Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson

Some say that the first hint that Bill Bryson was not of Planet Earth came when his mother sent him to school in lime-green Capri pants. In his deeply funny new memoir, he travels back in time to explore the ordinary kid he once was, and the curious world of 1950s America. It was a happy time, when almost everything was good for you, including DDT, cigarettes and nuclear fallout. This is a book about growing up in a specific time and place. But in Bryson's hands, it becomes everyone's story, one that will speak volumes - especially to anyone who has ever been young.

Why Read - I love Bill Bryson's travel writing, and Im interested in childhood stores and biographies.

We follow the life of Bill Bryson as a child growing up in the 50's. A slightly odd child - or normal depending on the way you look at it.  He re-accounts stories that could be typical of anyones child hood, and got up to all the mayhem and mischief you would expect.  Bill Bryson is a fantastic story teller and this really comes about in his biography.  He has a great witty sense of humour and many a moment i found myself laughing out loud.  He ensured, that you really got a sense of what it was like to grow up in the 50's America from a very frank point of view.

I enjoyed this Bill Bryson book so much it only took me a day to read as I could not put it down, its easy to get into, gets you hooked, and their are many laugh out loud moments to be had. A great book from a great writer.