Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson

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A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 (Science Books, #5) was the most recently released book by Bill Bryson, on May 6th, 2025.

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Bill Bryson Stats: The highest rated book by Bill Bryson on Book Notification is I'm a Stranger Here Myself / Notes from a Big Country, the 6th novel in the Bill Bryson Travel Books series. The second-highest rated book is A Short History of Nearly Everything (Bill Bryson Science Books #1).

The most read book by Bill Bryson on Book Notification is A Walk in the Woods, the 5th novel in the Bill Bryson Travel Books series. The second most read book is A Short History of Nearly Everything (Bill Bryson Science Books #1).

Below is a complete list of Bill Bryson books in publication and chronological order, broken down by series. The most popular series by Bill Bryson is the Bill Bryson Travel Books.

List of History Books in Publication Order

An exploration of history presented in simple terms that make complex topics direct and accessible.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
7.3
Icons of England
2008
Go
2
7.3
At Home: A Short History of Private Life
2010
Go
3
7.7
One Summer: America, 1927
2013
Go

List of Language Books in Publication Order

Explains history and changes of the English language, making it interesting and easy to understand.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
8
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words
1984
Go
2
7.1
The Mother Tongue
1990
Go
3
8.7
Made in America
1994
Go
4
6.3
Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors
2008
Go

List of Non-Fiction Books in Publication Order

Ranked by popularity, the top non-fiction books are The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir, Shakespeare, and The Secret History of Christmas.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
6
The Best American Travel Writing 2000
2000
Go
2
8
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir
2006
Go
3
6.7
Shakespeare
2007
Go
4
7
The Secret History of Christmas
2022
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List of Science Books in Publication Order

Offers science topics in a clear and engaging way, making complex ideas accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
8.5
A Short History of Nearly Everything
2003
Go
2
8.3
A Really Short History of Nearly Everything
2004
Go
3
8.7
Seeing Further
2010
Go
4
8.3
The Body
2019
Go
5
9.7
A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0
2025
Go

List of Travel Books in Publication Order (with Marina Warner, with Christopher Lloyd, with Jennifer Jenkins, with David Bellamy, with Robin Hanbury-Tenbison, with Anna Parord)

Funny and insightful stories about exploring different countries, ensuring readers laugh and learn along the way.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
8.7
The Palace Under the Alps
1985
Go
2
7.3
The Lost Continent
1989
Go
3
7.5
Neither Here nor There
1992
Go
4
7.8
Notes from a Small Island
1995
Go
5
8.2
A Walk in the Woods
1997
Go
6
8.8
I'm a Stranger Here Myself / Notes from a Big Country
1998
Go
7
10
The English Landscape: Its Character and Diversity (With: Marina Warner, Christopher Lloyd, Jennifer Jenkins, David Bellamy, Robin Hanbury-Tenbison, Anna Parord)
2000
Go
8
8.4
In a Sunburned Country / Down Under
2000
Go
9
8
Bill Bryson's African Diary
2002
Go
10
7.8
The Road to Little Dribbling
2015
Go

List of Short Story Collections in Publication Order

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
8.3
The Bill Bryson BBC Radio Collection
2023
Go

List of Eminent Lives Books in Publication Order

Ranked by popularity, the top Eminent Lives books are Shakespeare, Thomas Jefferson, and Beethoven.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time (By: Karen Armstrong)
1991
Go
2
Ulysses S. Grant: The Unlikely Hero (By: Michael Korda)
2004
Go
3
George Balanchine (By: Robert Gottlieb)
2004
Go
4
Beethoven (By: Edmund Morris)
2005
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5
6
Thomas Jefferson ( By: Christopher Hitchens)
2005
Go
6
Caravaggio ( By: Francine Prose)
2005
Go
7
Alexander the Great (By: Norman F. Cantor)
2005
Go
8
Freud (By: Peter D. Kramer)
2006
Go
9
Francis Crick (By: Matt Ridley)
2006
Go
10
Alexis de Tocqueville (By: Joseph Epstein)
2006
Go
11
6.7
Shakespeare
2007
Go
12
Machiavelli (By: Ross King)
2007
Go
13
George Washington (By: Paul Johnson)
2009
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Show All Books in this Series

List of Marina Warner Travel Books in Publication Order

Features various travel writers exploring the myths and history of the British landscape.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
10
The English Landscape: Its Character and Diversity (With: Marina Warner, Christopher Lloyd, Jennifer Jenkins, David Bellamy, Robin Hanbury-Tenbison, Anna Parord)
2000
Go
2
Myth and Landscape (By: Marina Warner, Ibrahim al-Koni, David Parker)
2015
Go
Show All Books in this Series

List of The Best American: Travel Writing in Publication Order

Ranked by popularity, the top The Best American: Travel Writing books are The Best American Travel Writing 2016, The Best American Travel Writing 2000, and The Best American Travel Writing 2011.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
6
The Best American Travel Writing 2000
2000
Go
2
6
The Best American Travel Writing 2011 (By: Sloane Crosley)
2011
Go
3
8
The Best American Travel Writing 2012 (By: Jason Wilson)
2012
Go
4
8
The Best American Travel Writing 2013 (By: Jason Wilson, Bernd Brunner)
2013
Go
5
The Best American Travel Writing 2014 (By: Jason Wilson)
2014
Go
6
8
The Best American Travel Writing 2015 (By: Jason Wilson)
2015
Go
7
6.8
The Best American Travel Writing 2016
2016
Go
8
8
The Best American Travel Writing 2017 (By: Jason Wilson, Lauren Collins)
2017
Go
9
The Best American Travel Writing 2018 (By: Cheryl Strayed)
2018
Go
10
The Best American Travel Writing 2019 (By: Jason Wilson)
2019
Go
11
The Best American Travel Writing 2020 (By: Jason Wilson)
2020
Go
12
The Best American Travel Writing 2021 (By: Padma Lakshmi)
2021
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Show All Books in this Series

List of Bill Bryson Anthologies in Publication Order

#ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
Great Baseball Stories
1990
Go
2
The Astronomy Book
2012
Go
3
Dear NHS
2020
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Show All Anthologies
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Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson (William McGuire Bryson) was born on December 8th, 1951 and is currently 74 years old. Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Bryson attended Drake University.

