Bill Bryson Reading Order

3 books (1990–2020)

Bill Bryson's two-book anthology series collects essays and selections spanning sports, science, and other topics of interest. Published between 1990 and 2012, the series comprises Great Baseball Stories, The Astronomy Book, and Dear NHS. These standalone collections should be read in publication order to experience how Bryson's editorial vision evolved across the series. The complete series offers a diverse sampling of non-fiction writing curated by the celebrated author.

Start with Great Baseball Stories and read in order.

#	Title
1	Great Baseball Stories 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Astronomy Book 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Dear NHS 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

13 books (1991–2009)

The Eminent Lives series is a collection of thirteen biographical works by various acclaimed authors, published between 1991 and 2009. Each book examines the life and legacy of a significant historical figure, from Muhammad and George Washington to Beethoven and Shakespeare. The series is complete and should be read in publication order, beginning with Karen Armstrong's Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. This collection offers diverse perspectives from accomplished writers and scholars, making it ideal for readers interested in accessible yet authoritative biographies of influential people throughout history.

Start with Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time(By: Karen Armstrong), the first of 13 books in the Eminent Lives series.

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

3 books (2008–2013)

Bill Bryson's History series spans three non-fiction works published between 2008 and 2013, exploring pivotal moments and aspects of cultural life in Britain and America. The complete series should be read in publication order, beginning with Icons of England, followed by At Home: A Short History of Private Life, and concluding with One Summer: America, 1927. Each book stands as a distinct historical exploration, though reading them sequentially provides a comprehensive view of Bryson's approach to uncovering the stories behind everyday life and significant cultural periods.

Start with Icons of England and read in order.

#	Title
1	Icons of England 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	At Home: A Short History of Private Life 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	One Summer: America, 1927 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (1984–2008)

Bill Bryson's Language series comprises four complete non-fiction books published between 1984 and 2008 that should be read in publication order. The collection includes Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words, The Mother Tongue, Made in America, and Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors, offering insights into English language usage, history, and common writing challenges.

Start with Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words, the first of 4 books in the Language series.

#	Title
1	Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words 1984Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Mother Tongue 1990Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Made in America 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors 2008Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2000–2015)

The Marina Warner Travel series is a two-book nonfiction collection published between 2000 and 2015 that explores landscapes and their cultural significance. The series begins with The English Landscape: Its Character and Diversity, a collaborative work featuring contributions from Marina Warner alongside Christopher Lloyd, Jennifer Jenkins, David Bellamy, Robin Hanbury-Tenison, and Anna Pavord, followed by Myth and Landscape, which brings together essays by Marina Warner, Ibrahim al-Koni, and David Parker. Both books should be read in publication order to follow the intended progression of themes. The series is now complete.

Start with The English Landscape: Its Character and Diversity(With: Marina Warner,Christopher Lloyd,Jennifer Jenkins,David Bellamy,Robin Hanbury-Tenbison,Anna Parord) and read in order.

#	Title
1	The English Landscape: Its Character and Diversity(With: Marina Warner,Christopher Lloyd,Jennifer Jenkins,David Bellamy,Robin Hanbury-Tenbison,Anna Parord) 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Myth and Landscape(By: Marina Warner,Ibrahim al-Koni,DavidParker) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

4 books (2000–2022)

Bill Bryson's non-fiction collection spans four books published between 2000 and 2022, likely complete and best enjoyed in publication order. The series begins with The Best American Travel Writing 2000, followed by The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir, Shakespeare, and The Secret History of Christmas. These works showcase Bryson's wide-ranging curiosity across travel literature, autobiography, literary history, and cultural exploration.

Start with The Best American Travel Writing 2000, the first of 4 books in the Non-Fiction series.

#	Title
1	The Best American Travel Writing 2000 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir 2006Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Shakespeare 2007Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Secret History of Christmas 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

5 books (2003–2025)

Bill Bryson's Science series consists of five non-fiction books published between 2003 and 2025, with the series still ongoing. These works should be read in publication order, beginning with A Short History of Nearly Everything, followed by A Really Short History of Nearly Everything, Seeing Further, The Body, and A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0. The series explores scientific subjects and discoveries across various disciplines through Bryson's characteristic accessible and entertaining style.

Start with A Short History of Nearly Everything, the first of 5 books in the Science series.

#	Title
1	A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Really Short History of Nearly Everything 2004Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Seeing Further 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Body 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 2025Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

1 book (2023–2023)

13 books (2000–2021)

The Best American Travel Writing is an annual anthology series that curates the year's most compelling travel writing from diverse sources. Spanning from 2000 to 2021, the twelve volumes each feature a different guest editor who selects the best pieces, with Bill Bryson serving as series editor. Since each book represents a standalone collection of essays from a specific year, readers can start with any volume, though publication order from 2000 onward follows the chronological years covered. The series appears to have concluded or entered an indefinite hiatus after 2021.

Start with The Best American Travel Writing 2000, the first of 12 books in the The Best American: Travel Writing series.

#	Title
1	The Best American Travel Writing 2000 2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Best American Travel Writing 2011(By: Sloane Crosley) 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Best American Travel Writing 2012(By: Jason Wilson) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The Best American Travel Writing 2013(By: Jason Wilson) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The Best American Travel Writing 2013(By: Jason Wilson,Bernd Brunner) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Best American Travel Writing 2014(By: Jason Wilson) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	The Best American Travel Writing 2015(By: Jason Wilson) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The Best American Travel Writing 2016 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The Best American Travel Writing 2017(By: Jason Wilson,Lauren Collins) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The Best American Travel Writing 2018(By: Cheryl Strayed) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The Best American Travel Writing 2019(By: Jason Wilson) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The Best American Travel Writing 2020(By: Jason Wilson) 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The Best American Travel Writing 2021(By: Padma Lakshmi) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

10 books (1985–2015)

Bill Bryson's Travel series comprises ten nonfiction books published between 1985 and 2015, following the author's journeys and observations across various destinations worldwide. The series should be read in publication order, beginning with The Palace Under the Alps and concluding with The Road to Little Dribbling. These standalone travel narratives can also be enjoyed individually, though reading them chronologically provides insight into Bryson's evolving perspective as a travel writer over three decades.

Start with The Palace Under the Alps, the first of 10 books in the Travel series.

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