49-555: William McGuire Bryson ( / ˈ b r aɪ s ən / BRYE -sən ; 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
98-561: A column for a British newspaper for several years, reflecting on humorous aspects of his repatriation in the United States. These columns were selected and adapted to become his book I'm a Stranger Here Myself , alternatively titled Notes from a Big Country in Britain, Canada, and Australia. During his time in the U.S., Bryson decided to walk parts of the Appalachian Trail with his friend Stephen Katz (a pseudonym), about which he wrote
147-434: A Commissioner for English Heritage . His popular science book, the 500-page A Short History of Nearly Everything , explores not only the histories and current statuses of the sciences, but also their humble and often humorous beginnings. Although one "top scientist" is alleged to have jokingly described the book as "annoyingly free of mistakes", Bryson himself makes no such claim, and a list of some of its reported errors
196-619: A cafe named after Bryson's book Notes from a Small Island . Bryson was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2013 , becoming the first non-Briton to receive this honour. His biography at the Society reads: Bill Bryson is a popular author who is driven by a deep curiosity for the world we live in. Bill's books and lectures demonstrate an abiding love for science and an appreciation for its social importance. His international bestseller, A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003),
245-510: A citizenship test, declaring himself "too cowardly" to take it. However, in 2014, he said that he was preparing to take it and in the prologue to his 2015 book The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island he describes doing so, in Eastleigh . His citizenship ceremony took place in Winchester and he now holds dual citizenship . While living in the U.S. in the 1990s, Bryson wrote
294-622: A half centuries entitled Seeing Further . He was made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contribution to literature on 13 December 2006. In 2007, he was awarded the James Joyce Award by the Literary and Historical Society of University College Dublin . After he received British citizenship, his OBE was made substantive. In May 2007, he became the president of
343-511: A high school friend, Matt Angerer (the pseudonymous Stephen Katz). Bryson wrote about some of his experiences from the trip in his book Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe . Bryson first visited Great Britain in 1973 during his tour of Europe and decided to stay after securing a job working in a psychiatric hospital, the now-defunct Holloway Sanatorium in Virginia Water , Surrey. He met
392-517: A horse in Sheffield on 24 August 1891 at age twenty-seven. His interment was in West Brompton near the same plot as Surrounded. Fifty-nine-year-old Oglala Sioux, Long Wolf, died during the tour due to pneumonia on 13 June 1892. His interment was in West Brompton. Two months later, a two-year-old girl named White Star Ghost Dog died when she fell from her mother's arms during horseback. Her remains shared
441-468: A humorous account of his childhood years in Des Moines. 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." Bryson attended Drake University for two years before dropping out in 1972, deciding instead to backpack around Europe for four months. He returned to Europe the following year with
490-566: A mixed-raced heritage with parents both American, of German and English ancestry for her father and of African-American background for her mother. Their son, Archie , who was born in London on 6 May 2019, has had dual British and American citizenship since birth. Sheila Ferguson , a former member of The Three Degrees , was born in and grew up in Philadelphia and has permanently settled in England since
539-530: A nurse there, Cynthia Billen, whom he married in 1975. They moved to Bryson's hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, in 1975 so Bryson could complete his degree at Drake University. In 1977 they settled in Britain. 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 . The Brysons moved around
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#1732852430182588-502: A podcast, Bill Bryson's Appliance of Science , in 2017. In 2012, Bryson sued his agent, Jed Mattes Inc., in New York County Supreme Court , claiming it had "failed to perform some of the most fundamental duties of an agent". The case was settled out of court, with part of the settlement being that Bryson may not discuss it. In 2013, Bryson claimed copyright on an interview he had given nearly 20 years previously, after
637-655: A skirmish in 1586. He had his baptism at Saint Mary the Virgin's Church in March 1588. He died from influenza in Grenville's house on 2 April 1589. His interment was at that same church five days later. Raleigh was the first Native American to have a Christian conversion and an English resting place. Chief Powhatan 's daughter, Pocahontas spent some of her life in London two years after she married English colonist John Rolfe . At age twenty-one, Pocahontas died due to an unknown disease. She
