An anthology of BBC Radio documentaries featuring the bestselling author Bill Bryson is the world's funniest travel writer, and a master of comic observation. His hugely popular books, spanning topics from linguistics to Shakespeare to the human body, have sold over 16 million copies and been translated into 30 languages, and his 2003 science book A Short History of Nearly Everything won the prestigious Aventis and Descartes prizes. This sparkling collection features seven BBC Radio programmes that collectively illuminate his personal passions. In The Art of Travel, he talks to Annette Kobak about his memorable journeys around the USA; while in the 6-part series Divided by a Common Language, he scours American history in an attempt to find out why Americans talk and behave differently from British people. Journeys in English, based on his acclaimed book Mother Tongue, sees him romping through the history of Britain in six episodes, to reveal how English became the complex yet world-beating language it is today. Ramblings: Windsor Great Park finds Bill heading out across the royal park in the company of Clare Balding, as he discusses his love for walking and exploring. As a castaway on Desert Island Discs, he shares the soundtrack of his life with Sue Lawley; and in With Great Pleasure, he selects some of his favourite writing, including Evelyn Waugh's Scoop, a Hardy Boys classic and Three Men in a Boat. Finally, in Bookclub, he chats to James Naughtie and an audience of readers about A Short History of Nearly Everything. Contents The Art of Travel: Bill Bryson Divided by a Common Language Journeys in English Ramblings: Windsor Great Park with Bill Bryson Desert Island Discs: Bill Bryson With Great Pleasure: Bill Bryson Bookclub: Bill Bryson Production credits The Art of Travel: Bill Bryson Presented by Annette Kobak Produced by Kate McAII First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 January 1991 Divided by a Common Language Presented by Bill Bryson Produced by Brian King First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 July-2 September 1995 Journeys in English Written and presented by Bill Bryson Produced by Brian King First broadcast as Mother Tongue on BBC Radio 4, 13 December 1997-17 January 1998 Ramblings: Windsor Great Park with Bill Bryson Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Lucy Lunt First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 September 2015 Desert Island Discs: Bill Bryson Presented by Sue Lawley Produced by Angie Nehring First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 January 1999 With Great Pleasure: Bill Bryson Readers: Kerry Shale and Bill Wallis Produced by Mary Ward-Lowery First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 September 1999 Bookclub: Bill Bryson Presented by James Naughtie Produced by Dymphna Flynn First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 February 2005
Author
William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, FRS was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. He settled in England in 1977, and worked in journalism until he became a full time writer. He lived for many years with his English wife and four children in North Yorkshire. He and his family then moved to New Hampshire in America for a few years, but they have now returned to live in the UK. In The Lost Continent, Bill Bryson's hilarious first travel book, he chronicled a trip in his mother's Chevy around small town America. It was followed by Neither Here Nor There, an account of his first trip around Europe. Other travel books include the massive bestseller Notes From a Small Island, which won the 2003 World Book Day National Poll to find the book which best represented modern England, followed by A Walk in the Woods (in which Stephen Katz, his travel companion from Neither Here Nor There, made a welcome reappearance), Notes From a Big Country and Down Under. Bill Bryson has also written several highly praised books on the English language, including Mother Tongue and Made in America. In his last book, he turned his attention to science. A Short History of Nearly Everything was lauded with critical acclaim, and became a huge bestseller. It was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize, before going on to win the Aventis Prize for Science Books and the Descartes Science Communication Prize. His next book, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, is a memoir of growing up in 1950s America, featuring another appearance from his old friend Stephen Katz. October 8 sees the publication of A Really Short History of Nearly Everything.
