Want to learn the ideas in Notes From A Small Island better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson here.
Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.
Video Summaries of Notes From A Small Island
We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on Notes From A Small Island, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Bill Bryson.
1-Page Summary of Notes From A Small Island
Overview
A would-be bank robber attempted to rob a bank, but the customers were so courageous that they told him to go away.
It’s a true story, but it turns out that the customers weren’t mad about being robbed; they were just upset because the robber was rude. Jumping to the front of the line isn’t something you do.
Welcome to the UK!
Besides having strong feelings about waiting in lines, what else sets the British apart from others? What makes them tick?
You can’t go wrong by asking an American who’s now a resident of the UK about its people, culture and geography. Here are some key points from Bill Bryson that highlight his thoughts on those topics.
In this passage, you’ll learn about the unique characteristics of London’s cabdrivers and why they’re so proud of their profession. You’ll also learn about British culture and how it differs from American culture. Finally, you’ll find out how a group of miners who weren’t trained in art captured the imagination of the art world.
Big Idea #1: Britain is a small island packed with memorable places and notable individuals.
After living in Britain for 20 years, American-born author Bill Bryson decided to move back to the United States with his family. He wanted them to experience life in another country. Before going back, however, he spent two weeks traveling around Britain and rediscovering all of the things that he loved about it.
The author’s first choice was a place where he spent time when he moved to the UK. The town was Virginia Water, just outside London. He stayed there for 16 months and met his wife who worked in a sanatorium nearby.
Bryson also makes observations about the UK, such as that it’s a small country compared to the US. The Thames River is historically significant, but in the US it would rank 108th among all rivers. The Lake District region of England is smaller than Minneapolis-St. Paul and has many lakes.
The United Kingdom is more densely populated than the United States. To understand how packed it really is, imagine taking the population of Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan and Colorado and putting them in an area as big as Iowa!
The country has a lot of people. It also contains many important sites and notable people.
An example of this is the cemetery in Sutton Courtenay, near Oxford. While Bryson was strolling through it, he found that both George Orwell and H. H. Asquith were buried there.
The tombstones of both men are simple with humble inscriptions. They share a cemetery with many other famous figures, suggesting that this isn’t uncommon in Britain. Oxford is brimming with traces of its famous luminaries, including Edmond Halley who discovered his eponymous comet and Roger Bannister who ran the first mile in under four minutes. Close by is Christopher Wren’s home where he designed St. Paul’s Cathedral in London
Big Idea #2: Britain has an incredibly rich cultural heritage.
Britain doesn’t have much land, but it does have a rich cultural and historical heritage.
The number of historical sites in the UK is staggering. Unfortunately, they aren’t always given protection that they need.
There are a lot of historical and architectural sites in the United Kingdom. There are over 445,000 buildings listed for their architectural merit or historical interest, 12,000 medieval churches and 600,000 archaeological sites.
Like this summary? Want to learn more from books than ever? You'll love my product Shortform.
Shortform has the world’s best guides to 1000+ nonfiction books and articles. Even better, it helps you remember what you read, so you can make your life better. What's special about Shortform:
- The world's highest quality book guides - we discuss the book's main ideas, with expert analysis and commentary expanding will beyond the book
- Interactive exercises that teach you to apply what you've learned
- Discussion communities - get the best advice from other readers
Sound like what you've been looking for? Sign up for a 5-day free trial here.
Meanwhile, in a tiny Yorkshire village with less than 100 residents, there are more seventeenth-century buildings than all of North America.
Because there are so many old buildings, people tend to take them for granted. Regulations aren’t strict enough and don’t always protect historic properties from being destroyed or altered without serious consequences.
