From Cover to Shining Cover, 02 Nov 2008
Having read the three and four star reviews, I had second-thoughts about purchasing 'Stephen Fry in America'. But after purchasing the book on the back of watchin three episodes of the TV programme I was compelled to write a review and it is one of 5 stars, as I'm sure you may be aware of! I can tell you my friends, that this well put together travelogue of a quintessentially Englishman's journey through and into the heart of America is almost definitely a book everyone who 'views' this item on amazon should purchase.
I don't want to slate the former reviews (apart from the 5 star one, great outlook ol' chum) because they're entitled to create their own opinions but they are wrong! To quote Mike D of the Beastie Boys, "I don't speak what I hear, I just say what I know" and this will form the basis of my own review, which I hope will prove informative and may tip the balance in favour of you buying this book. And I am an independent source, I'm not on Stephen Fry's payroll (NB* If he has one, can somebody please get in touch with me).
Firstly, the price of this book, as of 2/10/08 (or to be topical 10/02/08), on Amazon is £9, which is £1 cheaper than the low price of ASDA and Waterstones, is very reasonable especially seeing as it is in hardback and vibrant in colour, and perhaps more central, priceless with in the qualitative and quantitative information it is crammed with.
Fry starts off in Maine, following an interesting and humorous introduction. From the off, one can simply tell that this tale is going to be an insightful and intriguing journey through all 50 states. Fry does not fail to miss out the `little man' which he seems to stress as being so important in the fabric of the American global blanket.
I won't list every single tale from every single encounter in every single tale for I feel it is a story you need to embark upon yourself. But I can tell you he meets one very special Hollywood A-lister, and this isn't even the highlight of the saga!
This very factual and delightfully subjective account avoids falling into that massive cavity of the all-too common `America-bashing', something the man makes clear he is not a fan of. This book is not a fact-by-fact, number-by-number tale but rather an engrossing book which will see you turning the page faster and faster, your fingers will be moving faster than a New York Minute, or faster than a mid-western diner waitress swiftly topping up the `bottomless coffee' of her thirsty patrons.
Stephen Fry, the stand up for America guy! A warming and enlightening tale that is sure to warm up your autumn. Purchase in confidence of owning a great book that I'm sure you will be able to go back to again and again, until Fry embarks upon another such journey, perhaps of England!


A fine milshake of a book: smooth, creamy and satisfying, 28 Oct 2008
Facing the Introduction to this book is a picture of a satisfied "Steve" (Fry's American alter-ego) enjoying a strawberry milkshake in a typical American diner. This sets the tone for what follows.

Fry's Great American Journey is both idiosyncratic and insightful. He present's the country as he finds it: take it or leave it. You be the judge. No doubt some will be disappointed by what is not included, but that is part of the nature of the USA that Fry tries to convey: it is too large and eclectic for anyone (even natives like myself) to get to know all it.

The United States is a giant grab-bag of a nation. Everytime you dip into it you pull out something different: strange, new, old, delightful, appaling or simply intriguing. You cannot stereotype a nation of 300 million people descended from the scrambled cultures of the world and spread over thousands of miles of varying terrain. To his great credit "Stephen" Fry does not attempt to do so. Here is one celebrity travelogue worth reading.

Fascinating, 16 Oct 2008
This is a very positive and upbeat view of America, showing the country at its best.
It would be lovely to see Mr Fry doing a similarly enthusiastic tour of Britain's counties. Come on the BBC, let's see that series next!

Great companion to the TV series, 14 Oct 2008
I loved the first episode of the TV series, but Stephen whipped through the various states with an almost unseemly haste. However, this book more than fills in those gaps - an essential companion.

Room for improvement, 07 Oct 2008
So I found myself in Terminal 5 at Heathrow last week and in the process of getting psyched up for my week long European tour of my companies offices I decided to take Mr Frys book with me as a companion.

And, well, its a rather bitter sweet sort of read, leaving you simultaneously amused but short changed.

