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One Summer
- America 1927
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
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One Summer
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-
The Road to Little Dribbling
- More Notes From a Small Island
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Nathan Osgood
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 205
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 186
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 186
Twenty years ago Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his adopted country. The hilarious book that resulted, Notes from a Small Island, was taken to the nation’s heart and became the best-selling travel book ever and was voted in a BBC poll the book that best represents Britain. Now, to mark the 20th anniversary of that modern classic, Bryson makes a brand-new journey around Britain to see what has changed.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Typical Bryson
- By Jan on 22-10-2015
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Shakespeare
- The World as a Stage
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
Shakespeare's life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket of myths and traditions, some preposterous, some conflicting, arranged around the few scant facts known about the Bard: from his birth in Stratford to the bequest of his second best bed to his wife when he died.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable, fun, & informative
- By Ballina Beach on 11-04-2016
-
Neither Here Nor There
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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 Small Island
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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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5 out of 5 stars
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Another excellent Bryson book
- By Anonymous User on 05-02-2022
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The Body
- A Guide for Occupants
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 618
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 497
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 491
In the best-selling, prize-winning A Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson achieved the seemingly impossible by making the science of our world both understandable and entertaining to millions of people around the globe. Now he turns his attention inwards to explore the human body, how it functions and its remarkable ability to heal itself. Full of extraordinary facts and astonishing stories, The Body: A Guide for Occupants is a brilliant, often very funny attempt to understand the miracle of our physical and neurological makeup.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not Bryson’s best
- By Chelsea on 08-10-2019
-
The Bill Bryson BBC Radio Collection
- Divided by a Common Language, Journeys in English and More
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
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.
-
The Road to Little Dribbling
- More Notes From a Small Island
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Nathan Osgood
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 205
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 186
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 186
Twenty years ago Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his adopted country. The hilarious book that resulted, Notes from a Small Island, was taken to the nation’s heart and became the best-selling travel book ever and was voted in a BBC poll the book that best represents Britain. Now, to mark the 20th anniversary of that modern classic, Bryson makes a brand-new journey around Britain to see what has changed.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Typical Bryson
- By Jan on 22-10-2015
-
Shakespeare
- The World as a Stage
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
Shakespeare's life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket of myths and traditions, some preposterous, some conflicting, arranged around the few scant facts known about the Bard: from his birth in Stratford to the bequest of his second best bed to his wife when he died.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable, fun, & informative
- By Ballina Beach on 11-04-2016
-
Neither Here Nor There
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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.
-
Notes from a Small Island
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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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5 out of 5 stars
-
Another excellent Bryson book
- By Anonymous User on 05-02-2022
-
The Body
- A Guide for Occupants
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 618
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 497
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 491
In the best-selling, prize-winning A Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson achieved the seemingly impossible by making the science of our world both understandable and entertaining to millions of people around the globe. Now he turns his attention inwards to explore the human body, how it functions and its remarkable ability to heal itself. Full of extraordinary facts and astonishing stories, The Body: A Guide for Occupants is a brilliant, often very funny attempt to understand the miracle of our physical and neurological makeup.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Not Bryson’s best
- By Chelsea on 08-10-2019
-
The Bill Bryson BBC Radio Collection
- Divided by a Common Language, Journeys in English and More
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
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.
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A Walk in the Woods
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 201
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 182
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
The Appalachian Trail covers 14 states, and over 2,000 miles. It stretches along the East Coast of the United States, from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south. It is famous for being the longest continuous footpath in the world. (Compare this with the Pennine Way, which is a mere 250 miles long.) It snakes through some of the wildest and most spectacular landscapes in America, as well as through some of its most poverty-stricken and primitive backwoods areas.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I love Bryson narrated Bryson books.
- By Dwayne on 03-05-2016
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Journeys in English
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 27
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.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting subject but poorly mastered
- By Rachel C. on 01-03-2021
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Icons of England
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: David Rintoul, Barnaby Edwards, Ben Eagle, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 9
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
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Story4 out of 5 stars 8
This celebration of the English countryside does not only focus on the rolling green landscapes and magnificent monuments that set England apart from the rest of the world. Many of the contributors bring their own special touch, presenting a refreshingly eclectic variety of personal icons, from pub signs to seaside piers, from cattle grids to canal boats, and from village cricket to nimbies.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Perhaps if you’d grown up in UK it’d be ok.
