Bill Bryson

Voted in a BBC poll the book, is an insight into all that is best and worst about Britain.

In the company of his friend Stephen Katz (last seen in the bestselling Neither Here nor There), Bill Bryson set off to hike the Appalachian Trail, the longest continuous footpath in the world.

In 1995, before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire to move back to the States for a few years with his family, Bill Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home.

Denne udgave er illustreret med en lang række fascinerende, instruktive og interessante fotos, tegninger, portrætter og tegneserier. En fascinerende enmandsfærd gennem virkeligheden, videnskaben og videbegærligheden - fra Big Bang til menneskets molekyler og fra galaksernes grænseland til atomernes afkroge - der med god grund blevet en international bestseller. Her er bogen, der besvarer alle de allermest nærliggende naturvidenskabelige spørgsmål, så enhver kan forstå det. »Formidlet så fremragende, at enhver læser må frydes, undres og undertiden endda grine højlydt undervejs« ***** Lars Henrik Aagaard, Berlingske Tidende Bill Bryson er ikke meget for at rejse, siger han selv. Til gengæld er han inden for hjemmets fire vægge umættelig i sin nysgerrighed efter at forstå den fascinerende verden omkring ham, inden i ham, deroppe og dernede. Historien om næsten alting er resultatet af hans enmandsfærd gennem virkeligheden, videnskaben og videbegærligheden, hvor han forsøger at begribe alt, der er sket og som findes - lige fra Big Bang til menneskets molekyler, og fra galaksernes grænseland til atomernes afkroge. Hvad han ser på sin færd, skildrer han i et livfuldt og dagligdags sprog, og han besvarer præcis de spørgsmål, som enhver anden interesseret person kunne finde på at stille. Bogen er fyldt med facts, forklaringer og fortællinger - skrevet i et sprog, der vel er underholdende og dagligdags, men samtidig så præcist, som man har ret til at forlange det af førsterangs naturvidenskabelig formidling. Historien om næsten alting er netop den bog, som mange af os har gået og ventet på - hvor vi for første gang ikke behøver skamme os over at stille de allermest nærliggende naturvidenskabelige spørgsmål. Allerbedst er, at bogen også besvarer langt de fleste af dem ...

A Chicago Tribune Noteworthy BookA GoodReads Reader's Choice The summer of 1927 began with Charles Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic. Meanwhile, Babe Ruth was closing in on the home run record. In Newark, New Jersey, Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly sat atop a flagpole for twelve days, and in Chicago, the gangster Al Capone was tightening his grip on bootlegging. The first true "talking picture," Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer, was filmed, forever changing the motion picture industry. All this and much, much more transpired in the year Americans attempted and accomplished outsized things--and when the twentieth century truly became the American century. One Summer transforms it all into narrative nonfiction of the highest order.

In summer 1927, America had a booming stock market, a president who worked just four hours a day (and slept much of the rest), a devastating flood of the Mississippi, a sensational murder trial, and an unknown aviator named Charles Lindbergh who became the most famous man on earth.

A Chicago Tribune Noteworthy BookA GoodReads Reader's Choice In One Summer Bill Bryson, one of our greatest and most beloved nonfiction writers, transports readers on a journey back to one amazing season in American life. The summer of 1927 began with one of the signature events of the twentieth century: on May 21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh became the first man to cross the Atlantic by plane nonstop, and when he landed in Le Bourget airfield near Paris, he ignited an explosion of worldwide rapture and instantly became the most famous person on the planet. Meanwhile, the titanically talented Babe Ruth was beginning his assault on the home run record, which would culminate on September 30 with his sixtieth blast, one of the most resonant and durable records in sports history. In between those dates a Queens housewife named Ruth Snyder and her corset-salesman lover garroted her husband, leading to a murder trial that became a huge tabloid sensation. Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly sat atop a flagpole in Newark, New Jersey, for twelve days--a new record. The American South was clobbered by unprecedented rain and by flooding of the Mississippi basin, a great human disaster, the relief efforts for which were guided by the uncannily able and insufferably pompous Herbert Hoover. Calvin Coolidge interrupted an already leisurely presidency for an even more relaxing three-month vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The gangster Al Capone tightened his grip on the illegal booze business through a gaudy and murderous reign of terror and municipal corruption. The first true "talking picture," Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer, was filmed and forever changed the motion picture industry. The four most powerful central bankers on earth met in secret session on a Long Island estate and made a fateful decision that virtually guaranteed a future crash and depression. All this and much, much more transpired in that epochal summer of 1927, and Bill Bryson captures its outsized personalities, exciting events, and occasional just plain weirdness with his trademark vividness, eye for telling detail, and delicious humor. In that year America stepped out onto the world stage as the main event, and One Summer transforms it all into narrative nonfiction of the highest order.

