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Made In America [Paperback]

Bill Bryson
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Book Description

2 April 1998

Bill Bryson turns away from the highways and byways of middle America, so hilariously depicted in his bestselling The Lost Continent, for a fast, exhilarating ride along the Route 66 of American language and popular culture.

In Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land - explaining how a dusty desert hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how Americans were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up - as well as exposing the true origins of the G-string, the original $64,000 question and Dr Kellogg of cornflakes fame.

Buy this book at once and have a nice day!


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Product details

  • Paperback: 493 pages
  • Publisher: Black Swan; New Ed edition (2 April 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0552998052
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552998055
  • Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 3.1 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 23,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Amazon 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.

Review

A tremendously sassy work, full of zip, pizzazz and all those other great American qualities (Will Self Independent on Sunday )

Immensely entertaining... a sharp eye for odd facts and amusing anecdotes (Michael Sheldon Daily Telegraph )

The book is a triumph. Bryson carries it off by his joie de vivre, his unadorned prose and the sheer width of his snooping beneath the skin of the American dream (Literary Review )

Funny, wise, learned and compulsive (GQ )

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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First Sentence
The image of the spiritual founding of America that generations of Americans have grown up with was created, oddly enough, by a poet of limited talents (to put it in the most magnanimous possible way) who lived two centuries after the event in a country three thousand miles away. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars More nuggets than a gold rush 14 Jan 2001
By A Customer
Format:Audio Cassette
A very impressively researched and entertaining book. It sets out as an exploration of what happened to the English language when it got to North America, and achieves this goal admirably. However, it also provides a wealth of insights into the growth phases and catalysts which caused the US economy to grow to the super power it is today. This aspect of the book provides (perhaps unwittingly) many valuable historical perspectives on recent internet- driven developments - and how they may pan out. I read 'Mother Tongue' first. 'Made in America' is a perfect follow up.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Offers a lot in a single book 28 Jan 2004
Format:Paperback
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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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect mixture of words and wisdom! 26 Mar 2001
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
As an American having spent years in both England and Ireland, I thoroughly enjoyed this book exploring the American usage of the English language. Bryson, as only he can, relates many of the untold stories of the founding of the United States and how as a society we morphed the language to fit our ever-changing needs. He takes us on a journey through the events that enlivened and matured our language into what it is today.

Interesting, light-hearted yet immensely learned- it is the type of book you'll be referencing and discussing at dinner parties for years to come. Brilliantly written to appeal to readers on both sides of the pond.

While different from the travel books that Bryson is so famous for, this new genre of writing is no less wonderful.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
So many interesting facts, stories and events. Loved it. I need to read more of Mr Bryson's work as this was brilliant.
Published 11 days ago by Top
5.0 out of 5 stars good indepth book on life in the US
I'm travelling in the US this year and Bill Bryson always gives a humourous story of places to visit and how to understand all differences in our cultures.
Published 27 days ago by Barbara Mountjoy
2.0 out of 5 stars Very dull for long stretches
I like Bryson's travelogues like 'Notes from a small island' and 'Neither here nor there'. However this is completely different, being for the most part a history of the evolution... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Terrahurtz
5.0 out of 5 stars FAB !
arrived in a good condition and time, is a great read, not read any of his before and really enjoyed it have read a few more of his since
Published 2 months ago by A. Irwin
3.0 out of 5 stars Heavy going - a little like a History...
Heavy going - a little like a History... one of those books you pick up and put down around other books
Published 3 months ago by Andy
5.0 out of 5 stars christmas present
This was on my daughters christmas list and after checking other sites this was the best offer I could find on line.
Published 4 months ago by tina kirby
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb history of the US and its language
This is another superb book by Bill Bryson, who goes into great, well-researched detail about the development of the United States as a nation, with a particular emphasis on the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by The Dog
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolute quality - so good I bought it twice!
I love this book! I have owned a copy for several years and just bought another one which wasn't as dog-eared. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Top Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!
If you like Bryson, and particularly if you like 'A Short History Of Nearly Everything' or 'At Home', then this is a book you're bound to enjoy. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. M. E. Merritt
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading
This starts off as mainly a book about the development of the English language and the first couple of chapters do not disappoint. He is clearly an expert in his field. Read more
Published 10 months ago by S. Coleman
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