You see, the author delights you with a wonderful 7 page prologue, dripping in his trademark whit and informed conversation and you're set for the great mans perspective on all things american.

Except its exactly that same dialogue that is actually missing from this book.

What you get is 5 or 6 pages per state, usually with Mr Fry having some form of meal with "typical" residents of the State in question. It's more Dorling Kindersley visits America than Stephen Fry in America. Delaware barely gets a mention at all (6 paragraphs I think) and in what I suspect is a conspiracy to make you watch the accompanying documentary, the lack of substance makes you think all the best bits have been left out of the book.

This is a very well written book, but there's little of Mr Fry in here. I mean clearly its him, he's in all the pictures, but you dont get the feel that he's the one taking you on the journey. This is a man who could make an entire series about Washington DC alone, it would be revealing and insightful and informative and leave no stone unturned. But that's not the treatment DC gets in this book, so I was feeling a little, cheated.

So my conclusion. This is a well written book, with beautiful photography but I suspect the BBC has restricted the content to make sure we watch the TV show. And for that, I mark this down. There's just not enough room in here for Mr Fry to stretch his wings and thats a damn shame.

Stephen Fry in America

From Cover to Shining Cover, 02 Nov 2008
Having read the three and four star reviews, I had second-thoughts about purchasing 'Stephen Fry in America'. But after purchasing the book on the back of watchin three episodes of the TV programme I was compelled to write a review and it is one of 5 stars, as I'm sure you may be aware of! I can tell you my friends, that this well put together travelogue of a quintessentially Englishman's journey through and into the heart of America is almost definitely a book everyone who 'views' this item on amazon should purchase.
I don't want to slate the former reviews (apart from the 5 star one, great outlook ol' chum) because they're entitled to create their own opinions but they are wrong! To quote Mike D of the Beastie Boys, "I don't speak what I hear, I just say what I know" and this will form the basis of my own review, which I hope will prove informative and may tip the balance in favour of you buying this book. And I am an independent source, I'm not on Stephen Fry's payroll (NB* If he has one, can somebody please get in touch with me).
Firstly, the price of this book, as of 2/10/08 (or to be topical 10/02/08), on Amazon is £9, which is £1 cheaper than the low price of ASDA and Waterstones, is very reasonable especially seeing as it is in hardback and vibrant in colour, and perhaps more central, priceless with in the qualitative and quantitative information it is crammed with.
Fry starts off in Maine, following an interesting and humorous introduction. From the off, one can simply tell that this tale is going to be an insightful and intriguing journey through all 50 states. Fry does not fail to miss out the `little man' which he seems to stress as being so important in the fabric of the American global blanket.
I won't list every single tale from every single encounter in every single tale for I feel it is a story you need to embark upon yourself. But I can tell you he meets one very special Hollywood A-lister, and this isn't even the highlight of the saga!
This very factual and delightfully subjective account avoids falling into that massive cavity of the all-too common `America-bashing', something the man makes clear he is not a fan of. This book is not a fact-by-fact, number-by-number tale but rather an engrossing book which will see you turning the page faster and faster, your fingers will be moving faster than a New York Minute, or faster than a mid-western diner waitress swiftly topping up the `bottomless coffee' of her thirsty patrons.
Stephen Fry, the stand up for America guy! A warming and enlightening tale that is sure to warm up your autumn. Purchase in confidence of owning a great book that I'm sure you will be able to go back to again and again, until Fry embarks upon another such journey, perhaps of England!


A fine milshake of a book: smooth, creamy and satisfying, 28 Oct 2008
Facing the Introduction to this book is a picture of a satisfied "Steve" (Fry's American alter-ego) enjoying a strawberry milkshake in a typical American diner. This sets the tone for what follows.

Fry's Great American Journey is both idiosyncratic and insightful. He present's the country as he finds it: take it or leave it. You be the judge. No doubt some will be disappointed by what is not included, but that is part of the nature of the USA that Fry tries to convey: it is too large and eclectic for anyone (even natives like myself) to get to know all it.

