Going on vacation and have been meaning to pick up a Bill Bryson book. I've never read any of his books. Any recommendations on his best? Also any books/travel journals based in Spain?

I’m not too sure why you would want Bill Bryson before a trip other than that he’s amusing as hell, but I don’t think that any of his books really qualify as particularly travel-oriented. His books are basically about HIS takes on places and people.<BR><BR>Just so you know, if you don’t already, he’s not a Rick Steves sort of writer at all, that is if you’re looking for a travel guide.<BR><BR>Nothing to do with Spain, but I found his NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND to be laugh-out-loud funny. <BR>

Notes from a Small Island is good (England) and Neither here nor there (Cities in Europe) also is good. Bryson is very entertaining and his encounters do give you insights on local color and personalities.

As to Spain<BR><BR>Driving over Lemons and the sequel A Parrot in our Pepper Tree; or Jan Morris's Spain are very good

I second Kay's recommendation of Neither Here Nor There. I happened to bring that one along on our recent trip to Italy and France and got a lot of laughs out of it; Bryson's got some wickedly funny writing there.

I agree with Oscar in that his books are not travel books as such but they are all brilliant. I dare you to read any of them on the plane and not burst out laughing!

Another vote for Neither Here nor There. I think it was his first, but certainly it is his funniest.

If you want to read one of his books that has really short chapters, I also enjoyed "I'm a stranger here myself". It's a collection of his articles on America after 20 years of being away, and each chapter is about 4 pages long, which makes it easy to pick up and put down and pick up again. <BR><BR>I also loved "In a Sunburned Country" but that's probably because I spent a few weeks in Australia. Seems the one everyone has mentioned would be a great start.

Another vote for "Neither Here Nor There" -- one of the funniest books I've ever read.

Notes From was not about england, kay, unless you failed to read a number of chapters. Why do Americans (can I assume you are one?) never get this correct?

Sorry Folks I ahve to disagree with you all. His best book is "the Lost Continent" and it is also his first book. It is about his travels through small town America which he undertook after about 10 years of living in England. Really recommend it.

Actually, Tony, Bryson is an American and he got it correct in Notes--he makes fun of a gravestone that says someone (can't remember who) was "Prime Minister of England."<BR>So pbbbth.

One of the countless "irretrievable" threads (by the search engine). But it can be located with its URL.<BR>

For Spain, you can't beat 'Iberia' by James Michener - if you want long-winded, historical, erudite background reading that will make the country come alive.

NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND...hands down his best work.

Dut to the current flaw in the indexing, this thread can still NOT be located by searching Bryson. Despite the indexing update from over night. It's as if certain URL "series" ("tid"s) cannot be located by the search engine.<BR>

Why is Tony Hughes always a pompous ass?

Give me one Tony Hughes rather than a hundred "Kevin"s who anonymously snipe at someone who has scarcely even been here in the past several months!<BR>