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Journeys in English
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins
- Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Entertainment & Performing Arts
Non-member price: $18.74
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A Summer more or less
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Notes from a Small Island
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After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson took the decision to move back to the States for a while but before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain. His aim was to take stock of the nation's public face and private parts (as it were), and to analyse what precisely it was he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite, a military hero whose dying wish was to be kissed by a fellow named Hardy....
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Takes me Back
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The Lost Continent
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Hardly anyone ever leaves Des Moines, Iowa. But Bill Bryson did, and after 10 years in England he decided to go home, to a foreign country. In an ageing Chevrolet Chevette, he drove nearly 14,000 miles through 38 states to compile this hilarious and perceptive state-of-the-nation report on small-town America.
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Worst Bryson Book
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Stephen Fry in America
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Britain's best-loved comic genius Stephen Fry turns his celebrated wit and insight to unearthing the real America as he travels across the continent in his black taxicab. Stephen's account of his adventures is filled with his unique humour, insight and warmth in this audiobook that accompanies his journey for the BBC1 series.
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fun read
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Australia has more things that can kill you than anywhere else. Nevertheless, Bill Bryson journeyed to the country and promptly fell in love with it. The people are cheerful, their cities are clean, the beer is cold, and the sun nearly always shines.
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Excellent content, xenophobic reading
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Bill Bryson's first travel book, The Lost Continent, was unanimously acclaimed as one of the funniest books in years. In Neither Here Nor There he brings his unique brand of humour to bear on Europe as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet, and journeys from Hammerfest, the northernmost town on the continent, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia.
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Notes From a Big Country
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After moving back to the States, Bryson started to write a column for The Mail on Sunday Night and Day magazine. This is a collection of these column entries. Bryson writes about everything from everyday chores, to suing people, the beach, TV, movies, air conditioners, college, Americana, injury dangers, wasting resources, and holiday seasons.
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Bryson at his best
- By C. Swan on 01-12-2019
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Neither Here Nor There
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You'll stop at Europe's most diverting and historic locales and view the Old World through Bryson's tourist eye view in this affectionate, blisteringly insightful, and riotously funny pilgrimage from the frozen wastes of Scandinavia to the chaotic tumult of Istanbul.
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Travel with Humour
- By P on 06-02-2015
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The Life & Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
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Bill Bryson's hilarious memoir of growing up in middle America in the Fifties, complete, unabridged and read by the author. Born in 1951 in the middle of the United States, Des Moines, Iowa, Bill Bryson is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24 carat memoir gold.
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Eloquent with laugh out loud humour.
- By Dianne on 22-06-2019
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The Adventure of English
- The Biography of a Language
- By: Melvyn Bragg
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- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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This is the remarkable story of the English language; from its beginnings as a minor guttural Germanic dialect to its position today as a truly established global language. The Adventure of English is not only an enthralling story of power, religion, and trade, but also the story of people, and how their lives continue to change the extraordinary language that is English.
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an excellent history
- By Kindle Customer Donna on 02-09-2019
Publisher's Summary
This highly entertaining BBC Radio 4 series is written and presented by Bill Bryson and based on his best-selling book Mother Tongue. In it, he romps through the history of Britain to reveal how English became such an infuriatingly complex - but ultimately world-beating - language.
But why English? Why don't we speak Gallic, or any other of the European languages? According to Bryson, it's down to the remarkable ability for the English language to assimilate other vocabularies, to adapt and - above all - to survive.
From the old English words that are still in everyday use, such as 'eat', 'drink', 'man' and 'wife', to the current hybrid language of the 21st century with its many diverse dialects, Bryson, in his unique and ever-affable style, guides us through the development of English into a rich and expressive language.
Bryson explains how English has been shaped through invasion and conquest, as well as the rules that brought order to a disorderly language, the million and one ways to have fun with the English language, and the struggle with phrasal verbs (including the way things often get lost in the translation). And finally, he contemplates the future of English. Does Estuary English really Rule OK?
What listeners say about Journeys in English
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Joseph
- 13-07-2012
If you can read this, buy this programme!
English. Many of us who speak and read it take it for granted. But what a marvellous history it possesses.