The United States is a giant grab-bag of a nation. Everytime you dip into it you pull out something different: strange, new, old, delightful, appaling or simply intriguing. You cannot stereotype a nation of 300 million people descended from the scrambled cultures of the world and spread over thousands of miles of varying terrain. To his great credit "Stephen" Fry does not attempt to do so. Here is one celebrity travelogue worth reading.

Fascinating, 16 Oct 2008
This is a very positive and upbeat view of America, showing the country at its best.
It would be lovely to see Mr Fry doing a similarly enthusiastic tour of Britain's counties. Come on the BBC, let's see that series next!

Great companion to the TV series, 14 Oct 2008
I loved the first episode of the TV series, but Stephen whipped through the various states with an almost unseemly haste. However, this book more than fills in those gaps - an essential companion.

Room for improvement, 07 Oct 2008
So I found myself in Terminal 5 at Heathrow last week and in the process of getting psyched up for my week long European tour of my companies offices I decided to take Mr Frys book with me as a companion.

And, well, its a rather bitter sweet sort of read, leaving you simultaneously amused but short changed.

You see, the author delights you with a wonderful 7 page prologue, dripping in his trademark whit and informed conversation and you're set for the great mans perspective on all things american.

Except its exactly that same dialogue that is actually missing from this book.

What you get is 5 or 6 pages per state, usually with Mr Fry having some form of meal with "typical" residents of the State in question. It's more Dorling Kindersley visits America than Stephen Fry in America. Delaware barely gets a mention at all (6 paragraphs I think) and in what I suspect is a conspiracy to make you watch the accompanying documentary, the lack of substance makes you think all the best bits have been left out of the book.

This is a very well written book, but there's little of Mr Fry in here. I mean clearly its him, he's in all the pictures, but you dont get the feel that he's the one taking you on the journey. This is a man who could make an entire series about Washington DC alone, it would be revealing and insightful and informative and leave no stone unturned. But that's not the treatment DC gets in this book, so I was feeling a little, cheated.

So my conclusion. This is a well written book, with beautiful photography but I suspect the BBC has restricted the content to make sure we watch the TV show. And for that, I mark this down. There's just not enough room in here for Mr Fry to stretch his wings and thats a damn shame.

Stephen Fry in America

Fantastic, 04 Apr 2008
We are planning a fly-drive trip to the USA and we have been looking for information/things to do in places.We initially looked at the Foders books but then stumbled across this book. What a fantastic informative book, the only problem with having this book is we need to book a longer holiday !!!
It is excellent value for money and a must have for fly-drive touring of the USA.

From Cover to Shining Cover, 02 Nov 2008
Having read the three and four star reviews, I had second-thoughts about purchasing 'Stephen Fry in America'. But after purchasing the book on the back of watchin three episodes of the TV programme I was compelled to write a review and it is one of 5 stars, as I'm sure you may be aware of! I can tell you my friends, that this well put together travelogue of a quintessentially Englishman's journey through and into the heart of America is almost definitely a book everyone who 'views' this item on amazon should purchase.
I don't want to slate the former reviews (apart from the 5 star one, great outlook ol' chum) because they're entitled to create their own opinions but they are wrong! To quote Mike D of the Beastie Boys, "I don't speak what I hear, I just say what I know" and this will form the basis of my own review, which I hope will prove informative and may tip the balance in favour of you buying this book. And I am an independent source, I'm not on Stephen Fry's payroll (NB* If he has one, can somebody please get in touch with me).
Firstly, the price of this book, as of 2/10/08 (or to be topical 10/02/08), on Amazon is £9, which is £1 cheaper than the low price of ASDA and Waterstones, is very reasonable especially seeing as it is in hardback and vibrant in colour, and perhaps more central, priceless with in the qualitative and quantitative information it is crammed with.
Fry starts off in Maine, following an interesting and humorous introduction. From the off, one can simply tell that this tale is going to be an insightful and intriguing journey through all 50 states. Fry does not fail to miss out the `little man' which he seems to stress as being so important in the fabric of the American global blanket.
I won't list every single tale from every single encounter in every single tale for I feel it is a story you need to embark upon yourself. But I can tell you he meets one very special Hollywood A-lister, and this isn't even the highlight of the saga!
This very factual and delightfully subjective account avoids falling into that massive cavity of the all-too common `America-bashing', something the man makes clear he is not a fan of. This book is not a fact-by-fact, number-by-number tale but rather an engrossing book which will see you turning the page faster and faster, your fingers will be moving faster than a New York Minute, or faster than a mid-western diner waitress swiftly topping up the `bottomless coffee' of her thirsty patrons.
Stephen Fry, the stand up for America guy! A warming and enlightening tale that is sure to warm up your autumn. Purchase in confidence of owning a great book that I'm sure you will be able to go back to again and again, until Fry embarks upon another such journey, perhaps of England!


