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Stephen Fry in America Paperback – 28 May 2009
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Britain's best-loved comic genius Stephen Fry turns his celebrated wit and insight to unearthing the real America as he travels across the continent in his black taxicab. Stephen's account of his adventures is filled with his unique humour, insight and warmth in the fascinating book that orginally accompanied his journey for the BBC1 series.
'Stephen Fry is a treasure of the British Empire.' - The Guardian
Stephen Fry has always loved America, in fact he came very close to being born there. Here, his fascination for the country and its people sees him embarking on an epic journey across America, visiting each of its 50 states to discover how such a huge diversity of people, cultures, languages, beliefs and landscapes combine to create such a remarkable nation.
Starting on the eastern seaboard, Stephen zig-zags across the country in his London taxicab, talking to its hospitable citizens, listening to its music, visiting its landmarks, viewing small-town life and America's breath-taking landscapes - following wherever his curiosity leads him.
Stephen meets a collection of remarkable individuals - American icons and unsung local heroes alike. Stephen starts his epic journey on the east coast and zig-zags across America, stopping in every state from Maine to Hawaii. En route he discovers the South Side of Chicago with blues legend Buddy Guy, catches up with Morgan Freeman in Mississippi, strides around with Ted Turner on his Montana ranch, marches with Zulus in New Orleans' Mardi Gras, and drums with the Sioux Nation in South Dakota; joins a Georgia family for thanksgiving, 'picks' with Bluegrass hillbillies, and finds himself in a Tennessee garden full of dead bodies.
Whether in a club for failed gangsters (yes, those are real bullet holes) or celebrating Halloween in Salem (is there anywhere better?), Stephen is welcomed by the people of America - mayors, sheriffs, newspaper editors, park rangers, teachers and hobos, bringing to life the oddities and splendours of each locale.
A celebration of the magnificent and the eccentric, the beautiful and the strange, Stephen Fry in America is our author's homage to this extraordinary country.
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarperCollins
- Publication date28 May 2009
- Dimensions12.9 x 2.6 x 19.8 cm
- ISBN-100007266359
- ISBN-13978-0007266357
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Review
'A fascinating look at one of the world's most complex and confusing countries, this is a story told with the wit and warmth we expect from Fry.' Stoke on Trent Sentinel
‘A very funny take on life across the pond.’
BAA Emporium
About the Author
Stephen Fry is one of Britain's national treasures and his television appearances include 'A Bit Of Fry and Laurie', 'Jeeves and Wooster', 'Blackadder', 'QI' and 'Kingdom'. His film roles include 'Peter's Friends' and 'Wilde'; and in the realm of television, the Emmy-award-winning 'The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive'. As a writer, he best known for his novel The Liar as well as his acclaimed autobiography Moab Is My Washpot, and his is the famous voice of the Harry Potter audio books.
Product details
- Publisher : HarperCollins (28 May 2009)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0007266359
- ISBN-13 : 978-0007266357
- Dimensions : 12.9 x 2.6 x 19.8 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 30,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 52 in Road Travel
- 272 in Television (Books)
- 321 in Food & Travel Writing
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I did not know that Stephen Fry was so interesting and wrote so well.
There are some nice pictures with each chapter.
Top reviews from other countries
Für alle Fry-Fans ist das Buch quasi ein Muss, wenn ich es auch niemals als Alternative zur Verfilmung, die er selbst kommentiert, empfehlen kann. Fry zu LESEN und zu HÖREN sind immer wieder ein Genuss, wenn auch exakt das gleiche Thema die Basis darstellt.
Stephen Fry has so many accomplishments it seems silly to cover them all. But let me try.
He is an actor, a comedian, an author, technophile, the voice of audiobooks, a prolific documentist, and a film director, playwright and television presenter.
Fry travels America making stops in familiar and sometimes very odd places. Whether making his own flavor of ice cream at Ben & Jerry's in Vermont or touring `The Body Farm' in Tennessee, Fry displays the wonder of the true traveler mixed with the tiniest amount of cynicism as most tourists do. He really hates American cheese.
Fry introduces us to our brethren and a few of us are rather quirky. We meet celebrities like Morgan Freeman, Ted Turner and Sting. We also meet very hospitable Americans who take Fry into their homes and break bread with him. There is drinking too. The Kentucky bourbon distillery stop was memorable. At least it was for me. I'm not sure if Fry recalls it, but it's in the book so I suppose he does.
Fry drives through each of the states but cherry picks the ones he wishes to stop in and stretch his legs. This means some members of the union receive a mention and nothing more.
The most glaring of these is poor old oh-hi-oh-hi-oh. Ohio received a photo of Fry at the state line and the Neil Young song of the same name about the Kent State shootings. Was that fair? Probably not if you're from Ohio.
But overall this is a wonderful companion to the documentary series. Fry's amusing insights from an outsider's point of view were pleasing. His willingness to try different experiences was admirable. This book shows mostly the good of America. If it were dark and cynical I would never have purchased it. Who wants to see the worst of themselves or their countrymen? I hope Fry returns. Maybe he'll visit Ohio.
Moab Is My Washpot The Liar Fry's English Delight The Hippopotamus