
The Life & Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
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Narrated by:
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Bill Bryson
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By:
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Bill Bryson
About this listen
Born in 1951 in the middle of the United States, Des Moines, Iowa, Bill Bryson is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24 carat memoir gold. Like millions of his generation, Bill Bryson grew up with a rich fantasy life as a superhero. In his case, he ran around the house wearing a jersey with a thunderbolt on it and a towel round his neck that served as his cape, leaping tall buildings in a single bound and vanquishing evildoers (in his head) as The Thunderbolt Kid.
Using his old fantasy life as a springboard, Bill Bryson recreates the life of his family in the 1950s in all its transcendent normality. In a period that saw the inexorable rise of television, the opening of Disneyland, the testing of the atomic bomb, and the explosion of choice in everything from food to cars, Bill Bryson's days followed in reassuringly cosy succession, enlivened by modest triumphs and disasters.
Warm and laugh-out-loud funny, The Thunderbolt Kid is full of Bill Bryson's inimitable, pitch-perfect observations and this unabridged recording contains every single amusing anecdote and amazing fact. Nothing is left out, so you can enjoy the whole book in its entirety, read by Bill Bryson himself.
©2014 Audible, Inc. (P)2014 Audible, Inc.Critic reviews
"The way he tells it, to be a child in 1950s Middle America was very heaven... His own happy scrapes and triumphs (mostly scrapes) contain a good few laugh-out-loud moments, but with trademark modesty he conjures an entire era, ' the ancient lost world of the mid-20th-century.'" ( The Sunday Times, Audio book of the week)
"Considerable added value as it is read unabridged by its author, Bill Bryson." (The Times)
Boyhood dreams
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a must for bryson fans
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Delightful and entertaining
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one of the funniest Bryson books I've heard
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Another Bryson Hit
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Funny, entertaining and well written
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I just loved it!
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A very entertaining read
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Absolutely loved this book, nicely read!
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What made the experience of listening to The Life & Times of the Thunderbolt Kid the most enjoyable?
Not been AmericanWho was your favorite character and why?
The father, proving fathers are the same world wideWhat about Bill Bryson’s performance did you like?
from the horse's mouthWas this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, styled that one could dip and out, therefore, prolonging the pleasureAny additional comments?
Marvelous insight into growing up in small town America in the 50/60'sA pleasure
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