Customer Reviews
Informative and Entertaining - By: GeeJayBee, 29 Jun 2008 
With this book, Bill Bryson does for language what he did for science in A SHort History Of Everything. Here you not only get the history & evolution of the Englisg language in North AMerica, but alongside that a revealing & entertaining history of American cultural, social, economic & political development. It is constructed in thematic chapters that illuminate America & its myriad immigrant communities. Every pages throws up some wonderful or amusing fact & I guarantee you will know & understand a whole lot more about the USA at the end of this book than when you started. A plesure & treasure trove from beginning to end.
One of his best - By: Mark Mcclelland, 07 Sep 2007 
Probably one of my favourite Bryson books. Apart from the humour this book provides an excellent history of American culture & the derivation of many of the US phrases & sayings that we take for granted.
Bryson comes out a winner - By: A. P. Swift, 09 Jul 2007 The United States of America is the most powerful nation on earth - some would argue too powerful. But it hasn't always been this way.
Bill Bryson is at his best when presenting quirky historical facts that shatter common misconceptions about America. Starting from its "discovery" & tracing through the centuries, we see how cultural events, scientific breakthroughs, political & societal change have shaped the most powerful nation on earth.
This is, however, a book about language, & Bryson neatly marries everything with the linguistic development which followed. We alll know that the Americans pronounce certain things differently to us Brits, & also have words that we don't. Bryson sheds light on a vast range of nuances between British & American English with an eloquent style that makes this book hard to put down.
What makes Bryson such a great writer is his accessibility. There are many fascinating anecdotes to choose from: the invention of the G-String, the humble origins of McDonalds, the farcical law of Prohibition. Presenting a chronological history of America sounds unbearably mind numbing, yet he pulls it off with panache. You only need to looks at the bibliography at the back to see his vast range of research, yet there is no hint of encyclopaedic tedium here.
Made in America is a welcome addition to the collection of anyone who shares Bryson's curious nature & even the biggest know - alll is guaranteed to learn something new. Bryson triumphs here - let's hope that he continues to do so for many years to come.
Fascinating - By: Mr. Daniel Miller, 24 Sep 2004 This is quite an engaging read. Approaching primarily it because of my interest in language & also in American culture, I was not disappointed by this work which offers the reader information on such diverse topics as travel, immigration & American food. Principallly of a linguistic focus, it traces some of the etymological history of some of the more common (and uncommon) terms in the American & English languages. A worthwile read, & enjoyable too.
Offers a lot in a single book - By: Ned Lowe, 28 Jan 2004 To be honest, I always associated Bill Bryson with light travel books, so I was pleasantly suprised to find his refreshing writing style applied to etymology; not always the easiest topic to entertain with!
Having said that, there is so much more than etymology. The anecdotes are amusing, & you will find yourself repeating them to everyone you know. The work that debunks urban myths is fascinating and, as is often the case, fact is stranger than fiction; some of the truths behind words & phrases are truly special.
The lists of when words were first used did not appeal to me personallly, although I am perfectly willing to believe that there are people out there who would be interested, but they are fairly easy to skip.
The one thing I take away from this book more than anything else is respect for American English. As a young Englishman, I have been pre-conditioned into a certain disregard for 'Americanisms'. Yet after reading this book, you will see how useful many of these words are, & the ones we choose to attack are very limited. I think the book is worth reading for this information alone.
In conclusion, a good read that you can take your time over.