Bill Bryson has a talent for taking complicated academic subjects and turning them into compelling stories; full of quirky anecdotes, unusual facts and memorable characters. This six-part radio series is a great example of that talent.
The story of English is fascinating. And more fascinating being told by Bryson and his collection of experts.
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- Carolyn
- 11-10-2011
Very entertaining and informative!
Anything Bill Bryson has done recently gets my vote - but his audio books are great, as long as they are read by himself (the other narrator who does his work rather irritates me). Journeys in English is so supremely interesting and yet an easy listen too, that I have listened to it several times. A feat only beaten by his other two fabulous books (At Home and A Brief History) which I have also listened to multiple times.
All I can hope is that he releases some more audio books before I learn his current ones verbatim.
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- T. Fulford
- 21-07-2010
English is such a strange language
As with all Brysons books this makes for a fantasic read (or listen). There is something about the way in which he uses hunour to inspire understanding and learning. I always learn from Bryson and feel better for the humour. It is dangerous to listen to this book in a public place for fear of laughing out loud and being seen as slightly nutsy! Beware!
3 people found this helpful
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- David
- 12-02-2010
A quick few lessons in our other tongue
With this book - following as it does the BBC Radio 4 programme or is that was the programmes gives us a taster as to the origins of our language - said by many to be the or one of the most colourful and diverse languages on the planet.
There's a problem though.. thus only 4 stars not the 5 it should have had ? Mr Bryson himself is a great author - I know I have all of his other works... BUT in my opinion he should leave the reading of them to others with greater depth of tone and rhythmical speech. William Roberts for example has read most of the other works available here and he is great in giving Mr Bryson?s books voice. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid also suffered for the same reason.
I have been critical of other books due to the person reading and stand as I did before by the remark this is my view and who am I to criticise? I cannot claim any special knowledge or understanding in matter lyrical but I know what I like when it comes to audiobooks.
Despite this you should finish the book with a thirst ? to learn more about our great language.
5 people found this helpful
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- David
- 14-11-2009
Informative
Bryson's look at the history, impact and intricacies of the English language is easy to follow with interviews breaking up the narration. These breaks are welcome, however, for even though the content is varied and well put together, Bryson's voice lacks intonation. Overall I enjoyed listening to 'Journeys in English', and if you have even a small interest in our language I'm sure you will too.
2 people found this helpful
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- Shirley
- 04-06-2016
Amusing, as ever.
Bill Brysonis always very entertaining and informative, reads the book in an easy way. Excellent mixture of fact and amusing incidents, one feels to be with him every step of the way. Would recommend it highly.
1 person found this helpful
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- Flint
- 07-12-2014
Fascinating and very enjoyable
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, I already have
What did you like best about this story?
It was interesting to hear how our language has evolved.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
The part about the different roots of the words for meat and words for live animals.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
It could be done because its fascinating but I listened in chunks and I listened to some parts several times.
Any additional comments?
I would recommend this book, it is very interesting.
1 person found this helpful
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- Shannon Bullock
- 08-07-2013
Facinating Story
Would you consider the audio edition of Journeys in English to be better than the print version?
I haven't read the print version, but I really enjoyed the way the audio edition allowed people to be interviewed rather than just selected comments to be placed in the text.
What did you like best about this story?
Really interesting to understand the English language more.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, I listened to it over several session, which was fine as it was a number of episodes.
Any additional comments?
Fantastic.
1 person found this helpful
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- #earlylearning🤓📚
- 14-01-2021
Not new,
I already knew a lot of the facts but found it interesting how the language survived after the 1066 Frog invasion.
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- Mrs. C. E. Aston
- 12-10-2018
Excellent
For anyone interested in the English language, this is a fascinating and intriguing book by a knowledgeable writer.
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- Nike
- 01-01-2017
Fascinated
Really enjoyed this hands on approach to language. The mixture of location based narrative with examples was good.
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- Harold
- 26-09-2013
Disappointing
Would you try another book written by Bill Bryson or narrated by Bill Bryson?
yes, I am a fan of his, read everything else and have bought his very latest, and that was after giving up on Journeys English!
Would you ever listen to anything by Bill Bryson again?
Yes, definitely
How did the narrator detract from the book?
The subject wasn't for me.
You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?
No
Any additional comments?
No
1 person found this helpful
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