A true story of love,murderand the end of the worldΓÇÖs ΓÇ£great hush.ΓÇ¥ In ThunderstruckErik Larson tells the interwoven stories of two menΓÇöHawley Crippena very unlikely murdererand Guglielmo Marconithe obsessive creator of a seemingly supernatural means of communicationΓÇöwhose lives intersect during one of the greatest criminal chases of all time. Set in Edwardian London and on the stormy coasts of CornwallCape Codand Nova ScotiaThunderstruck evokes the dynamism of those years when great shipping companies competed to build the biggestfastest 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 backgroundMarconi races against incredible odds and relentless skepticism to perfect his invention: the wirelessa prime catalyst for the emergence of the world we know today. MeanwhileCrippenΓÇ£the kindest of menΓÇ¥ nearly commits the perfect murder. With his unparalleled narrative skillsErik Larson guides us through a relentlessly suspenseful chase over the waters of the North Atlantic. Along the wayhe tells of a sad and tragic love affair that was described on the front pages of newspapers around the worlda chief inspector who found himself strangely sympathetic to the killer and his loverand a driven and compelling inventor who transformed the way we communicate.