this book really fast. I think Larson makes history interesting. The book actually reads like a novel.

I found Thunderstruck to be different from Devil in the While City, although Larson does have continuities of style. In Thunderstruck, the story of Marconi is that of an entrepreneur trying to both make his invention as functional as possible and also to get the invention adopted (and himself paid). Note the the technology here was very imperfect and eventually took a different technical direction before it was widely adopted. What makes the book special is that the pursuit on the high seas is the means by which the wireless was shown to be valuable -- sort of like the OJ chase on a boat without television. This means that Larson has succeeded in linking the parallel plots he so commonly uses in such a way that each plot influenced the other in important ways. This did not happen in Devil in the White City.

I thoroughly enjoyed both books although neither event--the Chicago World's Fair or the development of the radio--was high on my 'want to learn about' list. As Julie said, Larson makes history interesting.
As for Larson being somewhat formulaic in his style, Cornelius Ryan did the same thing in his books, such as 'The Longest Day' and 'A Bridge Too Far'--telling both stories from the point of view of the overall commanders to the soldiers in the front lines.
If it works, it works. Don't mess with success.

Like his style; structuring; pace and detailed insights to history.

I have read "The Devil in the White City" and "Thunderstuck". They are two totally different stories with totally different periods of time. You are right, Larson does make history interesting. You would not even know that these events ACTUALLY happened! I have read Larson's "In the Garden of Beasts" too. That is great also.