Bill Bryson has published 19 novels, 1 novella, 10 non-fiction books, 1 children's book and 4 other books, beginning with Troublesome Words (1984). The best-known is A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003). The latest is The Body: A Guide for Occupants (2019).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Bill Bryson
Start here
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson's most-read book, rated by 101 Open Library readers.
Highest rated
The Body: A Guide for Occupants
Rated 4.2 out of 5 by 26 readers.
Shortest way in
Shakespeare
One of the most-read, at about 240 pages.
Standalone novels in order
Troublesome Words (1984)
The Palace Under the Alps (1985)
The Lost Continent (1989)
The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America (1989)
The Penguin Dictionary for Writers and Editors (1991)
Neither Here nor There (1992)
Made in America (Jul 1994)
Notes from a Small Island (1995)
A Walk in the Woods (1997)
Notes from a Big Country (1998)
I'm a Stranger Here Myself (1999)
In a Sunburned Country (2000)
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid (2006)
Shakespeare (2007)
Icons of England (2010)
At Home: A Short History of Private Life (May 2010)
One Summer (2013)
The Road to Little Dribbling (2015)
The Body: A Guide for Occupants (2019)
Novellas in order
African Diary (2002)
Non-fiction in order
Travel (1989)
The Mother Tongue (Jul 1990)
The Best of Granta Travel (1991)
Stories of Manhood (2000)
The English Landscape (2000)
Walk About (2002)
A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003)
Wish You Weren't Here! (2007)
At Home (2010)
Seeing Further (2010)
Children's books in order
A Really Short History of Nearly Everything (2008)
Other books in order
The Blook of Bunders (1982)
Bizarre World (1995)
In Search of Shrodinger's Cat (2003)
Really Short Journey Through the Body (2023)
Film and TV adaptations
- A Walk in the Woods (2015)Film · from A Walk in the Woods
About Bill Bryson
William McGuire Bryson is an American journalist and author who was naturalized as a British citizen in 2014. Bryson has written nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Bryson moved to Britain in his twenties and remained in the country for most of his adult life. However, he periodically returned to live in the U.S. such as between 1995 and 2003. He was the chancellor of Durham University from 2005 to 2011.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Bill Bryson FAQ
- How many books has Bill Bryson written?
- Bill Bryson has published 19 novels, 1 novella, 10 non-fiction books, 1 children's book and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Bill Bryson's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with A Short History of Nearly Everything.
- What is Bill Bryson's latest book?
- The Body: A Guide for Occupants (2019).
- What is Bill Bryson's most famous book?
- A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003) is Bill Bryson's most widely read book.
- Which Bill Bryson books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including A Walk in the Woods (film, 2015).
Authors like Bill Bryson
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.