Bill Bryson is known for writing in the Non-Fiction genre.

Bill Bryson is the author of the Bill Bryson Travel Books series which currently consists of 10 novels. The Bill Bryson Travel Books series started in 1985 with the novel The Palace Under the Alps. The most recently released novel in the Bill Bryson Travel Books series was The Road to Little Dribbling which was released in 2015. There are no upcoming novels for the Bill Bryson Travel Books series.

Bill Bryson has also written the Science Books series which has 5 books including A Short History of Nearly Everything and A Really Short History of Nearly Everything.

Bill Bryson is a member of The Nielsen Bestseller Award's 21st Century Platinum Hall of Fame.

Bill Bryson: Awards & Accolades

Bill Bryson won the British Book Awards, UK Author of the Year, in 1997.

Bryson's books have also won multiple awards, A Walk in the Woods won the Nielsen Awards, Gold Bestseller, in 2017. Shakespeare won the Nielsen Awards, Gold Bestseller, in 2017. The Road to Little Dribbling won the Nielsen Awards, Gold Bestseller, in 2017.

Bill Bryson books have also been nominated for multiple awards, The Body was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Science and Technology, in 2019 as well as the British Book Awards - Non-Fiction: Narrative Book of the Year in 2020, British Book Awards - Audiobook of the Year in 2020.

Bill Bryson: Lists & Other Mentions

  • The Lost Continent: The Sunday Times: The Top 100 Bestsellers Selection in 2024.
  • Neither Here nor There: The Sunday Times: The Top 100 Bestsellers Selection in 2024.
  • Notes from a Small Island:
    1. Amazon UK: 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime Selection in 2014.
    2. The Sunday Times: The Top 100 Bestsellers Selection in 2024.
  • In a Sunburned Country / Down Under:
    1. Conde Nast: The Best Travel Books of All Time Selection in 2022.
    2. The Sunday Times: The Top 100 Bestsellers Selection in 2024.
  • A Short History of Nearly Everything:
    1. Reader's Digest: 50 Best Nonfiction Books of All Time Selection in 2024.
    2. The Sunday Times: The Top 100 Bestsellers Selection in 2024.
  • A Walk in the Woods:
    1. New York Times: #1 Nonfiction Best Seller in 2015.
    2. BookBub: 78 Books and Novels That Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime in 1998.
  • The Body: Waterstones: The Books You've Always Meant to Read Selection in 2020.

Related Authors

Fans of Bill Bryson also enjoy these authors:

  1. Rebecca Skloot, author of: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
  2. David Sedaris, author of: Me Talk Pretty One Day.
  3. Susan Orlean, author of the Susan Orlean Library Science Books.
  4. Simon Winchester, author of: The Professor and the Madman.
  5. Xinran, author of: The Good Women of China.
  6. Erik Larson, author of: The Devil in the White City.
  7. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of: Eat, Pray, Love.
  8. Walter Isaacson, author of: Steve Jobs.
  9. David McCullough, author of: 1776.
  10. Stephen Fry, author of the Mythos Series.

Bill Bryson: F.A.Q

When was Bill Bryson Born? How old is Bill Bryson?

Bill Bryson was born on December 8th, 1951. Bill Bryson is currently 74 years old.

Where was Bill Bryson Born?

Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, USA and is American.

What awards has Bill Bryson won?

Bill Bryson has won the following awards: UK Author of the Year at the British Book Awards (1997).

What book awards has Bill Bryson won?

A Walk in the Woods: Nielsen Awards: Gold Bestseller (2017).
Shakespeare: Nielsen Awards: Gold Bestseller (2017).
The Road to Little Dribbling: Nielsen Awards: Gold Bestseller (2017).

What was the first book Bill Bryson wrote?

The first book written by Bill Bryson was Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words, published in 1984.

What was the most recent book Bill Bryson wrote?

His most recently released work was A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 on May 6th, 2025.

What is the most popular book by Bill Bryson?

Based on the number of readers on Book Notification, the most popular Bill Bryson book is A Walk in the Woods. Here are his most popular books and their average ratings:
  1. A Walk in the Woods (8.20)
  2. A Short History of Nearly Everything (8.46)
  3. In a Sunburned Country / Down Under (8.35)
  4. Notes from a Small Island (7.82)
  5. The Body (8.29)

What genres does Bill Bryson Write?

Bill Bryson primarily writes in the Non-Fiction genre. His work includes sub-genres such as Memoirs, Cultural / Social Commentary, and Biographies.

Are there upcoming new books by Bill Bryson?

Bill Bryson does not have any upcoming books with a set publication date within the next few months at this time.

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How many books has Bill Bryson written?

Bill Bryson has written 28 books across 11 series and categories, excluding contributions to anthologies.
  • 3 History Books
  • 4 Language Books
  • 4 Non-Fiction Books
  • 5 Science Books
  • 10 Travel Books
  • 1 Short Story Collection
  • 1 book in the Eminent Lives Series
  • 1 Marina Warner Travel Books
  • 2 The Best American: Travel Writing

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