The Bill Bryson BBC Radio Collection

Divided by a Common Language, Journeys in English and More

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Bill Bryson

Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

An anthology of BBC Radio documentaries featuring the bestselling author

Bill Bryson is the world's funniest travel writer, and a master of comic observation. His hugely popular books, spanning topics from linguistics to Shakespeare to the human body, have sold over 16 million copies and been translated into 30 languages, and his 2003 science book A Short History of Nearly Everything won the prestigious Aventis and Descartes prizes.

This sparkling collection features seven BBC Radio programmes that collectively illuminate his personal passions. In The Art of Travel, he talks to Annette Kobak about his memorable journeys around the USA; while in the 6-part series Divided by a Common Language, he scours American history in an attempt to find out why Americans talk and behave differently from British people. Journeys in English, based on his acclaimed book Mother Tongue, sees him romping through the history of Britain in six episodes, to reveal how English became the complex yet world-beating language it is today.

Ramblings: Windsor Great Park finds Bill heading out across the royal park in the company of Clare Balding, as he discusses his love for walking and exploring. As a castaway on Desert Island Discs, he shares the soundtrack of his life with Sue Lawley; and in With Great Pleasure, he selects some of his favourite writing, including Evelyn Waugh's Scoop, a Hardy Boys classic and Three Men in a Boat. Finally, in Bookclub, he chats to James Naughtie and an audience of readers about A Short History of Nearly Everything.

Contents

The Art of Travel: Bill Bryson

Divided by a Common Language

Journeys in English

Ramblings: Windsor Great Park with Bill Bryson

Desert Island Discs: Bill Bryson

With Great Pleasure: Bill Bryson

Bookclub: Bill Bryson

Production credits

The Art of Travel: Bill Bryson

Presented by Annette Kobak

Produced by Kate McAII

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 January 1991

Divided by a Common Language

Presented by Bill Bryson

Produced by Brian King

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 July-2 September 1995

Journeys in English

Written and presented by Bill Bryson

Produced by Brian King

First broadcast as Mother Tongue on BBC Radio 4, 13 December 1997-17 January 1998

Ramblings: Windsor Great Park with Bill Bryson

Presented by Clare Balding

Produced by Lucy Lunt

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 September 2015

Desert Island Discs: Bill Bryson

Presented by Sue Lawley

Produced by Angie Nehring

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 January 1999

With Great Pleasure: Bill Bryson

Readers: Kerry Shale and Bill Wallis

Produced by Mary Ward-Lowery

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 September 1999

Bookclub: Bill Bryson

Presented by James Naughtie

Produced by Dymphna Flynn

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 February 2005

©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Critic reviews

"There's no writer like him." (The Guardian)

Notes from a clever, whitty man

An excellent canter through works, musings and conversations with Bill Bryson. As always, BBC production quality shines through, and I was treated to a collection of recordings crossing many different sources, but that were all very well done. A most enjoyable audio book.

Bill Bryson programs on the BBC

I am a committed Bryson fan so I enjoyed these programs! However, only one of them was fairly recent. The rest were 20-30 years old! He has written some very good books in recent years, long after these programs aired. My takeaway was hearing how modest a person he is, which I assume remains true.

Another great Bryson

Bryson is a national treasure to two countries. “A Walk in the woods” hooked me in and he has been reeling me in ever since. Every book is smart, clever and entertaining.
This audio reminds me of the late great Douglas Adams recordings (Bryson need not pass), fun to have a listen on the genius of the best writers, possibly thinkers in the world.

Always incredible!

I absolutely love everything by Bill Bryson! It is especially fun to hear him in an interview setting like this.

One of Bill's worst

I have read most all his books and love him. this is a poor book. so many interviews in it sound terrible. you have to strain to hear them. More political than most of his books. Towards the end I found myself skipping to the next chapter because it was boring me. Read a Bryson book, just NOT this one.