One Summer: America 1927

Writer: Bill Bryson

Paperback edition, 672 pages

Published by Black Swan, 2014

(first published 2013)

This is the latest book from my beloved writer, Bill Bryson. He mixes two of my favourite theme: travel and history, in a comical way. His travel books always full of histories, while his history books contain stories from faraway places.

Before reading this book, I never thought that a particular year could make an interesting book. I thought the chances are that book would be too thick, too boring, and too kaleidoscope-like if there were too many interesting things happened during the year. Or, the book would be too trivial and too insignificant because there was no stand-alone affair in one year; every happening is a string of events which could take years to occur.

And yet, Bryson wrote this unbelievable book.

The year is 1927. The main setting is in the USA. The supposedly protagonists are Charles Lindbergh and Babe Ruth. All events written in this book were evolving around both of them. And all figures somehow related to at least one of them.

The Kid

Charles Lindbergh was a 25 years-old aviator with a face and manner of an innocent kid. This is the same Charles Lindbergh who later would lose a son in a cruel kidnapping. But that was a different story.

In this book, Bryson told the story of aviation, including the role of airplanes in The First World War. Since then, the European airline industry has moved far forward, while America was still struggling in building plane that could really fly. Then, here came Raymond Orteig with his Orteig Prize challenging Allied Countries aviators to cross Atlantic Ocean in one flight. Lindbergh was a dark horse in this competition. However, with Spirit of St. Louis, a single engine, single-seat plane without forward visibility, he would change the face of American and international aviation.

The Babe

Meanwhile, in “another world”, there was a baseball player whose name is George Herman Ruth or simply Babe Ruth. In 1927, baseball was already a famous sport in the USA. Babe Ruth played for the New York Yankees. This likeable giant babe was on his peak performance, hitting more home runs than any other players. Even until today, Ruth was still the best baseball player ever with at least 1,031 total home runs during his career and a statistic that put his performance almost 10% higher than the second best player. Meaning, he’s really really the best.

Beside Lindbergh and Ruth, there are other important figures and events happened in 1927 that Bryson wrote in this book. For example: the Great Mississippi Flood, the bombings by Italian “anarchist”, the first talking movie and thus the birth of Hollywoodization, Calvin Coolidge the most silent president the US ever have, and Henry Ford with his Model T and Model A cars.

Another thing I love about Bill Bryson is his description of people which is so thorough and moving. I can portray someone just from his depiction. He made me fell in love head over heels with Charles Lindberghs and Babe Ruth despite their antics. He made me hate Herbert Hoover for his ambition. And he made me pity Henry Ford for his bad decisions.

Bryson could also describe an occurrence in 1927 without losing connection with its strings of events in the preceding year. The stories flow smoothly. Of course because it is a thick book, sometimes I stopped reading and said, “Wait, who is this guy?”.  But from time to time, Bryson reminds his readers of who is who or who is doing what in the previous chapters.

One thing I always found in Bryson’s books: he seemed to be exhausted towards the end of his writing. So, his last chapter usually a bit superficial. It is reflective, though. And he always gives his readers a sense of closure. 

Reading this book just make me want to read more of Bill Bryson’s book. If someday I read the news that he passed away, I would curl up on the corner of my bed, holding his books and sobbing.