PM in conversation with Bill Bryson", number10.gov.uk, UK Prime Minister's Office (published 30 November 2006), 29 November 2006, archived from the original on 27 October 2007 , retrieved 10 April 2009 There are heaps of information about the geology, the animal life, the plants and insects, the history, the statistics, the folklore, etc., etc. AND the many dangers: taipan snakes, funnel web spiders, box-jellyfish, crocs, sharks, and rip currents - they're all out to get you. The inhospitable deserts, the beautiful beaches, the huge distances; Bill Bryson gives you a feeling of what it's all like, and he's SPOT ON. That is of course the thing about Australia- that there is such a lot to find in it, but such a lot of it to find it in." William McGuire Bryson OBE HonFRS ( / ˈ b r aɪ s ən/; born 8 December 1951) is an American–British journalist and author. Bryson has written a number of nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Born in the United States, he has been a resident of Britain for most of his adult life, returning to the U.S. between 1995 and 2003, and holds dual American and British citizenship. He served as the chancellor of Durham University from 2005 to 2011. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Kilen, Mike (1 September 2015). "The real life of Bill Bryson's 'Stephen Katz' ". The Des Moines Register; USA Today. On 22 November 2012, Durham University officially renamed the Main Library the Bill Bryson Library for his contributions as the university's 11th chancellor (2005–2011). [40] [41] The library also has a cafe named after Bryson's book Notes from a Small Island. [42] Lovely little adventure a la Bill Bryson No one knows, incidentally, why Australia's spiders are so extravagantly toxic; capturing small insects and injecting them with enough poison to drop a horse would appear to be the most literal case of overkill. Still, it does mean that everyone gives them lots of space. What an absolutely stunning endorsement. As with his other traveling books, Bill Bryson hip hops his way across a country - visiting monuments and interviewing natives.His trademark commentary on each place he visits is delightful.Particularly enjoyed his humorous description of Canberra,the capital,where I lived. We meet quirky characters and Australian wildlife galore - from the poisonous snakes to the brutal kookaburra Incidentally, did you know that the kookaburra likes to bash its prey until their bones have been pulverized? Apparently its easier to digest that way...lovely... The book covers Australia's history, natural wonders and weather patterns, a whole host of deadly critters found nowhere else in the world, some really bizarre people both past and present, and his own hilarious and harrowing experiences Down Under. All explored and recorded with a childlike sense of wonder and a funny man's sense of the absurd. Bryson was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, the son of Bill Bryson Sr., a sports journalist who worked for 50 years at the Des Moines Register, and Agnes Mary (née McGuire), the home furnishings editor at the same newspaper. [8] [9] His mother was of Irish descent. [10] He had an older brother, Michael (1942–2012), and a sister, Mary Jane Elizabeth. In 2006, Bryson published The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, a humorous account of his childhood years in Des Moines. [9] In 2006 Frank Cownie, the mayor of Des Moines, awarded Bryson the key to the city and announced that 21 October 2006 would be "Bill Bryson, The Thunderbolt Kid, Day." [11] In 2012, he received the Kenneth B. Myer Award, from the Florey Institute of Neuroscience, in Melbourne, Australia. [ citation needed]

Bryson also wrote two popular works on the history of the English language, The Mother Tongue and Made in America—and, more recently, an update of his guide to usage, Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words (first published as The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words in 1983).While many white Australians are preternaturally friendly the country still shits on the Aborigines. Bryson was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2013, [43] becoming the first non-Briton to receive this honour. [44] [45] His biography at the Society reads: In 2003, in conjunction with World Book Day, British voters chose Bryson's book Notes from a Small Island as that which best summed up British identity and the state of the nation. [22] Also in 2003, he was appointed a Commissioner for English Heritage.

a b "Bill Bryson visits his utopia". The Independent. 7 May 2002. Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. a b Crace, John (15 November 2005). "Bill Bryson: The accidental chancellor". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 10 February 2008 . Retrieved 26 April 2010. He worked as a journalist, first for the Bournemouth Evening Echo, eventually becoming chief copy editor of the business section of The Times and deputy national news editor of the business section of The Independent.a b c "Writer Bill Bryson remembers his Iowa roots". Ames Tribune. Gannett Co. 28 October 2013 . Retrieved 31 January 2020. Another close encounter was with a bluebottle His respect and awe for the Aborigines, who are likely to have come to Australia about 60,000 years ago. Their amazing capacity for survival in difficult environments. His disbelief in the way they were treated in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (they were often hunted down and shot, like animals), and his concern for their well-being today.

University of Winchester honours prominent figures at Graduation 2016". Archived from the original on 4 January 2017 . Retrieved 3 January 2017. The Main Library is being renamed 'The Bill Bryson Library'!". Durham University. 25 September 2012 . Retrieved 27 November 2012.Mr Bill Bryson OBE HonFRS Honorary Fellow". London: Royal Society. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. biographical text reproduced here was originally published by the Royal Society under a creative commons license Bill Bryson". Durham University. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010 . Retrieved 29 July 2010. Australia is an even more interesting place than I thought. Let Bill Bryson give you an entertaining and educational tour. He researched many books and questioned many people in preparation for his visits to Australia.