- By Chris Pedder on 13-10-2020
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At Home
- A Short History of Private Life
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Abridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 25
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 17
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 18
In At Home, Bill Bryson applies the same irrepressible curiosity, irresistible wit, stylish prose and masterful storytelling that made A Short History of Nearly Everything one of the most lauded books of the last decade, and delivers one of the most entertaining and illuminating books ever written about the history of the way we live. Bill Bryson was struck one day by the thought that we devote a lot more time to studying the battles and wars of history than to considering what history really consists of: centuries of people quietly going about their daily business – eating, sleeping and merely endeavouring to get more comfortable.
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Stephen Fry in America
- By: Stephen Fry
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 58
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 50
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
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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4 out of 5 stars
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Travel guide with a difference
- By Louise on 06-02-2021
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Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days
- By: Michael Palin
- Narrated by: Michael Palin
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 70
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 59
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
In the autumn of 1988, Michael Palin set out from the Reform Club with an ambitious plan: to circumnavigate the world, following the route taken by Jules Verne's fictional hero Phileas Fogg 115 years earlier. The rules were simple. He had to make the journey in 80 days using only forms of transport that would have been available to Fogg.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Armchair meanderings at their finest
- By Geoff on 20-05-2015
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A Short History of Nearly Everything
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,225
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,454
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,438
A Short History of Nearly Everything is Bill Bryson's quest to understand everything that has happened from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. He takes subjects that normally bore the pants off most of us, like geology, chemistry, and particle physics, and aims to render them comprehensible to people who have never thought they could be interested in science. In the company of some extraordinary scientists, Bill Bryson reveals the world in a way most of us have never seen it before.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Not what I expected but brilliant!
- By Michael on 27-11-2015
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Dear Bill Bryson
- Footnotes from a Small Island
- By: Ben Aitken
- Narrated by: Ben Aitken
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 2
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 2
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 2
In 2013, travel writer Ben Aitken decided to follow in the footsteps of his hero - literally - and started a journey around the UK, tracing the trip taken by Bill Bryon in his classic tribute to the British Isles, Notes from a Small Island. Staying at the same hotels, ordering the same food and even spending the same amount of time in the bath, Aitken's homage - updated and with a new preface for 2022 - is filled with wit, insight and humour.
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4 out of 5 stars
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I was nearly offended but then was entranced.
- By J Hasler on 01-05-2023
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Unruly
- A History of England's Kings and Queens
- By: David Mitchell
- Narrated by: David Mitchell
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 114
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 108
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Story5 out of 5 stars 108
In Unruly, David Mitchell explores how early England's monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects' destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky sods who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear to us today in their portraits.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant
- By Anonymous User on 29-11-2023
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The Commonwealth of Thieves
- By: Thomas Keneally
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 140
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 131
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 130
A lively history of the 'First Fleet' which took convicts from Britain to Australia in 1787; Sydney's early years as 'an open-air prison'; and the colonisation of New South Wales.
The story of modern Australia begins in 18th-century Britain, where people were hanged for petty offences but crime was rife and the gaols were bursting. From this situation was born the Sydney experiment, with criminals perceived to be damaging British society transported to Sydney, an 'open air prison with walls 14,000 miles thick'.
Eleven ships were dispatched in 1781 and arrived in Australia after eight hellish months at sea. Tom Keneally describes the first four years of the 'thief colony' and how, despite the escapes, the floggings, the murders and the rebellions, it survived against the odds to create a culture which would never have been tolerated in its homeland but which, in Australia, became part of the identity of a new and audacious nation.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A most vivid account of Australian settlement
- By The Nautrual on 21-09-2020
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Did I Ever Tell You This?
- By: Sam Neill
- Narrated by: Sam Neill
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 430
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 384
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 383
In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world's most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great storyteller
- By valshopaholic on 23-03-2023
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A Million Years in a Day
- A Curious History of Everyday Life
- By: Greg Jenner
- Narrated by: Greg Jenner
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 46
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
'A wonderful idea, gloriously put into practice. Greg Jenner as is witty as he is knowledgeable.' (Tom Holland) 'Delightful, surprising and hilarious, this is a fascinating history of the everyday objects and inventions we take for granted.' (Lauren Laverne) Every day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Pretty lame esp the review rules.
- By Anonymous User on 07-10-2023
Editorial Reviews
Publisher's Summary
Audible is proud to present One Summer: America, 1927, the new book by Britain’s favourite writer of narrative nonfiction, Bill Bryson.
