Journeys In English cover art

Journeys In English

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £7.99

Buy Now for £7.99

About this listen

 This highly entertaining BBC Radio 4 series is written and presented by Bill Bryson and based on his bestselling book, 'Mother Tongue'. In it he romps through the history of Britain to reveal how English became such an infuriatingly complex – but ultimately world-beating – language. But why English? Why don’t we speak Gallic, or any other of the European languages? According to Bryson, it’s down to the remarkable ability for the English language to assimilate other vocabularies, to adapt and – above all – to survive. From the old English words that are still in everyday use, such as ‘eat’, ‘drink’, ‘man’ and ‘wife’, to the current hybrid language of the 21st century with its many diverse dialects, Bryson, in his unique and ever-affable style, guides us through the development of English into a rich and expressive language. Bryson explains how English has been shaped through invasion and conquest, as well as the rules that brought order to a disorderly language, the million and one ways to have fun with the English language, and the struggle with phrasal verbs (including the way things often get lost in the translation). And finally, he contemplates the future of English. Does Estuary English really Rule OK? '...Worth a listen for anyone who is interested in how we came to have such a rich language' - Sunday Times Entertainment & Performing Arts World
All stars
Most relevant

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I already have

What did you like best about this story?

It was interesting to hear how our language has evolved.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The part about the different roots of the words for meat and words for live animals.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It could be done because its fascinating but I listened in chunks and I listened to some parts several times.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book, it is very interesting.

Fascinating and very enjoyable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Initially a radio series Bill Bryson is his usual superb way gives a wide ranging resume of English. Very enjoyable.

Bill Bryson does his usual superb job

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Bryson's look at the history, impact and intricacies of the English language is easy to follow with interviews breaking up the narration. These breaks are welcome, however, for even though the content is varied and well put together, Bryson's voice lacks intonation. Overall I enjoyed listening to 'Journeys in English', and if you have even a small interest in our language I'm sure you will too.

Informative

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you consider the audio edition of Journeys in English to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but I really enjoyed the way the audio edition allowed people to be interviewed rather than just selected comments to be placed in the text.

What did you like best about this story?

Really interesting to understand the English language more.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I listened to it over several session, which was fine as it was a number of episodes.

Any additional comments?

Fantastic.

Facinating Story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Bill Brysonis always very entertaining and informative, reads the book in an easy way. Excellent mixture of fact and amusing incidents, one feels to be with him every step of the way. Would recommend it highly.

Amusing, as ever.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews