Thunderstruck Summary

What happens when a groundbreaking invention is used to solve a mysterious crime? Thunderstruck reveals how one man’s ambition and another’s desperation collided during a relentless chase in the modern communication age.

1. The Parallel Lives of Two Remarkable Men

Dr. Hawley Crippen and Guglielmo Marconi couldn’t be more different, yet their paths strangely converged in history. Crippen was a meek, unremarkable doctor involved in the dubious world of patent medicines. His life took a dark turn after a loveless marriage to the ambitious singer Cora. Marconi, meanwhile, was a relentless young inventor who dared to imagine global wireless communication when experts doubted its feasibility.

Crippen’s personal life was unsteady. After the death of his first wife, he married Cora, hoping for happier times, but their union was fraught with infidelity, dashed dreams, and quiet misery. Meanwhile, Marconi's passion for building wireless communication devices led him to defy scientific conventions and even his father’s skepticism.

Their stories unfolded on different continents but featured early setbacks. Crippen's professional troubles mirrored Marconi’s, with both facing resistance to their ambitions. Marconi’s first wireless device was destroyed by British customs officers, but he pressed on. Crippen, however, spiraled into despair, culminating in darkness when his back was against the wall.

Examples

• Crippen endured constant embarrassment as Cora entertained other men openly.
• Marconi’s plans faced initial failure when his "dangerous" device was destroyed upon arrival in London.
• At 20 years old, Marconi began pursuing "long-distance" wireless communication, defying the scientific doubt of the era.

2. Cora Crippen: A Magnet for Drama

Crippen’s marriage to Cora became a defining element of his downfall. Cora was a vivacious and ambitious woman obsessed with the limelight. She imagined herself as a star but lacked the talent to succeed, putting pressure on her husband to fund her pursuits and lifestyle, despite her constant infidelity.

Cora’s frustration turned outwards. She was unkind and unfaithful, openly entertaining lovers such as Bruce Miller. Crippen, trapped in the marriage by appearances and financial obligation, grew resentful. Still, he tolerated her behavior, even facilitating her lifestyle. The deeper they dug into marital dissatisfaction, the more estranged and volatile their relationship became.

This strained marriage eventually came to a boiling point. Cora’s mocking nature and disregard for Crippen’s standing were unbearable. Though Crippen remained composed to others, his internal breaking point led to tragic decisions, marking the beginning of his infamous journey toward murder.

Examples

• Cora openly wore her lovers’ gifts, humiliating Crippen.
• Crippen funded Cora’s expensive, fruitless attempts at theater stardom.
• Their marital unhappiness was public knowledge, yet they maintained a facade for societal appearances.

3. Marconi’s Relentless Drive to Connect the World

Guglielmo Marconi lived by the belief that nothing was impossible, a mindset that enabled him to pioneer wireless communication. Despite lacking formal scientific training, he developed his communication technology through sheer trial and error, tirelessly working against doubters.

Marconi’s determination led him to collaborate with influential individuals like William Preece of the British Post Office. Although Preece supported Marconi, the inventor’s shift toward business and patents alienated his early allies. Marconi’s success also attracted rivals like Oliver Lodge, who claimed Marconi's achievements were borrowed ideas rather than original breakthroughs.

Despite diminished support from the scientific community, Marconi pursued global wireless communication, envisioning transatlantic signals and shipboard devices. His press demonstrations inspired competitors, spurring a race that would change communication forever.

Examples

• Marconi’s experiments using kites to send signals when antennas failed showed his creative persistence.
• He controversially claimed to have “fixed interference,” prompting criticism from figures like magician Nevil Maskelyne.
• Marconi set his sights on revolutionizing ship-to-land communication, inspired by safety concerns at sea.

4. The Collapse of the Miracle Cure Industry

Dr. Crippen earned his living selling patent medicines, which before legislative crackdowns were a booming business. These so-called miracle cures promised to remedy anything, from indigestion to terminal illness, but they did so without scientific backing.

As government regulations tightened standards for medicines, Crippen’s income and job stability dwindled. Forced to scale down his lifestyle, including moving to a smaller home with Cora, his financial problems compounded his personal misfortune. The house they moved into was not just smaller but hauntingly positioned near a cattle farm and within earshot of a prison.

Facing both professional and personal decline, Crippen found solace in an affair with Ethel Le Neve, a receptionist. This clandestine relationship deepened his despair over his crumbling marriage to Cora, fueling his desperation.

Examples

• Crippen saw his income shrink after the government crackdown on patent medicine.
• Cora scorned their new home near the execution-prone prison, amplifying their marital discord.
• Ethel wore Cora’s jewelry after moving in with Crippen, raising suspicion about Cora’s fate.