Narrated by the man himself, One Summer takes you to the summer when America came of age, took centre stage, and changed the world forever. In the summer of 1927, America had a booming stock market, a president who worked just four hours a day, a semi-crazed sculptor with a plan to carve four giant heads into a mountain called Rushmore, a devastating flood of the Mississippi, a sensational murder trial, and a youthful aviator named Charles Lindbergh who started the summer wholly unknown, and finished it as the most famous man on Earth.
It was the summer of the first talking pictures, the invention of television, the peak of Al Capone's reign of terror, the ill-conceived decision that led to the Great Depression, and the thrillingly improbable return to greatness of a wheezing, over-the-hill baseball player named Babe Ruth.
With an unforgettable cast of personalities, Bill Bryson spins a story of brawling adventure, reckless optimism, and delirious energy. What a country; what a summer; and what a writer to bring it all so vividly to life.
Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951; he moved to and settled in England in 1977, working in journalism until becoming a full-time author. Bryson is much-loved for his best-selling travel books, from The Lost Continent to Down Under, and Notes from a Small Island earned a particularly special place in the nation's heart - a national poll for World Book Day voted it the book that best represents Britain. A Short History of Nearly Everything won the Aventis Prize for Science Books and the Descartes Science Communication Prize. Bryson has also written a memoir, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and acclaimed books on language and social history (Mother Tongue, Made in America, At Home).
He lives in the UK with his wife and family, and was awarded an honorary OBE for services to literature.
What listeners say about One Summer
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cainsy
- 17-05-2015
A Summer more or less
Bryson is one of my writing heroes and he has delivered another masterwork in One Summer: America 1927. However, whereas his earlier travel books had the panorama of nations of his personal experience and his later books dealt with the realms of science, language and social history, this book is about the pivotal summer of 1927 in the United States.
Primarily focusing on the race between the various teams competing for the Orteig Prize, the challenge to fly non-stop from New York to Paris and in particular Charles Lindbergh’s accomplishment, and subsequent rise to fame when he won the prize. Bryson also focuses on Babe Ruth’s record baseball season, the machinations of the Ford motor company’s replacement of the Model T, the impact of the Mississippi Flood and the associated rise of Herbert Hoover, later President Hoover. The book also includes a fair dose of the intricacies of the Roaring Twenties as a backdrop.
The stories are told in Bryson’s characteristic humorous style full of the ironies of life and capricious turns of fate that beset so many of his subjects. It is also packed with many facts and statistics which while being fascinating can sometimes lapse into the monotony of a reference book. Occasionally he does drop the ball in the areas that aren’t central to his own interests, he seems to struggle with popular culture; incorrectly referring to Mickey Mouse’s previous name as Oswald for example. But that is nit-picking Bryson’s delivers a book in a way that a skilled sportsman makes his game look effortless.
Bill Bryson’s delivery is gentle and clear but, as he references his own voice in his earlier book; The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, he speaks in a low voice. Sometimes this lacks the range to add proper characterisation to the different people within the book. Again this isn’t a critical deficiency but doesn’t lend itself to extended listening sessions.
Overall this is an interesting and informative book.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MR NICHOLAS J EVEN
- 28-12-2014
Really enjoyed America 1927
Thoroughly enjoyed the clarity, the content, and the subject matter. Especially enjoyed that the author narrated.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- MR ALDONIO FERREIRA
- 25-08-2014
Terrible diction
Would you try another book written by Bill Bryson or narrated by Bill Bryson?
I found Bill Bryson's narrative too thick and very hard to follow. Actually, I think it spoiled what could have been an otherwise good book. I found myself lost to many times and had enough of it. Only heard about 1/4 of the book, but lost my interest in it. It's simply too hard.
While I would READ another book by this author (considering the many I read previously), I WOULD NOT TRY another book narrated by him.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Well, too much!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- David Maher
- 22-08-2017
not his best
Personally I think Bill should stick to writing.. the story is very interesting but lacks the flair in the telling that I associate with other readers
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kelly
- 29-03-2015
certainly recommend
This was such a great book to listen to. informative, interesting and really well read. excellent choice
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Katherine Neville
- 11-02-2015
Great book
Bill Bryson never disappoints. A fascinating insight into a time in history I previously knew little about. I enjoyed Bill's narration also.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Pauline Cornell
- 30-01-2015
Great for baseball addicts
Normally love books by Bill Bryson. Though there was a lot of interesting stuff in the book he tends to get bogged down in too much detail. In this book too much Baseball. Scores averages and percentages are of little interest to those outside USA.
