BILL BRYSON's bestselling books include A Walk in the Woods, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, In a Sunburned Country, A Short History of Nearly Everything (which earned him the 2004 Aventis Prize), The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and At Home. He lives in England with his wife.
"Bryson writes in a style as effervescent as the time itself... A
wonderful romp."
—The New York Times
"...A skillful lesson on the dynamics and personalities that shaped
today's America and on how far the country has evolved from a gaudy
era fondly but imperfectly recalled."
—Wall Street Journal
"There are two kinds of readers: those who love Bill Bryson and
those who haven't met him yet... Colorful, rollicking and sweet,
this is Bryson being Bryson. Which is to say: marvelous."
—People
"A glorious look at one summer in America...Bryson offers delicious
detail and breathtaking suspense about events whose outcomes are
already known."
—Booklist, Starred Review
"This splendid book, written in the breezy and humorous style that
has come to be Bryson's trademark, is sure to delight readers
steeped in the history of the period as well as those looking to
acquaint themselves with it for the first time."
—The Associated Press
“Bryson will set you right in this canter through one summer of one
year that—once you’ve turned the final page—will seem more critical
to American history than you might have reckoned before… [He] is a
master of the sidelong, a man who can turn obscurity into hilarity
with seemingly effortless charm—and One Summer is an
entertaining addition to a body of work that is at its best when it
celebrates the unexpected and the obscure… This is a jolly jalopy
ride of a book; Bryson runs down the byways of American history and
finds diversion in every roadside stop.”
—Financial Times
"...Bryson himself is captivated by the events of summer, 1927. And
why not? They included Charles Lindbergh's solo flight over the
Atlantic, Sacco and Vanzetti's execution, Gutzon Borglum's start on
the sculpting of Mt. Rushmore, the Dempsey-Carpentier fight, and
Babe Ruth's 60 home runs—all of which Bryson covers in
characteristically sparkling prose."
—Publishers Weekly
"As a historian, Bryson is the antithesis of stuffy. He's a
storyteller, pure and simple, and One Summer is a collection of a
great many tales about people and events, centered on (but not
limited to) a single season in a single year... Bryson could have
written a book just as interesting about the summer of 1949 or
1913. That's because his subject isn't really a year. It's human
nature in all its odd and amazing array."
—Chicago Tribune
"The book's strength is in showing the overlap of significant
events and the interaction of personalities."
—Library Journal
"What comes across clearest in Bryson’s lucid, lighthearted
narrative is the pure energy and crazed optimism of the era. Sure,
the rollicking party would end, but it was fun while it lasted—as
is Bryson’s One Summer.”
—Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"...One Summer wins you over by the sheer weigh tof its
encyclopedic enthusiasms."
—The Telegraph
"Bryson is a marvelous historian, not only exhaustively accurate,
but highly entertaining. If you avoid textbook histories because
they seem too dry, pick up One Summer, or any other of Mr. Bryson's
books. They are intelligent delights."
—Liz Smith, The Huffington Post
"Highly recommend One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill
Bryson—interesting, entertaining visit to an incredible year."
—John McCain
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