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| The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir | 
 enlarge | Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Broadway
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $4.00
You Save: $10.95 (73%)
New (47) Used (43) from $4.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  52 reviews
Sales Rank: 1819
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 0767919378
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.4092
EAN: 9780767919371
ASIN: 0767919378
Publication Date: September 25, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Paperback. Shelf wear, well read. Binding intact, pages clean and bright.
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| Customer Reviews:
 I think I broke something... November 2, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir
I think I broke something reading this book...from laughing so hard. I felt pretty stupid to have been reading a Bryson, by myself, without someone there to administer oxygen. I would laugh so hard that no sound would come out but I would think, "No More...don't read anymore" as I was turning the page. With all the books and articles I have read, in my lifetime, I can't think of anyone who tickles my funnybone more than Mr. Bryson...God love him!!!....but, sometimes, I think he's trying to kill me! Like "A Walk In The Woods" I was incredibly saddened to turn the last page...same with the Thunderbolt Kid. I am a 60's child but found the anecdotes for the 50's quite amusing. I can't go into detail but the cottage cheese and the toity jar were gut-breakers, especially...you'll have to read it to see what I mean!! Guess what everyone is getting for Xmas, this year???!! A Bryson, by crackie!!!
 Memoirs From Another World September 17, 2006
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Having been born in 1956, I was able to relate to Bill Bryson's "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid". I, like Bryson, am a baby boomer. Sure, having been born in Australia provided a different perspective, but the core elements of the USA and Australia were and are very similar.
Bryson's memoirs are gentle, whimsical and often outright funny. It's a joy to read a book that from time to time causes you to laugh out loud. Sure it provokes strange looks when travelling on public transport. Such is the pleasure that Bryson's writings invoke.
Compare to the 21st century, the 1950s and 1960s seem like another world. The streets seemed so much safer. As a child, we would wander great distances while not in the company of adults. There was a world to be explored. By comparison, it's an unusual child today that is not dropped off and picked up from school before being ferried to a pre-arranged assignment whether it be sports, drama or simply child care. Also, most childhood activity in my time was experienced out doors. Today, television and computer games have created a very different sense of place. Bryson skillfully covers these changing times.
"The Thunderbolt Kid" is not a difficult read. It is, however, a very pleasant read that I can recommend to all.
A Wonderful Read October 20, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is a humorous walk down memory lane for anyone who grew up in the 1950's. It may have more appeal to males, but is generally relevant enough for most Boomers.
Both informative and entertaining December 4, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have read two other books by Bryson and enjoyed them but wasn't sure I'd like this, probably because it was about being a child in the fifties (my childhood experiences were in the seventies) in Iowa America (I'm in Yorkshire, England) however I shouldn't have doubted his talent for relating life experiences to just about everyone.
I laughed out loud at his father's out of character taking the family to Disneyland as well as the motley crew of childhood relatives and friends he describes.
He could actually be describing any of our childhoods, from teenage crushes, the hierarchy of a gang of mates, Saturday morning cinema, comics and school. Which ever western country you grew up in you no doubt learnt to read from a book where 'Father' always wore a suit and 'Mother' a frilly apron and everyone said "look" at the beginning of each sentence!!
As well as being informative about 1950's America, it's a really entertaining read for those who like to look back happily on their childhood.
The 21st Century Jean Shepard November 28, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
To any of you out there who remember and liked Jean Shepard's book "In God We Trust - All Others Pay Cash" - and for those of you that never heard nor read Shepard's book or of Shepard himself, then you owe it to yourself to read this great memior of a baby boomer growing up in the Mid-west during the 50's - Bryson is very much like Jean Shepard - writing and conveying in a masterful sense what it was like growing up as a pre-adolescent in another time. Although I am about the same age as Bryson, I do remember listening to Jean Shepard on the radio and also reading his books as a teenager which transported me back into the 40's and Jean's adolescence - and Bryson, really does just a good of a job as Shepard - only I could connect more with the pop culture of the 50's more than the 40's - some great writing here - and a phenominal style that makes you laugh to yourself (and to others as well) when reading this great piece of nostalgia.
It's a fun and fast read - and anyone of any age can appreciate it. Go ahead and get ahold of this book - you won't regret it once you start reading it - it is hard to put down and not think about what you read in each chapter.
Buy it, Read it, Enjoy it!
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