Notes from a Big Country

From perfectly formed potatoes to adulterous U.S. presidents, and from domestic upsets to millennial fever, Bill Bryson just cannot resist airing his opinions on his fellow Americans. After twenty years in England, Bryson is now back on the other side of the pond, and is obviously having a little trouble finding his true American self again.

With his trademark wit, Bryson bemusedly examines that strangest of phenomena: the American way of life. Whether he is discussing the dazzling efficiency of the garbage disposal unit, the comical sight of oneself in shorts, or the jaw-slackening direness of what's on TV, all topics receive the inimitable Bryson treatment.

This collection of comic pieces, taken from his regular column in The Mail on Sunday's Night and Day magazine, will delight Bryson's ever-growing legion of fans.

Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. He settled in England in 1977, and lived for many years with his English wife and four children in North Yorkshire. He recently moved back to the U.S., where he lives in New Hampshire.