Synopses & Reviews
"Suddenly, in the space of a moment, I realized what it was that I loved about Britain-which is to say, all of it."
After nearly two decades spent on British soil, Bill Bryson — bestselling author of The Mother Tongue and Made in America — decided to return to the United States. ("I had recently read," Bryson writes, "that 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another,so it was clear that my people needed me.") But before departing, he set out on a grand farewell tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home.
Veering from the ludicrous to the endearing and back again, Notes from a Small Islandis a delightfully irreverent jaunt around the unparalleled floating nation that has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie's Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey. The result is an uproarious social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain, from the satiric pen of an unapologetic Anglophile.
Review
"A book suffused with the sheer joy of being alive." Sunday Express (London)
Review
"Notes from a Small Island is, like its subject matter, a delight." Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Synopsis
Notes from a Small Island is New York Times bestseller Bill Bryson's irreverent and hilarious journey through the beloved island nation he called home for two decades. From Downing Street to Loch Ness, this is a delightful look at the United Kingdom.
Bryson, one of today's most entertaining travel writers, gives students a wonderful jaunt around the unparalleled floating nation that has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie's Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey. Veering from the ludicrous to the endearing and back again, Notes from a Small Island is Bryson's grand farewell tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home.
"Astute and funny-an amusing guide to the U.K.'s foibles, as well as a tribute to its enchantments, by an unabashed Anglophile."--New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
Veering from the ludicrous to the endearing and back again, Notes From a Small Island is a delightfully irreverent jaunt around the unparalleled floating nation that has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie's Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey.
About the Author
Bill Bryson's many books include, most recently In a Sunburned Country, as well as I'm a Stranger Here Myself, A walk in the Woods, Neither Here Nor There, Made in America, and The Mother Tongue.He edited The Best American Travel Writing 2000. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, he lived in England for almost two decades. He now lives in Hanover, New Hampshire, with his wife and four children.