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Made in America (Paperback)

by Bill Bryson (Author)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

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Product details

Paperback: 624 pages
Publisher: Black Swan; New edition edition (2 April 1998)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0552998052
ISBN-13: 978-0552998055
Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 3.2 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 8,700 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#26 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > United States > Regions

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Bill Bryson's "Informal History of the English Language in the United States" is, in a word, fascinating. After reading this tour de force, it's clear that a nation's language speaks volumes about its true character: you are what you speak. Bryson traces America's history through the language of the time, then goes on to discuss words culled from everyday activities: immigration, eating, shopping, advertising, going to the movies, and others.

Made in America will supply you with interesting facts and cocktail chatter for a year or more. Did you know, for example, that Teddy Roosevelt's "speak softly and carry a big stick" credo has its roots in a West African proverb? Or that actor Walter Matthau's given name is Walter Mattaschanskayasky? Or that the supposedly frigid Puritans--who called themselves "Saints," by the way--had something called a pre-contract, which was a license for premarital sex? Made in America is an excellent discussion of American English, but what makes the book such a treasure is that it offers much, much more.

Product Description

An entertaining, anecdotal look at the origins of language and ideas in the USA. Bryson explains why two bicycle repairmen from Ohio succeeded in mastering manned flight, why the assassination of President Garfield led to the invention of air conditioning, and many other improbable but true facts.

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	52% buy the item featured on this page: Made in America 4.1 out of 5 stars (18) �5.51
	14% buy The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America 3.8 out of 5 stars (82) �5.50
	14% buy Notes from a Big Country 4.5 out of 5 stars (91) �5.37
	12% buy Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe 4.3 out of 5 stars (72) �5.30

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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Offers a lot in a single book, 28 Jan 2004

By	Ned Lowe - See all my reviews

To be honest, I always associated Bill Bryson with light travel books, so I was pleasantly suprised to find his refreshing writing style applied to etymology; not always the easiest topic to entertain with!

Having said that, there is so much more than etymology. The anecdotes are amusing, and you will find yourself repeating them to everyone you know. The work that debunks urban myths is fascinating and, as is often the case, fact is stranger than fiction; some of the truths behind words and phrases are truly special.

The lists of when words were first used did not appeal to me personally, although I am perfectly willing to believe that there are people out there who would be interested, but they are fairly easy to skip.

The one thing I take away from this book more than anything else is respect for American English. As a young Englishman, I have been pre-conditioned into a certain disregard for 'Americanisms'. Yet after reading this book, you will see how useful many of these words are, and the ones we choose to attack are very limited. I think the book is worth reading for this information alone.

In conclusion, a good read that you can take your time over.

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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most read book on my bookshelf, 2 Aug 2002

By	"jamesoles" - See all my reviews

I read first read this book a few years ago but still find myself going back to it time and again. My copy is so well thumbed it is falling apart. Billed as a history of American English, this book is much more than that. It is one of those books which entertains and informs. I learned more about American history from this book than I did from a whole set of textbooks on the topic. I would recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone. It is his best book by far.

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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great!, 6 Jan 2003

By A Customer

I think I read too many English boarding-school books when I was a kid. At least I got a snobbish attitude about the superiority of British English over American English from somewhere.

This book was a revalation, it showed me that my snobbishness was just that, and without foundation. Things that I had firmly believed, like that 'trash' was an Americanism, were swept away (and now I think, what would it matter if it were?).

Made In America is full of fascinating detail. I couldn't stop myself from reading passage after passage out loud, and I've bought copies for gifts. Anyone with an interest in language, history, or culture would get a kick out of this book.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Entertaining
With this book, Bill Bryson does for language what he did for science in A SHort History Of Everything. Read more

Published 17 months ago by GeeJayBee

4.0 out of 5 stars One of his best
Probably one of my favourite Bryson books. Apart from the humour this book provides an excellent history of American culture and the derivation of many of the US phrases and... Read more

Published on 7 Sep 2007 by Mark Mcclelland

4.0 out of 5 stars Bryson comes out a winner
The United States of America is the most powerful nation on earth - some would argue too powerful. But it hasn't always been this way. Read more

Published on 9 Jul 2007 by A. P. Swift

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
This is quite an engaging read. Approaching primarily it because of my interest in language and also in American culture, I was not disappointed by this work which offers the... Read more

Published on 23 Sep 2004 by Mr. Daniel Miller

4.0 out of 5 stars History of American language
Made in America was the first of Bills non-travel books that I read. In this book Bryson traces the history of the American language and how modern U. Read more

Published on 20 Jun 2003 by Ben Groves

5.0 out of 5 stars One of his best
I've read all Bill Bryson's books and this is one of my favourites. This book is so interesting!It's amazing that he has managed to fit so much about such a huge and diverse... Read more

Published on 22 Oct 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars The History Of America In One Easy-To-Read Book
I bought this booked and have learned more about the history of America than I ever have done before. Read more

Published on 22 Sep 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars Humour and history mixed in the way only Bryson can
Fascinating, full of detail - this time with Bryson it's not just wit, but lots of information with a wry aside occasionally thrown in to make you laugh out loud. Read more

Published on 4 Jul 2001

3.0 out of 5 stars America Rules The World?
An extremely good and satisfying book for anyone interested in language and specifically a good dose of American history. Read more

Published on 11 May 2001

3.0 out of 5 stars Good,if a little heavy going in parts
I found the early parts to this book to be very interesting (never being particularly well read in US history). Read more

Published on 25 Oct 2000 by john@jfairclough.freeserve.co.uk

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