I
could have started this review by writing “Bill Bryson’s done it again. Go
to Bookazine and buy this book. B. 468 for over 600 pages. Bargain of the
year!” However, the editor expects me to write over 500 words, so I shall
continue. But if you get bored with my prose, just go to Bookazine and buy
it. You will not regret it.
One Summer America 1927 (ISBN 978-0-552-77940-1, Black Swan, 2014) has
Bryson researching the events of that era in America, which was not the most
powerful country in the world in those days.
This book has history by the gonads, and dealt out in a manner that only
Bryson can. For example, did you know that America did not have tabloid
newspaper before 1920, but by 1922 a tabloid had the largest circulation of
all. When there were regular passenger flights in Europe between capitals,
America was still in the barnstorming days with pilots left over from WW1.
Bryson has the ability to lead the reader quite astray, then return to fact,
turning everything upside down that he had written before. He describes
Charles Lindbergh’ scholastic achievements as “attended 11 different schools
before graduating from high school, and distinguished himself at each by his
mediocrity.”
I have enjoyed every one of Bryson’s books I have read so far, so it was
time to really look at his style of writing and his subject matter to try
and work out why he, as an author, is just so popular.
The first that comes to mind is his very detailed examination of his
subjects. The early 1920’s are almost 100 years ago, but Bryson has
obviously spent much time with dusty tomes in even dustier libraries to give
his readers an accurate picture of some of the great characters in that time
frame, such as Lindbergh, President Coolidge, Babe Ruth, Henry Ford and
more.
His books cover Travel, Language, Science, Biography, History and Memoirs.
20 books written in a span of 20 years.
He writes in a narrative style, interspersed with wit, including much
sarcasm, satire and irony. He provides an immediacy between himself and the
readership to allow a greater enjoyment of the facts in his books. Almost a
wink-wink, nudge-nudge revelation for the reader’s ears only.
In one chapter he looks at America’s social engineering attempt, called the
Prohibition, in which poisons were added to industrial alcohol to stop the
citizens drinking it, but killed them instead. This was why Al Capone did so
well, he didn’t kill his customers.
At B. 468 for over 600 pages with small font (I would prefer larger font,
Black Swan), this is a book which will take you more than one weekend to get
through, and at the end you will be sorry you have finished it, being just
so enjoyable. It is no small wonder that Bryson has received so many awards
and honorary degrees from prestigious universities and even the keys to the
city of Des Moines (USA) where he was born, and featured in his book The
Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.
