Notes From a Small Island: Bill Bryson

In 1995, before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire to move back to the States for a few years with his family, Bill Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home. His aim was to take stock of the nation`s public face and private parts (as it were), and to analyse what precisely it was he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite; a military hero whose dying wish was to be kissed by a fellow named Hardy; place names like Farleigh Wallop, Titsey and Shellow Bowells; people who said `Mustn`t grumble`, and `Ooh lovely` at the sight of a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits; and Gardeners` Question Time. Notes from a Small Island was a huge number-one bestseller when it was first published, and has become the nation`s most loved book about Britain, going on to sell over two million copies.