Still there was a lot of interesting snippets to keep me listening
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 10-07-2023
Excellent work.
Enjoyable listen to early America and its influence on the world. Such an amazing period.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ike Bain
- 02-04-2023
So descriptive I felt I was back in that era
One of the most interesting books I ever enjoyed and the author performed the perfect narration.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 15-03-2023
Not even Bryson can make baseball interesting
A genuinely fascinating sounding summer. Great engaging Bryson inquisitive style. The rise of Ford is important, flying the Atlantic is important, the disaster of Prohibition is important, the seeds of the Great Depression are important.
Baseball doesn't matter, baseball is a game, one that is boring as hell to most people outside of the US. It is bizzare that Bryson thinks ranting about the details of a season of one obscure sport is somehow worthy of a third of this book.
I was engaged and entertained for the other 2/3s but I've never had to skip through chunks of a Bryson book before.
My God the baseball sections were dull!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Simon
- 10-05-2014
Bill in usual greatness... but too much baseball!
Would you consider the audio edition of One Summer to be better than the print version?
Yes, Brysons dry narration is always a joy
Would you be willing to try another book from Bill Bryson? Why or why not?
I already own all of them
Have you listened to any of Bill Bryson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Exactly the same as usual - if you like Bryson this is a definite buy.. but if you dont then avoid it!
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
There are moments of history that are extremely saddening, and Bryson gives his perspective. However most of the book is humorous to laugh out loud.
It's collection of happenings and events that are loosely tied around one theme - the summer of 1927. It's like having him round for dinner and saying.. tell us a story or two Bill.
Any additional comments?
TOO MUCH BASEBALL! I know his Dad was a baseball reporter and Im sure its a fab sport but wayyy too much coverage in this book
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joseph
- 17-10-2013
A remarkable year. Or was it?
The Summer of 1927 in America was a remarkable time. Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic alone in a tiny plane and set off a hero-worship frenzy. Not just in the USA but across the globe. Television was born and Radio exploded. As did bombs set off by anarchists across the country. Criminals were electrocuted and Prohibition made other criminals rich. Bill Bryson tells this story in his unique style; finding the coincidences the curiosities and the connections that bring it all together in a way that is fascinating and at times, laugh-out-loud funny.
It was a remarkable year. But then I think Bill Bryson could throw a dart at a calendar, hitting any season in any year in any country, and turn it into a compelling story.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David
- 29-09-2013
Bill Bryson and his stunning works
Bill Bryson has yet again shown his exceptional talent for the creation of entertaining and instructive non-fiction texts. To those who have already listened or read a Bill Bryson title, you know that his work is unparalleled in its' ability to instruct and entertain using true stories and Bill Bryson's excellent research.
One Summer America 1927, basically tells you what the book is focussed on. This brief period of time in the first half of the 20th century laid the ground work for many and varied events on the world stage. This was the time of the "roaring twenties", the pre-depression period, the creation of many ideas, inventions and dreams. America was reaching a turning point that would help to change the world forever.
This book tells the tales of audacious aircraft pilots, pioneering inventors, sports stars, bucking politicians, dastardly murderers and ploting mobsters. Bill Bryson delves into the depths of matters of this period and analyses the effects of the happenings on the future and how they were effected by the past.
One Summer America 1927 is a stunning example of Bill Bryson's best work and is delightfully humorous and clever whilst being able to instruct and inform.
So listen on, for there is One Summer in America during 1927 that is amazing.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Peter
- 28-09-2013
Bryson , Great as Usual...
Bryson researches his books so well and puts them together in a way that make them fascinating to read or listen to. I like listening to Bill Bryson narrate as well. I suspect he could make almost anything interesting. If you've liked any of his previous books you will no doubt enjoy this.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gøran
- 27-09-2023
Another excellent Bryson book
I have soon read, or listened to all of Brysons books. I love his popular science/history boons the most. Not being a baseball man myself this one was very informative regarding that part of US history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-03-2023
Thoroughly engaging, fascinating and informative.
For anyone who loves historical facts this book will keep you riveted. Perfect as a travelling audible book, easy to listen to and full of interesting and quirky stories of the USA in the summer of 1927.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Callum Bowen
- 07-02-2023
Excellent as always
Another great book written and read by the masterful author himself. An exquisite and heartfelt exploration of the Summer of 1927, brought to us in his usual detail and joy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 30-06-2022
Simply the best book on Audible!