5. Lies That Tangle and Unravel

After Cora’s sudden "departure" to America, Crippen wove a web of contradictions. He told friends she had traveled abroad but later claimed she’d died of illness. Meanwhile, Ethel moved into their home, proudly donning Cora’s expensive jewelry, stirring suspicion.

Friends of Cora, unsettled by the inconsistencies in Crippen’s account, approached Scotland Yard. Initially seen as a marital dispute, Inspector Dew took a closer look after Crippen’s story continued to change.

Upon pressing Crippen, Dew received a half-truth; Crippen admitted he had lied, but only to protect his reputation due to his affair with Ethel. This lie, meant to buy him time, instead placed him firmly in Dew’s investigative crosshairs.

Examples

• Inspect Dew initially dismissed suspicions but took action after repeated complaints from Cora's friends.
• Crippen claimed Cora “fell ill” in America, though she left no belongings behind for her departure.
• Ethel wearing Cora's jewelry flaunted Crippen’s apparent disregard for secrecy.

6. The Breakthrough in the Coal Cellar

The case turned when Inspector Dew returned to Crippen’s house for a fourth search. Digging in the coal cellar, Dew uncovered dismembered human remains in an appalling state. This chilling discovery confirmed foul play – the murder of Cora.

Identifying the body was challenging because the remains had been mutilated to obscure the victim’s identity. Finding bleached hair and a distinctive abdominal scar, consistent with Cora’s surgical history, confirmed it was her.

These findings turned the already gripping case into a media sensation. The hunt for Crippen, now suspect number one, became an international pursuit.

Examples

• Cora’s scar, located where her ovaries had been removed, helped identify the remains.
• The media frenzy around the case captivated readers globally.
• Inspector Dew’s insistence on checking the cellar again led to the breakthrough.

7. Wireless Technology Joins the Hunt

Unwittingly, Crippen became one of the first criminals to be captured using modern wireless technology. After fleeing to Canada disguised as father and son with his mistress Ethel, Crippen boarded the SS Montrose, believing they were free from detection.

Captain Kendall of the Montrose grew suspicious and sent messages using Marconi’s wireless system to alert Inspector Dew about his passengers. Dew boarded a faster ship and intercepted the Montrose, making headlines worldwide.

This case demonstrated how new technology could shift the balance between criminals and law enforcement, bringing quicker resolutions to complex cases.

Examples

• Kendall used Marconi’s device to send a key message identifying Crippen and Ethel.
• Dew’s faster ship overtook the Montrose before it arrived in Canada.
• Media globally celebrated this technological breakthrough in crime fighting.

8. Marconi’s Global Triumph

Despite challenges, Marconi succeeded in creating reliable wireless communication. His work paved the way for vital innovations in maritime safety, transatlantic messaging, and media broadcasts.

Through perseverance and mentorship, Marconi achieved fame and significant financial rewards, though his quest for control over the field alienated some of his early allies. Personal sacrifices also marked his journey, as his intense focus on experiments often left family matters sidelined.

Marconi’s work not only transformed communication but also played an instrumental part in the hunt for Crippen, showcasing the unexpected potential of progress.

Examples

• Marconi’s wireless devices became standard on ships, helping prevent future maritime disasters.
• His invention connected continents, including easing family communication over long distances.
• Wireless technology transformed media coverage, as evidenced during Crippen's pursuit.

9. Media Sensation: A Perfect Storm of Crime and Innovation

Crippen’s capture and Marconi’s device intertwined in a tale of crime, innovation, and media frenzy. The world followed every detail, from Kendall’s signals to Crippen’s failed disguise.

By the time Inspector Dew arrived to arrest Crippen and Ethel, enormous crowds awaited. Media became as much a part of the event as the law enforcement pursuit, shaping public opinion and driving interest in both Marconi's technology and Crippen’s trial.

Marconi benefited from the attention, granting him further validation for his invention, while Crippen’s story became a lasting example of justice intersecting with technological progress.

Examples

• Reporters crowded the dock to capture Crippen’s arrest.
• The world celebrated Marconi’s device for aiding the hunt’s success.
• Crippen’s trial became synonymous with wireless innovation overshadowing 20th-century crime.

Takeaways

1. Value the persistence of trial and error, as seen in Marconi’s relentless drive toward wireless communication.
2. Consider how new technologies often outpace ethical and legal systems, opening novel possibilities and risks.
3. Recognize the power of public stories to unite and inspire technological advances, as dramatized between Marconi and Crippen's cases.