686-664: A vessel, whether slave, indentured servant, or free, was recorded, along with the details of enslavement, escape, and military service, in a document called the Book of Negroes . Between 400 and 1,000 African Americans emigrated to London and were later given the title of Black Loyalist for their service in the British Armed forces and formed the core of the early Black British community. African-American guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix started to get his big break in London as part of his band The Jimi Hendrix Experience . He first entered
735-662: Is Wilnelia Merced , the widow of the late entertainer, Sir Bruce Forsyth . Martin Frobisher returned from a voyage to discover the Northwest Passage in 1576, bringing with him a native Inuit that he had seized. The man died days after reaching London and was buried in the churchyard at St. Olave's. Sir Richard Grenville captured the Roanoke Island Native American Raleigh (named for Sir Walter Raleigh ) and brought him to Bideford following
784-622: Is a US-born British actress of Jewish-Ukrainian ancestry, Louis Theroux is the son of American writer Paul Theroux , whilst Mika has a Lebanese mother and an American father born in Jerusalem. Boris Johnson , former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019-22, was born in New York City . Until 2016, he held dual citizenship of both the United States and the United Kingdom. He relinquished his US citizenship to prove his allegiance to
833-456: Is added or omitted within individual articles. This is freely acknowledged in the introduction. The book contains articles which Bryson wrote for the Mail between 1996 and 1998. He discusses a multitude of topics in the articles such as the death penalty , the war on drugs , gardening, commercials, book tours, inefficiency, Thanksgiving , and air travel. This article about a travel book
882-561: Is available online. In November 2006, Bryson interviewed then British prime minister Tony Blair on the state of science and education. 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). He also released
931-650: Is widely acclaimed for its accessible communication of science and has since been adapted for children. He is a Vice President of the National Churches Trust . In January 2007, Bryson was the Schwartz Visiting Fellow at the Pomfret School in Connecticut . Bryson has written the following books: American-British Americans in the United Kingdom or American Britons are emigrants from
980-643: The Campaign to Protect Rural England . His first focus in this role was the establishment of an anti-littering campaign across England. He discussed the future of the countryside with Richard Mabey , Sue Clifford , Nicholas Crane , and Richard Girling at CPRE's Volunteer Conference in November 2007. In 2011, Bryson won the Golden Eagle Award from the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild . In October 2010, it
1029-619: The Normandy invasion was launched. Troop numbers gradually came down after that. The 2001 UK Census recorded 158,434 people born in the United States. According to the 2011 UK Census , there were 173,470 US-born residents in England, 3,715 in Wales, 15,919 in Scotland , and 4,251 in Northern Ireland . The Office for National Statistics estimates that 197,000 US-born immigrants were resident in
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#17328524301821078-526: The United States who are residents or citizens of the United Kingdom . Between the late 19th century and World War II , many so called " dollar princesses " married British aristocrats. They were mostly the daughters of newly rich American men, who married the men with aristocratic titles to improve the social standing of their family in America. In return, these American heiress brought their wealth in
1127-610: The 1980s where she is still famous with her own solo career. Covert Affairs star Sendhil Ramamurthy resides in London, and is of Indian descent. English musician Dhani Harrison is the son of George Harrison of The Beatles and Mexican-American Olivia Trinidad Arias (who also now lives in the UK). In 2001 , 306 Puerto Rican-born people alone were residing in the United Kingdom (the nineteenth-most common birthplace amongst Latin American states). The most notable Puerto Rican-Briton
1176-518: The Bill Bryson Prize for Science Communication was established in 2005. The competition engages students from around the world in explaining science to non-experts. As part of its 350th anniversary celebrations in 2010 the Royal Society commissioned Bryson to edit a collection of essays by scientists and science writers about the history of science and the Royal Society over the previous three and
1225-572: The British immigration authorities to enable him to find work. Williams ended up as an elephant keeper at the Belle Vue Zoo . He died on 28 July 1929 from pneumonia at age fifty-two. His interment was in Gorton's cemetery. More recently, notable British people of Native American descent include actress Hayley Atwell , who has dual UK-US citizenship due to her part-Native American father. American schools in
