Britain still has the most reliably beautiful countryside of anywhere in the world. I would hate to be part of the generation that allowed that to be lost. – Bill Bryson
England was full of words I’d never heard before – streaky bacon, short back and sides, Belisha beacon, serviettes, high tea, ice-cream cornet. – Bill Bryson
There is the odd exception, like Albert Einstein, but as a breed, scientists tend not be very good at presenting themselves. – Bill Bryson
Yes, U.S. travelers dress better. The British are always so conspicuous in hot climates. They don’t seem to wear shorts. American men seem to be comfortable wearing hot-weather clothing. – Bill Bryson
There are things you just can’t do in life. You can’t beat the phone company, you can’t make a waiter see you until he’s ready to see you, and you can’t go home again. – Bill Bryson
You may find that your parents are the most delightful people, but you don’t want to live with them. – Bill Bryson
There’d never been a more advantageous time to be a criminal in America than during the 13 years of Prohibition. At a stroke, the American government closed down the fifth largest industry in the United States – alcohol production – and just handed it to criminals – a pretty remarkable thing to do. – Bill Bryson
The world is very lucky to have America. It’s got to be the first time in the whole history of the planet that a country has been the dominant force in the world and it has actually been a force for good… America really deserves more credit. – Bill Bryson
I’m definitely an American, because I grew up here. But I’ve lived very happily in Britain. – Bill Bryson
The remarkable position in which we find ourselves is that we don’t actually know what we actually know. – Bill Bryson
I can’t fix the world. If you want to make a difference in life, you have to direct your energies in a focused way. – Bill Bryson
I’ve never quite understood that feeling: that you arrive in a strange place, yet you want to have nothing but familiar experiences. – Bill Bryson
I can wear a baseball cap; I am entitled to wear a baseball cap. I am genetically pre-disposed to wear a baseball cap, whereas most English people look wrong in a baseball cap. – Bill Bryson
You don’t have to know anything about baseball to respond to Babe Ruth because he’s just this magnificent human being. And a really good story because he was this kid who grew up essentially as an orphan, you know, had a tough life, and then he became the most successful baseball player ever. But he was also a really good guy. – Bill Bryson
Scientists tend to be unappreciated in the world at large, but you can hardly overstate the importance of the work they do. – Bill Bryson
Open your refrigerator door, and you summon forth more light than the total amount enjoyed by most households in the 18th century. The world at night, for much of history, was a very dark place indeed. – Bill Bryson
America is a great disappointment to me. As I said in one of my books, other societies create civilisations; we build shopping malls. – Bill Bryson