Bill Bryson weaves a narrative so diverse in topics and with such intimate details it feels like he is giving you a personal guided tour of the most important facets of American life. Each story flows so naturally into the next you may not realise you have been swept off on one of the beautiful looping tangents he constructs, bobbing along with his funny insights and idiosyncrasies until you rejoin the main current of the book. I cannot find another storyteller like him, who draws so many strands into such a compelling adventure, and with such a wonderful voice and delivery. I love all his work but this is his best. I have listened to it on cosy winter nights, continuously on a road trip through Swedish summer when the sun never set and whether dipping in and out or ploughing through, this is a book you can re-listen to and always find something new to interest you or line to laugh at. I cannot recommend this highly enough; and if you’ve managed to get to the bottom of this review, I can guarantee listening to Bill will be a far better experience. He’s a literary magician.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Max
- 27-09-2019
It's Bill Bryson
and as with most if not all of his books, this is just excellent and informative again. A pleasure.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- E. Callaway
- 26-09-2018
A treasure.
Maybe not the best book by Bryson, as it’s less full of his signature humor. That being said, his skill at the craft is still second to none. Sharing historical and cultural significances, he moves seamlessly through several stories happening simultaneously in the summer of 1927. The richness of detail is astounding. He manages to give full descriptions of so many things without boring the listener.
I only buy audiobooks by Bryson when he is the one reading them. He does not disappoint.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Kirstine
- 27-12-2015
Bored by all the hours about baseball
I’ve greatly enjoyed previous books by the author and was looking forward to another treat. The early chapters made me think I was in for a 5 star listen, however as the book progressed I found that there was far too much about baseball the nadir of which was at least an hour of the recording devoted to performance statistics of baseball players of the 1920s. After yet another lengthy, tedious section about baseball, I thereafter fast-forwarded the recording when he started on the topic yet again until the subject changed. I had to do this several times. Why Bill Byrson thought that most of his readers/listeners would be interested in the fine details of baseball games played in the 1920s is beyond me. I found the other topics in the book, that were tied in time to the summer of 1927, interesting, but I was disappointed by the book. I also felt that it lacked the wry humour that enlivens his other books.
The author’s narration is competent with out being memorable, but the periods of boredom may have given me a jaundiced view.
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53 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Colin
- 21-10-2013
Bryson hits another Home Run
I've long been a fan of Bill Bryson's books and this latest release continues to raise the bar on his fellow writers. At once engaging and informative Bryson connects with the listener from the outset and the pace never flags. With characters such as Babe Ruth, Al Capone, Woodrow Wilson, Jack Dempsey and, of course, Charles Lindburgh the narrative guides the listener through what was a golden time in America's history.
The book looks at a wealth of topics from aviation, sport, politics, prohibition and the rise of the movies. I was particularly interested in the sections about the Anarchists who sent parcel bombs to leading political and authority figures. One failed to go off so the police thought it would be a good idea to take it back to the station for further investigation, where it promptly exploded, killing ten officers and some members of the public.
An excellent,informative book and like all of Bryson's work, worthy of repeated listenings. I almost wish I had a road trip coming up as this would be the perfect accompaniment
Highly recommended
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 29-01-2014
Baseball and biplanes
If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?
Not one of Bill's best and if you don't have any interest in baseball or early aviation (which I don't) then it's a bit of a slog. For those that do, good luck.
What will your next listen be?
Back to a thriller, something with a bit of pace hopefully
Would you be willing to try another one of Bill Bryson’s performances?
Perhaps on a better book
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from One Summer?
Heavily edit the baseball tales especially all the scores which while no doubt impressive if you aren't into that, and for the casual listenner, it was painful.
Any additional comments?
No
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23 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S.E.
- 23-10-2013
Professionals please!
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Bill Bryson is a very fine author......he is not a professional narrator. I found his voice to be thin and without the required authority and expression of a trained actor or experienced reader. A very good book lacking a very good narrator!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul
- 07-07-2014
A fancinating examination of one summer in America
What did you like most about One Summer?
Bryson's ability to turn up the most unusual facts and stories and combine them into a portrait of a nation. It gives a detailed snapshot of the landscape, the people their lives and the changes their society was undergoing. Bryson's research has allowed him to deftly draw them into a collection of threads that come together in a vivid sense of what America was in 1927.
What other book might you compare One Summer to, and why?
