Photo: The National Churches Trust from London / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Bill Bryson is, to me, proof that nonfiction can be as compulsively readable as any novel. A Short History of Nearly Everything is the rare science book I'd hand to someone who claims they hate science, and A Walk in the Woods made the Appalachian Trail feel both noble and hilariously absurd. Born in Des Moines in 1951, he became the great transatlantic explainer, an American who fell for Britain and wrote about both with affectionate exasperation. The OBE and Royal Society fellowship are remarkable nods for a journalist. I admire his gift for curiosity that never tips into condescension. Few writers make learning feel this fun.
Overview
William McGuire Bryson ( BRYE-sən; born 8 December 1951) is an American journalist and author who was naturalized as a British citizen in 2014. Bryson has written nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Bryson moved to Britain in his twenties and remained in the country for most of his adult life. However, he periodically returned to live in the U.S.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bill Bryson
- Name (Japanese)
- ビル・ブライソン
- Reading
- びる・ぶらいそん
- Born
- December 8, 1951 (age 74)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rabbit
- Origin
- Des Moines, Iowa, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- journalist / travel writer / autobiographer / science writer / science communicator
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Theodore Roosevelt High School
- University
- Drake University
Awards & achievements
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- 2009 Zilveren Griffel
- James Joyce Awards
- honorary doctor of the University of Leicester
- honorary doctor of Durham University
- 2013 Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society
- 2002 honorary doctorate
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | A Short History of Nearly Everything | — | |
| Notable work | At Home: A Short History of Private Life | — | |
| Notable work | A Walk in the Woods | — |
6. Links
Journalist — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.