In one summer bill bryson, one of our greatest and most beloved nonfi. Bryson has produced another best seller in one summer. It was one hell of a summer in 1927, when charles lindbergh, 25, made a nonstop solo flight from new york to paris, when babe ruth, 32, broke his own home. An interview with bill bryson, author of one summer. Being a bill bryson book it does, of course, head of on tangents to years before and after 1927 in order to put the events in context but the basis of the book is grounded in those few months.
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. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read one summer. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The book was actually meant to be a guilty summer vacation read, but. A chicago tribune noteworthy booka goodreads readers choice the summer of 1927 began with charles lindbergh crossing the atlantic. America, 1927 bill bryson, 20 knopf doubleday 524 pp. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Lindberghs parents never embraced, instead shaking hands. As the title indicates, his subject is the summer of 1927, which, it turns out, was notable for the depth and breadth of people and events that have had lasting impacts on america and the world. Noteworthy book a goodreads readers choice the summer of 1927 began. The america of the 1920s, with its laissezfaire economics, rugged individualism, and relentless public piety and patriotism, was a tea party utopia. Bill bryson chronicles one season in american history, when. I think it helped me to recreate in my mind the summer of 1927 because of having grown up in the 50s in the midwest.
The title of bill brysons latest sums up the simplicity of his task. In that year, america stepped out onto the world stage as the main event. In the summer of 1927, a wholesome young postal pilot called charles lindbergh flew solo across the atlantic, initiating the era of aviation and claiming the skies for america. Just to give you an idea of where i am coming from, i admit i read that book more than once. In one summer, bill bryson transports readers on a journey back to one amazing season in american life. Its as breezy as a danielle steele novel and as competent in its dull way as cliffsnotes. Every once in awhile something pops up on facebook that intrigues me after having waded through the usual political rants. It was the summer if one allows summer to occasionally include parts of both spring and fall that babe ruth hit 60 home runs, much of the country was engulfed by a catastrophic flood.
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. Bill brysons one summer is the story of just four months june to september 1927 in the life of. Join us to talk about america in 1927 and how many of the key news stories of that year resonate today. 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. Its a long book, not much shorter in fact than a short history of nearly everything, and whilst the latter deals with the history of, well, nearly everything, one summer. America, 1927 is in a class by itself, my favorite of all his books that i have read. There were just so many fascinating things that happened in america in 1927. A number of major events transpired in that epochal summer of 1927, and bryson captures its outsized personalities, exciting events and occasional just plain weirdness. So, even though this was the book for march, i actually finished it back in february, because reading books out of the order i said i would is the kind of rebel i am that is, a very lousy rebel. I have since read about a dozen of brysons subsequent books, enjoying some most, some more than others, with most falling in my 4star column. Bill brysons one summer is the story of just four months june to september 1927 in the life of america. I have read or listened to many bill bryson books, and one summer is definitely my favorite. America, 1927 is a fascinating examination of american heroism, invention, and resilience in the face of. The first edition of the novel was published in august 20, and was written by bill bryson.
The book focuses on various key events of that summer as lenses through which to view american life. With the summer of 1927 being one of americas most historic, celebrated nonfiction writer bill bryson took a long, hard look at everything that went down that year in his acclaimed 20 release, one summer. Now this little gal isnt much of a singer, she would say. The boston globe a lively account of 1927s events and its cast of characters, both well known and long forgotten. Overview a chicago tribune noteworthy book a goodreads readers 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. In the summer of 1927, america had a booming stock market, a. It grabbed my interest at the start, and never let go. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 456 pages and is available in hardcover format. America, 1927, the new book by britains favourite writer of narrative nonfiction, bill bryson. One summer america, 1927by bill bryson the washington post. Bill bryson bryson examines closely the events and personalities of the summer of 1927 when americas story was one of brawling adventure, reckless optimism and delirious energy.
Charles lindberghs crossing of the atlantic, the execution of sacco and vanzetti, and the invention of the television are a few of the events bryson writes about in one summer. He details the events that transfixed the nation in that year including charles lindberghs transatlantic flight, babe ruth in the batters box and epic floods in the mississippi basin. Bestselling author bill bryson joins us to talk about his newest book, one summer. He painstakingly digs up news, goods, and works, to which ordinary people were unanimously mad about at that time. Its amazing what a talented writer at the top of his game can do with a seemingly narrow topic. Four crucial months, needless to say four months in which, bryson contends, his homeland came to dominate the world in everything from banking to baseball and talkies to telly. America 1927 deals, as the title suggests, with a number of events taking place in that years summer. America, 1927 the 1920s was a great time for reading altogethervery possibly the peak decade for reading in american life. America, 1927 for tell me what to read, i immediately requested the audiobook of it and it came up within just a day or two. America 1927 by comparison spans just, er, one summer. One summer captures that fabulous summerindeed, the entire erain tone and timbre. Babe ruth, charles lindbergh, prohibition and gangsters, anarchists, etc. While he may be an expatriate residing in england, brysons american pride saturates this rewarding book.
A chicago tribune noteworthy book a goodreads readers choice the summer of 1927 began with charles lindbergh crossing the atlantic. In one summer, america 1927, bill bryson pauses for a moment to remember just some of the things that happened that summer, by revealing unknown aspects of children of their ages, who are familiar even to japanese. The book is a history of the summer of 1927 in the united states. Bryson examines closely the events and personalities of the summer of 1927 when americas story was one of brawling adventure, reckless optimism and delirious energy. Your book is about summer, of course, and i was wondering if you have any particularly strong memories of your boyhood summers. Meanwhile, babe ruth was closing in on the home run record. A chicago tribune noteworthy book a goodreads readers 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 book is filled with eccentric, flamboyant characters and memorable stories. A chicago tribune noteworthy book a goodreads readers choice.