Bill Bryson, a writer armed with extensive knowledge and humor,
A true travelogue that reveals the 'soul of Britain'
Bill Bryson's Bold British Walks: Recovered Edition

Bill Bryson, who had intended to stop by briefly after completing his backpacking trip to Europe, ended up settling down in England.
He lived among the British, but he was destined to remain a foreigner forever. This time, he is going on a farewell trip to England, which had been his home for 20 years, to wrap up his life there.
Bill Bryson, determined to return to the United States, decides to take one last trip to England and heads to Calais, France.
To cross the English Channel in the same way I did when I first set foot in England 20 years ago.


The journey that began in this way meticulously explores every corner of the UK, starting from Dover, passing through southern England, Wales, and northern England, all the way to John o'Groats, the northernmost point of Scotland.
Britain, sometimes seen from the perspective of others, sometimes from the perspective of its residents, is a place full of incomprehensible things to Bill Bryson, but also a place he loves so much.
He describes the trip as "a feeling of leaving the home I've lovingly nurtured and looking back on for the last time."
That's why his trip to England was so special to him.


The re-cover edition of "Bill Bryson's Bold British Walks," which has a sensuously re-imagined cover that captures the charm of the original bestseller, a lighter format, and a text design that enhances readability, has increased its collection value. Through this edition, readers will be able to encounter another Britain through Bill Bryson's signature travelogue.

For a long time I thought communism was a failed ideology.
But I think that this very significant experiment in social organization would have been much better done if it had been left to the British rather than the Russians.
Everything necessary to successfully implant that brutal socialist system remains second nature to the British.
These are the people who, as Mrs. Thatcher demonstrated, tolerate dictatorships and will wait years without complaint for surgery or the delivery of basic necessities.
He has the talent to mock power without hesitation, yet never actually rebel against it.
I also know how to feel immense satisfaction in seeing those who have held wealth and power fall.
Once they are over twenty-five, they start dressing like East Germans.
In short, it means that they are people who have the perfect conditions to implement communism.
--- From Chapter 5

Virginia Water has come to be regarded as one of the most unusual and eccentric places in England.
Because crazy people and rich people mix equally.
I also really admire the attitude of shop owners and local people towards this issue.
They acted as if nothing was strange.
I didn't care if a man in pajamas and a slicked-back haircut stood in a corner of the bakery, staring at the wall and raving loudly, or if a man with a rolling eye and a perpetual smile sat at a corner table in the Tudor Rose tavern, dropping sugar cubes into his thick soup.
Then and now, it is truly a heartwarming sight.
--- From Chapter 6

At first, I was taken aback by the unfamiliar British attitude.
A resolute and tireless optimism allows us to accept with indifference even the most terrifying imperfections.
“It’ll change.” “You shouldn’t complain.” “It could have been worse, so this is good enough.” “It’s not much, but it’s cheap, so it feels good.” “This is really good enough.” I gradually became immersed in this way of thinking and lived a life of unparalleled happiness.
One day, after a walk along a desolate beach, I found myself sitting in a cold cafe in damp clothes, and when a cup of milk tea and cake was brought out, I thought, 'Oh, this is the best!'
That's when I realized.
That I too am becoming one of the same type.
I've felt that way when I've asked for extra toast at a hotel, bought fluffy wool socks at Marks & Spencer, or bought two pairs of trousers when I needed one.
But my life became rich and prosperous.
--- From Chapter 7

Scott Bentinck, the 5th Duke of Portland, has long been a hero in my heart.
My favorite old Bentinck is a great hermit who will go down in history.
He did not hesitate to do anything outlandish to avoid any form of contact with people.
In that magnificent house, he lived in a very small space, and communicated by drilling a hole in the door, attaching a message box, and writing notes in it and passing them to the servants.
Food was transported along a small railroad from the kitchen to the dining room.
Whenever he happened to meet someone, the peacock would stand still like a block of wood.
Then the servant pretended not to notice and passed by as if it were furniture.
This was all from pre-planned training.
Any servant who did not comply was forced to skate until he collapsed from exhaustion at the Duke's private skating rink.
--- From Chapter 16

Saltaire was an industrial complex founded by Sir Titus Salt between 1851 and 1876.
He was a 19th century industrialist capitalist, a teetotaler, a dogmatist, and a God-worshiper.
In short, he was a man who wanted to own workers, not hire them.
The workers in his factories had to live in dormitories he built, attend church services he attended, and follow his every command without fail.
Taverns were banned from the town, and loud singing, smoking, and other unsightly behavior were strictly prohibited in local parks.
People, whether they liked it or not, became very diligent and quiet, maintaining a very clear mind.
--- From Chapter 18

There is a newspaper clipping that I have been carrying around for a long time and like to take out and look at every now and then.
This is a weather forecast article from the Western Daily.
The details are as follows:
“Weather forecast: Dry and warm weather.
“But there may be a little rain and the temperature may drop.” This is a meaningful sentence that perfectly describes the British weather.
The Western Daily could almost certainly run this article every day without fail.
And if it's the newspaper I know, they might actually be doing that.
--- From "Chapter 24"

There wasn't anything wrong with Aberdeen.
Rather, the problem was that there wasn't anything particularly bothersome.
I walked around the area around the new shopping center, taking my time.
But they were all buildings without any special features and would be quickly forgotten.
And then I realized.
The real problem was not Aberdeen, but the nature of modern Britain.
British cities are like a deck of cards.
It is mixed up and divided again endlessly.
It's the same card, just the order is different.
If I had come to Aberdeen for the first time from another country, I would have thought it was a very unique and vibrant city.
It is a clean city that is prospering day by day.
I am confident that this is a great city to live in, as it has almost all the amenities a city needs, including bookstores, theaters, and universities.
It's just that it's so similar to other places.
How could it not be so, being a city in England? --- From Chapter 27

There was a beautiful, old-fashioned stone house, though it was hidden by trees.
It was my home, much older than my homeland.
It was so peaceful and beautiful that I almost cried.
But there are so many places in this fascinating little country that are just as good.
Suddenly, in an instant, I realized what I loved most about England.
So I loved everything about England.
I loved everything about Britain, for better or worse.
I loved the old church, the country road, the people who said, “Don’t complain,” the people who said, “I’m so sorry,” the people who apologized when I accidentally nudged them with my elbow, the bottled milk, the beans on toast, haymaking in June, the docks by the sea, the maps from the Royal Cartography Institute, tea and pancakes, summer showers, and foggy winter days—I loved them all, without reserve.

--- From "Chapter 30"