The only illustrated book officially published with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, The Appalachian Trail explores this legendary footpath in detail: with a foreword by Bill Bryson and filled with more than 300 spectacular contemporary images, as well as unpublished historical photos, documents, and maps from the ATC archives. Once inspired by this wonderful celebration of the A. T., readers can plan their own hike using the removable and full-size copy of the official National Park Service’s map of the entire Appalachian Trail included inside each book. In celebration of the Appalachian Trail’s seventy-fifth anniversary, this official book documents in text and photos the history, beauty, and significance of America’s most iconic hiking trail. With fascinating essays on topics ranging from the trail’s history to the day-by-day hiking experience, this book is perfect for anyone interested in conservation, outdoor recreation, or American history, and for all those who dream of one day becoming thru-hikers themselves. Completed in 1937 by a small cadre of volunteers, the Appalachian Trail spans fourteen states, from Maine to Georgia, and is more than 2,000 miles long. Now, seventy-five years after its completion, the A. T. remains America’s premier hiking trail and is known as "the people’s path." Visitors from all over the world are drawn to the trail for a variety of reasons, whether to reconnect with nature and see its beauty and wildlife, or to challenge oneself—for two miles or 2,000. Out of three million annual visitors, almost 2,000 attempt each year to earn the distinction of "thru-hiker" by walking all five million footsteps in one continuous journey.

In these pages, the beloved Bill Bryson gives us a fascinating history of the modern home, taking us on a room-by-room tour through his own house and using each room to explore the vast history of the domestic artifacts we take for granted. As he takes us through the history of our modern comforts, Bryson demonstrates that whatever happens in the world eventually ends up in our home, in the paint, the pipes, the pillows, and every item of furniture. Bryson has one of the liveliest, most inquisitive minds on the planet, and his sheer prose fluency makes At Home one of the most entertaining books ever written about private life.

This new edition of the acclaimed bestseller is lavishly illustrated to convey, in pictures as in words, Bill Bryson's exciting, informative journey into the world of science. In A Short History of Nearly Everything, the bestselling author of A Walk in the Woods and The Body, confronts his greatest challenge yet: to understand--and, if possible, answer--the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as his territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us. The result is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only Bill Bryson can render it. Now, in this handsome new edition, Bill Bryson's words are supplemented by full-color artwork that explains in visual terms the concepts and wonder of science, at the same time giving face to the major players in the world of scientific study. Eloquently and entertainingly described, as well as richly illustrated, science has never been more involving or entertaining.

Explore the mysteries of the universe without ever leaving your home Bill Bryson takes on the world of science and answers questions big and small, perfect for curious readers looking to learn outside of the classroom Did you know that: - Every atom in your body has almost certainly passed through several stars and been part of millions of organisms on its way to being you? - If you are an average-sized kid, you have enough potential energy inside you to explode with the force of several hydrogen bombs? And--What happened to dinosaurs? How big is the universe? Why are oceans salty? Is a meteor going to hit us? Tackling everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bill Bryson's inimitable storytelling skill makes the why, how, and, just as importantly, the who of scientific discovery entertaining and accessible for young readers.

Ein intelligenter, aberwitzig komischer und immer wieder überraschender Beitrag Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Shakespeare: The Illustrated Edition is an exquisitely illustrated, updated edition of Bill Bryson's bestselling biography of William Shakespeare that takes the reader on an enthralling tour through Elizabethan England and the eccentricities of Shakespearean scholarship. With more than 100 color and black-and-white illustrations throughout, and updated to include recent discoveries, Shakespeare: The Illustrated Edition evokes the superstitions, academic discoveries, and myths surrounding the life of one of the greatest poets, and makes sense of the man behind the masterpieces.

The best-selling author of A Walk in the Woods and I'm a Stranger Here Myself describes his all-American childhood growing up as a member of the baby boom generation in the heart of Iowa, detailing his rich fantasy life as a superhero known as the Thunderbolt Kid and his remarkably normal 1950s family life. Reprint. 250,000 first printing.

Her har du en røff guide til vitenskapshistoriens greatest hits. En bok full av kunnskap, fantastiske historier og eksentriske personligheter. Bill Bryson har tatt verden med storm med bestselgeren En kort historie om nesten alt. Bryson kaller seg gjerne en motvillig reisende. Men selv når han holder seg trygt i ro hjemme, kan han ikke la være å stille spørsmål til verden rundt seg. En kort historie om nesten alt er hans forsøk på å forstå hva som har skjedd fra Big Bang til i dag. Hvordan kom vi oss egentlig hit vi er i dag? Hvordan vokste moderne sivilisasjoner frem? Slik blir det en fascinerende reise med Bryson også denne gangen, den ultimate reise gjennom tid og rom, som viser oss verden slik vi aldri har sett den.

The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America-majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you're going to take a hike, it's probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you'll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way-and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).

The author of A Walk in the Woods traces the Big Bang through the rise of civilization, documenting his work with a host of the world's most advanced scientists and mathematicians to explain why things are the way they are. Reprint.

Bill Bryson describes himself as a reluctant traveller: but even when he stays safely in his own study at home, he can't contain his curiosity about the world around him. It's not so much about what we know, as about how we know what we know.

After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson took the decision to move Mrs Bryson, little Jimmy et al back to the States for a while. But before leaving his much-loved Yorkshire Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around old Blighty, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had for so long been his home. The resulting book was a eulogy to the country that produced Marmite, George Formby, by-elections, milky tea, places names like Farleigh Wallop, Titsey and Shellow Bowells, Gardeners' Question Time and people who say 'Mustn't grumble'. Britain would never seem the same again. Since it was first published in 1995, NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND has never been far from the top of the bestseller lists, and has sold over one and a half million copies. This special hardcover eidtion is published to mark the book's unique place in the hearts of readers around the world and to celebrate Bill Bryson's standing as the best-loved travel writer and humorist of our day.