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Sep 15, 2007gailygirl rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
For someone who finds it hard to read non-fiction, this was a page turner. Written in the style of The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester where we have two stories being told "at once," knowing that sooner or later they will interconnect. Erik Larson decides to interweave the story of the Crippen murder and Marconi's story of commercializing wireless telegraphy. Although this truly was a fascinating read, I found the "back-and-forthing" less effective here as an architecture. The reader has to go back and forth too often - one chapter at a time and the thread is often lost (maybe my fault?). The author all-too-often would use the stylistic technique of hinting at things to come, as in "and this would prove to be significant," or "little did he know that ...." but I found that the "tie-up" didn't happen quickly enough for me to remember these little hints or cues. Nevertheless, a great read, full of interesting facts that don't bog down the narrative at all. The book left me wanting more information and isn't that a good thing? I think so.