Icons of England [Kindle Edition]

Bill Bryson (Author, Editor), HRH Prince Charles (Foreword), Jonathan Dimbleby (Contributor), Michael Palin (Contributor), Eric Clapton (Contributor), Bryan Ferry (Contributor), Kate Adie (Contributor), Jo Brand (Contributor), Kevin Spacey (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This celebration of the English countryside does not only focus on the rolling green landscapes and magnificent monuments that set England apart from the rest of the world. Many of the contributors bring their own special touch, presenting a refreshingly eclectic variety of personal icons, from pub signs to seaside piers, from cattle grids to canal boats, and from village cricket to nimbies. First published as a lavish colour coffeetable book, this new expanded paperback edition has double the original number of contributions from many celebrities including Bill Bryson, Michael Palin, Eric Clapton, Bryan Ferry, Sebastian Faulks, Kate Adie, Kevin Spacey, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Richard Mabey , Simon Jenkins, John Sergeant, Benjamin Zephaniah, Joan Bakewell, Antony Beevor, Libby Purves, Jonathan Dimbleby, and many more: and a new preface by HRH Prince Charles.

About the Author

Formed in 1926, CPRE (the Campaign to Protect Rural England) is one of the longest-established campaigning environmental groups in England. Its current President is Bill Bryson.

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2382 KB
• Print Length: 370 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0552776351
• Publisher: Transworld Digital; 1st edition (April 7, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003GFIVPW
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,957 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Travel > Specialty Travel > Pictorial
  • #14 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Travel > Europe > Great Britain
  • #41 in Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Pictorial

More About the Author

Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa. For twenty years he lived in England, where he worked for the Times and the Independent, and wrote for most major British and American publications. His books include travel memoirs (Neither Here Nor There; The Lost Continent; Notes from a Small Island) and books on language (The Mother Tongue; Made in America). His account of his attempts to walk the Appalachian Trail, A Walk in the Woods, was a huge New York Times bestseller. He lives in Hanover, New Hampshire, with his wife and his four children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not actually BY Bill Bryson ..., August 29, 2010

By 

Karen C (northern Idaho) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Icons of England (Paperback)

OK, OK. I know it says "Edited by Bill Bryson". Apparently, I just looked at the big name on the cover and made some assumptions. I love reading Bill Bryson. Everything he writes makes me laugh. I wanted to read Bill Bryson humour about icons of England. This book contains short (1-3 page) essays about icons of England, which are lovely and thoughtful and illuminating, but NOT written by Bryson. The best part of the book for me was the short introductory passage written by Bill Bryson, which was only 6 pages. I was disappointed, but you may not be, if you clearly understand what you are buying.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could use more Bryson, August 4, 2010

By 

Glen G. Magnuson, Jr. (United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Icons of England (Paperback)

Wonderful, nostalgic depiction of some things that make Britain, well, British. Some pieces too short and it could have benefited from more comment by Bryson.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Bill's Best Work, August 31, 2010

By 

AG Duncan - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Icons of England (Kindle Edition)

I'm a huge fan of Bill Bryson and must have read everything he's written at least twice. I bought "Icons of England" purely because it has his name on the cover (and yes, I know it is edited by, rather than written by Bill). Unfortunately it is disappointing - the articles are short on fact and long on reminiscing about the past. As such I suggest they are perhaps only really of interest to their writers. The articles' only saving grace is that each is very short, allowing the reader to quickly skip through each one and on to the next in the increasingly forlorn hope that one of them might be amusing or of interest. This didn't happen though and I got to the end of the book very quickly and with a certain sense of gullibility, based on the fact that this is one book that I erroneously judged by its cover! Sorry Bill, but I expect more from something with your name on it.