This is similar to Bryson's other non-fiction books - A Walk in the Woods and a Short History of Nearly Everything in that we are presented with Bryson's amiable wandering through a subject. However this isn't about him as such, it's a reflection of what he was interested in his subject.
What about Bill Bryson’s performance did you like?
The clear animation in his voice - at times you could hear him smiling as he read or shaking his head in disbelief with you. Bryson enjoys a relaxed easy style that eats up the hours and is the perfect accompaniment to a long drive, cooking a meal or doing the washing up.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Could you film this? Better to imagine it I think - let it live in your mind's eye.
Any additional comments?
The only reason I deducted 1 star from the overall score was that in a very few places it probably paid to actually be an American (understanding baseball in detail and the odd reference). However do not let this put you off the wonderfully animated journey the book takes you on. I laughed out loud several times while listening - even when commuting on the train.
I recommend it wholeheartedly.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- steven
- 02-03-2014
Hold on to your seats for one heck of a ride...
Bryson has selected a period of about six months (April to September) in one year (1927) when the most remarkable events and people in the USA intersected. He is a master story teller and traces the history and personalities of his “actors” without ever reverting to a catalogue of dates or achievements.
It was one heck of a year: Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh, Herbert Hoover, Al Capone, Talking pictures, prohibition, Saco and Vanzetti, Mount Rushmore and a handful or murderers all had their moment in the sun – and this is not a complete list.
It was a perfect moment in time - after the war and before the depression. It was an instant when the height of 1920s excess clashed with the depths of conservative USA reaction. All in all, a remarkable year.
Bryson revels in this type of book – he dredges up little-known facts and sketches his characters as larger-than-life figures (or not). The “story” never lags and his sense of hyperbole keeps the reader riveted. How about this as a sample of the irrelevant but interesting snippets which litter to book: The morning after Lindbergh’s triumphant landing in Paris the authorities collected over a ton of lost property at the airfield (following the frenzied reception by the French). There are many more. Some of the actions, decisions and statements are almost inconceivable. The fact, for example, that Al Capone paid wages of almost $700,000 every week – to crooked cops in Chicago.
I guess there were other summers which held as many significant occurrences (probably very few) but I wonder if it is an accident that exactly 40 years later the summer of love would again yield a treasure trove of events and personalities. I’m hoping Bryson is busy on this book already: 1967 Another Summer.
I really wish publishers would stop using authors to read books. I have said this so often. Bill is a great writer and he is one of my favourites. His diction is poor and his reading style is rushed and unprofessional. PLEASE USE ACTORS to read and writers to write.
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13 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Caroline
- 27-09-2013
Great book, great author, not great narration...
What made the experience of listening to One Summer the most enjoyable?
I've loved all his books, I have all of them, and he goes into such depths and tangets that it's very entertaining.
He notices the little things, and is hugely entertaining.
However I'll be buying the actual book to dip into, as the Audible version isn't all that great to listen to. They really should have got a professional narrator to tell the story.
What didn’t you like about Bill Bryson’s performance?
Bryson has a weak spoken voice. I've seen him on TV doing documentaries and he's a weak presenter too.
Any additional comments?
Recommended, especially to Bryson fans, but if you can, buy the book. It will be on my Xmas list!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Terrific Terrapin
- 30-09-2013
Bill Bryson Does It Again
Bill Bryson has a clever way of making everything interesting. Even subjects I'm not normally bothered about. He has a fantastic dry wit and an entertaining way of putting things across. He's one of those rare authors I'd actually like to meet and have a cuppa with. Also, I normally hate it when the author reads their own work, but I must say I enjoy his laid-back tone and his unique accent - USA/UK. Well done, Bill. Great work. Can't wait to see what you've got to show us next.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Peter Tate
- 03-02-2014
Bill Bryson makes prohibition America interesting
Would you listen to One Summer again? Why?
Yes. This is a cornucopia of loosely connected facts most unfamiliar to an English audience. At last baseball is interesting, the aviation air races understandable and prohibition America now seen in a context where it (almost) makes sense. It was all fascinating.
Which character – as performed by Bill Bryson – was your favourite?
Babe Ruth
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Prohibition America as it really was.
Any additional comments?
It took a minute or two to tune into Bill's voice but his reading was wonderful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. Downey
- 20-10-2013
Bill Bryson a joy as always!
Great to hear Bill Bryson read his own work, the content as always with him teaches you things you didn't know about events or places you thought you knew. Has made a drive to Nuremberg from the UK a pleasure, looking forward to the second half on the return leg!
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