Notes from a Small Island

Notes from a Small Island #1

by Bill Bryson

"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 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. The result is an uproarious social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain, from the satiric pen of an unapologetic Anglophile.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Humor, Memoir, British Literature, Audiobook, Biography

324 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Bill Bryson is a bestselling American-British author known for his witty and accessible nonfiction books spanning travel, science, and language. He rose to prominence with Notes from a Small Island (1995), an affectionate portrait of Britain, and solidified his global reputation with A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003), a popular science book that won the Aventis and Descartes Prizes. Raised in Iowa, Bryson lived most of his adult life in the UK, working as a journalist before turning to writing full-time. His other notable works include A Walk in the Woods, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and The Mother Tongue. Bryson served as Chancellor of Durham University (2005–2011) and received numerous honorary degrees and awards, including an honorary OBE and election as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society. Though he announced his retirement from writing in 2020, he remains one of the most beloved voices in contemporary nonfiction, with over 16 million books sold worldwide.

Reviews

[Rézina Dějová]

Humorný průvodce po exotické zemi jménem Británie (resp. Wales, Anglie a Skotsko) napsaná zdomácnělým Američanem. Někdy byste ho během čtení zabili (nebo minimálně za trest nepozvali na čaj o páté) za jeho nepokrytou nadřazenost, jindy ho zase objali za to, že kromě Angličanů, Walešanů, Skotů, prodavačů kebabu, ženských, tlusťochů, vláčkofilů a členů královské famílie si dokáže dělat nekorektní srandu i sám ze sebe.
Jen by to chtělo míň nesouvisejících anekdot a víc cestování. Ráda bych věděla, jaké by Zápisky byly, kdyby je Bryson psal v době Brexitu.