1274-661: The British were known as Black Patriots (modern day African Americans in the US), but rather if they were fighting for the Crown or American Independence both were mostly doing it in return for promises of freedom from enslavement or indentured servitude. The British-American Commission identified the Black people who had joined the British before the surrender, and issued "certificates of freedom" signed by General Birch or General Musgrave. Those who chose to emigrate were evacuated by ship. The fallout of
1323-621: The Revolution resulted in an estimated 75,000 to 100,000 Black Americans scattering across the Atlantic world, profoundly affecting the development of Nova Scotia , the Bahamas , Jamaica , and the African nation of Sierra Leone as prominent leaders in the emerging freed black communities. To make sure no one attempted to leave who did not have a certificate of freedom, the name of any Black person on board
1372-625: The UK began as early as the late-eighteenth century after American slaves failed in their attempt to defend the British Crown in the American Revolution . The Revolution began in the thirteen American colonies and United States in the late-1770s. The British promised freedom to any slave or rebel who fought the Americans on their behalf. African Americans made up over 20% of the American population at
1421-564: The UK during World War II. Nancy Astor , Britain's second Member of Parliament , was born in Virginia and married into the wealthy Anglo-American Astor family . Henry James , considered one of the greatest novelists in the English language, was born to a Boston Brahmin family and moved to London in 1869. Aside from brief periods spent on the Continent and two short trips back to the US, James spent
1470-583: The UK in 2013. In a 2020 House of Commons research briefing on immigrants working in the National Health Service out of 1.28 million members of staff, 1,380 declared that they were American. The largest single local cluster of Americans in the UK recorded by the 2001 UK Census was in Mildenhall in North-West Suffolk —the site of RAF Mildenhall and nearby RAF Lakenheath . This is because of
1519-599: The UK on 24 September 1966 at London Airport (now Heathrow Airport ). The African-American singer Edwin Starr , moved to the UK in the 1970s, and lived there until his death in 2003. The British politician and former Labour MP Oona King , is the daughter of the African-American civil rights academic Preston King . Meghan Markle , the Duchess of Sussex since her marriage to Prince Harry , kept her American citizenship and has
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1568-689: The United Kingdom, living in Virginia Water (Surrey), Purewell (Dorset), Burton (Dorset), Kirkby Malham , and the Old Rectory in Wramplingham , Norfolk (2003–2013). They currently live in rural Hampshire and maintain a small flat in South Kensington, London. From 1995 to 2003 they lived in Hanover, New Hampshire . Although able to apply for British citizenship , Bryson said in 2010 that he had declined
1617-605: The United Kingdom. Andrew Tate is an American-British former professional kickboxer and social media influencer , was born in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. , then moved to United Kingdom . YouTuber Evan Edinger who does vlogs about the comparisons between the UK and the United States since moving to the UK in 2012, gained British citizenship in June 2021. African-American immigration to
1666-906: The United Kingdom: International School of Aberdeen was formerly the American School in Aberdeen. Notes from a Big Country Notes from a Big Country , or as it was released in the United States, I'm a Stranger Here Myself , is a collection of articles written by Bill Bryson for The Mail on Sunday ' s Night and Day supplement during the 1990s, published together first in Britain in 1998 and in paperback in 1999. The book discusses Bryson's views on relocating to Hanover, New Hampshire , after spending two decades in Britain. The American and British editions are not quite identical as, besides spelling differences, some explanatory information suitable for each intended audience
1715-447: The book A Walk in the Woods . In the 2015 film adaptation of A Walk in the Woods , Bryson is portrayed by Academy Award winner Robert Redford , and Katz by Nick Nolte . 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. Also in 2003, he was appointed
1764-616: The cause of the chemical sciences. In 2007, he won the Bradford Washburn Award, from the Museum of Science in Boston , for contributions to the popularization of science. In 2005, Bryson was appointed chancellor of Durham University , succeeding the late Sir Peter Ustinov . He had praised Durham as "a perfect little city" in Notes from a Small Island . With the Royal Society of Chemistry ,
1813-439: The chancellor of Durham University from 2005 to 2011. In 1995, while in the United Kingdom, Bryson authored Notes from a Small Island , an exploration of Britain. In 2003, he authored A Short History of Nearly Everything . In October 2020, he announced that he had retired from writing books. In 2022, he recorded an audiobook for Audible, The Secret History of Christmas . He has sold over 16 million books worldwide. Bryson
