
One Summer
America, 1927
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Narrated by:
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Bill Bryson
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By:
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Bill Bryson
About this listen
Audie Award Finalist, History, 2014
One of the most admired nonfiction writers of our time retells the story of one truly fabulous year in the life of his native country - a fascinating and gripping narrative featuring such outsized American heroes as Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, and yes Herbert Hoover, and a gallery of criminals (Al Capone), eccentrics (Shipwreck Kelly), and close-mouthed politicians (Calvin Coolidge). It was the year Americans attempted and accomplished outsized things and came of age in a big, brawling manner. What a country. What a summer. And what a writer to bring it all so vividly alive for us in this certain best-seller.
©2013 Bill Bryson (P)2013 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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- By Larry on 06-09-03
By: Bill Bryson
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The Road to Little Dribbling
- Adventures of an American in Britain
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Nathan Osgood
- Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Twenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to discover and celebrate that green and pleasant land. The result was Notes from a Small Island, a true classic and one of the bestselling travel books ever written. Now he has traveled about Britain again, by bus and train and rental car and on foot, to see what has changed—and what hasn’t.
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No Bryson?? Alas, another disappointed fan
- By Rick on 01-25-16
By: Bill Bryson
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Neither Here Nor There
- Travels in Europe
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Abridged
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You'll stop at Europe's most diverting and historic locales and view the Old World through Bryson's tourist eye view in this affectionate, blisteringly insightful, and riotously funny pilgrimage from the frozen wastes of Scandinavia to the chaotic tumult of Istanbul.
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reader beware
- By Marina on 11-19-03
By: Bill Bryson
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A Walk in the Woods
- Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Rob McQuay
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America - majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaing guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way - and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).
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Informational
- By Amber C on 03-29-17
By: Bill Bryson
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The Body
- A Guide for Occupants
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body - how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail. Full of extraordinary facts (your body made a million red blood cells since you started reading this) and irresistible Bryson-esque anecdotes, The Body will lead you to a deeper understanding of the miracle that is life in general and you in particular. As Bill Bryson writes, "We pass our existence within this wobble of flesh and yet take it almost entirely for granted."
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Must Read for the Sheer Fun of It
- By J.B. on 10-16-19
By: Bill Bryson
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Neither Here nor There
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In Neither Here nor There Bill Bryson brings his unique brand of humour to bear on Europe as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet, and journeys from Hammerfest, the northernmost town on the continent, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia.
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Authentic Bryson, but that might be the problem
- By M. Craft on 08-12-14
By: Bill Bryson
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A Short History of Nearly Everything
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Richard Matthews
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Bill Bryson has been an enormously popular author both for his travel books and for his books on the English language. Now, this beloved comic genius turns his attention to science. Although he doesn't know anything about the subject (at first), he is eager to learn, and takes information that he gets from the world's leading experts and explains it to us in a way that makes it exciting and relevant.
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The Only Book I reread imediatley after reading
- By Andrew on 11-09-09
By: Bill Bryson
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A Short History of Nearly Everything
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Abridged
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In A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson takes his ultimate journey - into the most intriguing and consequential questions that science seeks to answer. It's a dazzling quest, as this insatiably curious writer attempts to understand everything that has transpired from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization.
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This audio edition is abridged!
- By Brent Cochran on 08-04-03
By: Bill Bryson
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Sommer 1927
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Charles Rettinghaus
- Length: 20 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Es ist die Geschichte eines Sommers, und doch ist es so viel mehr. Das Jahr 1927 ist für Amerika entscheidend auf dem Weg zur Weltmacht. Es sind die goldenen Zwanziger: Der Aktienmarkt boomt, das Fernsehen wird erfunden, die Filme sind nicht mehr stumm, und verrückte Pläne entstehen, wie der, vier Köpfe in den völlig unzugänglichen Mount Rushmore zu meißeln. Es ist die Zeit, in der ein junger Flieger namens Charles Lindbergh Ruhm und Ehre erlangt, aber auch die des Al Capone und des größten Schulmassakers aller Zeiten.
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Spracken Nur Auf Deutsch!
- By Marty on 07-02-22
By: Bill Bryson
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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
- Original Recording
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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.
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Another great Bryson
- By Dirk P. on 05-08-23
By: Bill Bryson
What listeners say about One Summer
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- DawgBüs
- 06-18-20
I wonder how he arrived at 1927...
I really loved this book! I have to wonder though, did he coincidentally hear several amazing stories that took place in '27 or what made him arrive at this year, specifically? Either way, I was shocked that so much happened during this time and Bryson painted a wonderful image of just what the time was like.
For newcomers to Bryson's work, I'd recommend "The Life & Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a memoir," which takes you on sn adventure of just what it was like to grow up in the 1950's!
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- Sally
- 02-24-19
Bryson at his best
Bill Bryson is one of the best storytellers out there, and this book is exceptional. The summer of 1927 comes to life with his amazing attention to detail and ability to pull sometimes obscure facts from the past and breathe into them new life, as part of the greater narrative of the story.
I will undoubtedly listen to this book again.
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- txkimmers
- 11-15-13
A delight, as always
Bryson never fails to please me, I loved this as I have loved all of his works. It put me in the mood to go back and have a nice re-listen to all of his stuff.
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- The Frog
- 04-27-16
A Year of Amazing History
I love history, and this was a great book. Bill has a strange cadence while reading, but I got used to it. Worth a listen.
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- Daniel Piscopo
- 02-12-14
Wow
25% through and I resolved to listen to it again. A very entertaining read of one summer and it contains so many facets: aviation, world politics and finance, boxing, baseball, tennis. And that's in the first half. Even if you know American history you may not know that people died during Prohibition because liquor was suddenly unregulated and bootleggers sometimes put poison in the booze. On a separate topic the King of England was fascinated by how Lindbergh managed emptying his bladder on his historic flight. It reads like a story you want to take to bed after a hard day.
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- Joshua I France
- 10-05-18
Summary of the 20s
The narrative style of Bill’s writing makes for a great read or listen. He connects events and people that really helps the reader grabs details in memorable ways.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-02-18
Simply fantastic
Bill Bryson is simply a magnificent storyteller. He brings the summer of 1927 to life by filling out the characters who dominated it as full people. If you don’t consider yourself a history buff but love good stories and interesting people, this book is for you. An absolute joy.
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- Francis G.
- 10-19-18
Fun and interesting.
I love how Bryson pronounces things. Great listen and learned a lot. I'm glad the author narrates his own books. Spot on.
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- Frank Donnelly
- 11-21-19
Excellent, Educational and Entertaining, Narrated by Author
I completely enjoyed this work. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author, while reading simultaneously on Kindle. Mister Bryson is an excellent narrator of his own work. Although non fiction, there is a comedic touch to the work. The reason the book is slightly lengthy for documenting one summer, is that there is numerous relevant digressions. The book was a fun interesting reading experience. Thank You...
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- Аmazon Customer
- 12-06-13
Very interesting information
Outstanding. Bill kept me interested throughout with his wit and unique information, most of which I did not know. There is so much about the 20's that I had heard about, but really knew very little about. I really appreciate the opportunity to hear Bill tell me more about that era.
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