Relive the 1950’s with the “Thunderbolt Kid”

It’s a Great Read

Baby boomer nostalgia is hot these days, and there is no funnier read on the subject than Bill Bryson’s delightful book – “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid”. He captures perfectly the times, culture, and the absurd miscellanea of those days – you won’t stop laughing.

My sister recently gave me the book because it reminded her of my brothers and me countlessly jumping off chairs in (pathetic) imitations of Superman. The book does a fascinating job of helping me re-live “those thrilling days of yesteryear”. All the old heroes are dusted off (with wry observations about just how weird they would seem today) – from Batman to The Lone Ranger (“not the kind of fellow you would want to share a pup tent with”) to Roy Rogers, Davey Crockett and Zorro. Cultural icons I had forgotten about once again come to life – like the worst game of all time (electric football), slinkies and silly putty, and hiding under your desk during nuclear “attacks”.

Broadway Books, Copyright 2006. Bill Bryson

Check it out! And it that whets your appetite, see this blog for frequent doses of great baby boomer nostalgia