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Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Oct 2006, 288 pages
Paperback:
Sep 2007, 224 pages
Book Reviewed by:
BookBrowse Review Team
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Part memoir, part social history, The Life and Times of the
Thunderbolt Kid is a hoot. Bryson describes his idyllic childhood
growing up in the middle of the USA, in the middle of the last century, in the
middle of the baby boom years - a time of unprecedented prosperity for the
country as a whole, quite different to the depression-era experiences of the
previous generation; but it's not all rose-tinted glasses - the threat of
nuclear war, Joe McCarthy, and America flexing its muscles overseas all come
into the picture.
I found The Life and Times fascinating, even though I wasn't alive in the
50s and didn't grow up in the USA. In fact, perhaps I found it
particularly fascinating because of these two factors. Whether you grew up
in the 50s and are looking to re-live times past, or are interested in a
fun social history that will elucidate a generation, this book has much to enjoy.
Did you know?
(according to The Life and Times)
Coming Soon: Shakespeare: The World's A Stage by Bill Bryson (November 2007).
This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in October 2006, and has been updated for the
October 2007 edition.
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