1862-603: The end of the Cold War, the highest proportion of Americans resident in the United Kingdom per head of population was centred on the Scottish seaside town of Dunoon , Argyll and Bute , the former site of the Holy Loch US Navy base. At its height in the early 1990s, around one quarter of Dunoon's population was American. In the 2000s, some Americans in the UK were older, ex-servicemen who returned to Britain after being based in
1911-610: The form of dowries to the homes of the British aristocracy. The trend only slowed when the women of newly rich families, who had been shunned by the American high society, began to be accepted by them. During the Second World War, the first influx of American troops arrived in Britain on January 26, 1942 in Belfast , Northern Ireland . More than 1,600,000 American servicemen and servicewomen were in Great Britain by June 6, 1944, when
1960-574: The interviewer republished it as an 8,000-word e-book. Amazon removed the e-book from publication. In 2004, he won the Aventis Prize for best general science book that year, with A Short History of Nearly Everything . In 2005, the book won the European Union's Descartes Prize for science communication. In 2005, he received the President's Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry for advancing
2009-450: The legacy of the Cold War and NATO cooperation. 17.28% of Mildenhall's population were born in the United States. In London, the majority of Americans are businesspeople and their families which ties in with the strong economic relations between the City of London and New York City or Washington, D.C. Chelsea (where 6.53% of residents were born in the US in 2001) and Kensington (5.81%) have large American communities. Prior to
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2058-439: The rest of his life in England. (See Lamb House ). He was naturalised as a British subject in the final year of his life. T. S. Eliot left his family home in St. Louis , Missouri , to go to Harvard , in New England. From there he moved to Europe and stayed in Germany and France. When World War I began, he moved to Oxford , United Kingdom. He gained British citizenship and joined the Church of England . Wallis Simpson
2107-565: The same grave as Long Wolf's remains. Long Wolf and White Star Ghost Dog's coffins were repatriated to the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1997. Two years later, Paul Eagle Star's coffin was repatriated to the Rosebud Indian Reservation . Tribal descendants include John Black Feather (Long Wolf's great-grandson), Moses Eagle Star and Lucy Eagle Star (Paul Eagle Star's two grandchildren). Blackfoot Sioux chief Charging Thunder came to Salford at age twenty-six as part of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in 1903. Like many Lakota tribesmen, Charging Thunder
2156-421: The time, which was the second-largest ethnic group in British North America only after the English and as many as 30,000 slaves escaped to British lines. The largest regiment was the Black Pioneers who followed troops under Sir General Henry Clinton . Working as soldiers, labourers, pilots, cooks, and musicians, they were a major part of the unsuccessful British war effort. African Americans who fought against
2205-457: Was an exceptional horseman and performed thrilling stunts in Buffalo Bill's show in front of huge crowds, on the site of what is now Lowry in Salford Quays. But when the show rolled out of town, he remained in the North West. He married Josephine, an American horse trainer who had just given birth to their first child, Bessie and together they settled in Darwen , before moving to Gorton . His name became George Edward Williams, after registering with
2254-411: Was announced that Bryson would step down as chancellor of Durham University at the end of 2011. In 2012, he received the Kenneth B. Myer Award, from the Florey Institute of Neuroscience , in Melbourne, Australia. 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). The library also has
2303-418: 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. His mother was of Irish descent. 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 ,
2352-540: Was buried at St George's Church in Gravesend afterwards. Her son Thomas Rolfe lived in England until the age of 20 before returning to Virginia. Lakota tribes arrived in England when they were part of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show . Surrounded By the Enemy, a twenty-two-year-old Oglala gun-slinging and horse-riding stuntman and a year old boy named Red Penny died during the tour in 1887. Their interments were at West Brompton 's cemetery . Brulé tribesman Paul Eagle Star died after breaking his ankle when he fell off
2401-431: Was the American-born wife of Anglo-American businessman Ernest Simpson before her marriage to the Duke of Windsor , formerly King Edward VIII . The latter famously abdicated in 1936, the same year he ascended the British throne; in order to marry her. Despite living primarily in France , she was buried next to her husband in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore , the first American to be interred there. Zoë Wanamaker
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