Made in America

I read as far as the first chapter, then threw the book away. That chapter, which dealt with the "settlement of America by the Pilgrims" (ever hear of Jamestown???) was so full of historical inaccuracies I couldn't believe it. Chronology was way off, especially as it related to Bartholomew Goswald's brief settlement on Cuttyhunk, and Roger Williams in Connecticut (try Rhode Island), to note just two. Considering the author's failure to fact-check his historical sources, I have zero confidence that anything else he writes can be trusted to be factual. Given that lack of confidence, the book was a waste of money. Don't waste yours.

Somehow, I missed this book, even after discovering Bill Bryson and reading all of his other works. I'm very glad I eventually found it, because it's wonderful. The title is a little bit misleading, because it's really only partly about the English language. It's mostly about fascinating, usually funny, historical anecdotes, with just a dash of English language thrown in. There are several points in the book where you're just reading about history for page after page -- written in the classic Bill Bryson style, so much less dull than it would otherwise be -- with seemingly no connection to language. Then after three or four pages, he makes the connection to a single word. And then he dashes off to another series of historical events.I'd say this is a can't-miss for any Bryson fans, and a great place to start if you're interested in the author but have not experienced his writing yet.

I enjoyed this book but it was not my favorite Bill Bryson book. It's interesting and has a lot of trivia about the U.S. and how language in this country evolved but, IMO, was kind of dry. I have read quite a few of Bryson's books and most have been very engaging but, for some reason, this one was not.I have heard that there is some incorrect information in this book. I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on that, however, normally it's not even the content of a Bryson book that makes it interesting, it's his writing style. You start reading and next thing you know you are on some great journey with an old friend. For whatever the reason, this book seemed to lack that specialness which makes him such a great writer.

Bill Bryson's "...History of the English Language in the United States" is classic Bryson: Fascinating, Scholarly, Caustic, Funny and Quixotic While the book certainly contains an etymology of many words; I also found it to be a serious (funny) investigation of some odd byways of USA history. As my long suffering wife will attest, it's one of those rare books where I simply HAD TO break away from the book to tell someone the fascinating thing I just read.If you're unfamiliar with Bryson, '...Informal History..." would be a good place to become addicted to this extraordinary author.

Bryson is amazing. Of course, he writes well. Of course, he chooses interesting topics. What is not "of course" is how much he packs into so few words. Every sentence is worth reading, and when I am through with an article or section, I know that it is worth rereading. Since I find this quality in about 1 out every 20 books i read, he is one of the few authors I intend to collect fully and read repeatedly.

I am a huge Bill Bryson fan and an English teacher, so I pre-ordered the book and wasn't disappointed. It does include a lot of American history, most of which I already knew, but it includes lots of captivating anecdotes so it doesn't feel like a history book. Some of the expressions I wasn't familiar with, but it's always fun to learn more. Well worth the read

Informative and interesting, often amusing. Gives historical background for how certain words and phrases were used, how they’ve remained in use, or why they’ve fallen out of usage. Explanation of history tended at times to go on too long at the expense of the actual meaning of a word or phrase. Still a very interesting read.

I usually like Bryson's writing, but this one is what I would call contrarian. In 99% of his examples, he tells us in no uncertain terms and with almost palpable glee that the invention or custom or saying was NOT made or did NOT start in America. I don't know what the point is in writing a book like this. It certainly was not an entertaining read.

I had a shock when the ooh arrived.....the size of it !I enjoyed reading it but found it difficult to hold when relaxing... I must say Bill Bryson has immense knowledge and can impart it well... I had hoped to find a little more about the way Americanisms are creeping into the English language (Which I deplore.

I am a great fan of Bill Bryson so it is maybe unfair for me to comment. But - I think I have every book he has written and this is the latest. He is generally known for his acute sense of humour and sharp observation, so this book is a bit of a surprise. One is suddenly aware of his wide interests and deep research that he has put into this book on the development of the American English language. Quite fascinating.

I felt the final chapter let this down, being a summary of how the education system in America isn't all that bad. Since it was written a decade ago now, there's definitely a new edition to be made about the neologisms that have erupted in the new digital age. Bryson occasionally fails to find the etymological roots of words ( eg political correctness) but other than these tiny caveats this is a bloody brilliant gripping read. From the wright bros to Piggly Wiggly, Kellogg's to Macy's, its an absolute treasure of man stuff. This has provided me with hours of useful/ useless dinner party trivia to bore with: and not only that, I will also be able to Annoy my students too. I love the way he takes apart every myth concerning the founding fathers and exposes the slaughter of the indigenous population. Top, top stuff.

This is both an account of American English (which is what I got the book for) and American history. Difficult to say which predominates. It's not written in as much of a wry style as many of Bryson's books so I found it a little dry. Not Bryson's best work in my view, but a scholarly account nevertheless. I remain a fan of Bill Bryson, this is the only book (so far) I haven't fully enjoyed.

I was expecting a deep dive into the American language and traditions, much along the lines of Melvyn Bragg's Adventure of English, but this is so much more. I don't (yet) know too much about American history, so some of the myths Bryson blows up weren't too familiar to me, but a lot of it blew my mind is a sort of 'but... hey!' kind of way. A huge selection of themes and a sweeping timeline means that this will be difficult to beat for book of the year, already!