A fine milshake of a book: smooth, creamy and satisfying, 28 Oct 2008
Facing the Introduction to this book is a picture of a satisfied "Steve" (Fry's American alter-ego) enjoying a strawberry milkshake in a typical American diner. This sets the tone for what follows.

Fry's Great American Journey is both idiosyncratic and insightful. He present's the country as he finds it: take it or leave it. You be the judge. No doubt some will be disappointed by what is not included, but that is part of the nature of the USA that Fry tries to convey: it is too large and eclectic for anyone (even natives like myself) to get to know all it.

The United States is a giant grab-bag of a nation. Everytime you dip into it you pull out something different: strange, new, old, delightful, appaling or simply intriguing. You cannot stereotype a nation of 300 million people descended from the scrambled cultures of the world and spread over thousands of miles of varying terrain. To his great credit "Stephen" Fry does not attempt to do so. Here is one celebrity travelogue worth reading.

Fascinating, 16 Oct 2008
This is a very positive and upbeat view of America, showing the country at its best.
It would be lovely to see Mr Fry doing a similarly enthusiastic tour of Britain's counties. Come on the BBC, let's see that series next!

Great companion to the TV series, 14 Oct 2008
I loved the first episode of the TV series, but Stephen whipped through the various states with an almost unseemly haste. However, this book more than fills in those gaps - an essential companion.

Room for improvement, 07 Oct 2008
So I found myself in Terminal 5 at Heathrow last week and in the process of getting psyched up for my week long European tour of my companies offices I decided to take Mr Frys book with me as a companion.

And, well, its a rather bitter sweet sort of read, leaving you simultaneously amused but short changed.

You see, the author delights you with a wonderful 7 page prologue, dripping in his trademark whit and informed conversation and you're set for the great mans perspective on all things american.

Except its exactly that same dialogue that is actually missing from this book.

What you get is 5 or 6 pages per state, usually with Mr Fry having some form of meal with "typical" residents of the State in question. It's more Dorling Kindersley visits America than Stephen Fry in America. Delaware barely gets a mention at all (6 paragraphs I think) and in what I suspect is a conspiracy to make you watch the accompanying documentary, the lack of substance makes you think all the best bits have been left out of the book.

This is a very well written book, but there's little of Mr Fry in here. I mean clearly its him, he's in all the pictures, but you dont get the feel that he's the one taking you on the journey. This is a man who could make an entire series about Washington DC alone, it would be revealing and insightful and informative and leave no stone unturned. But that's not the treatment DC gets in this book, so I was feeling a little, cheated.

So my conclusion. This is a well written book, with beautiful photography but I suspect the BBC has restricted the content to make sure we watch the TV show. And for that, I mark this down. There's just not enough room in here for Mr Fry to stretch his wings and thats a damn shame.

Stephen Fry in America

Fantastic, 04 Apr 2008
We are planning a fly-drive trip to the USA and we have been looking for information/things to do in places.We initially looked at the Foders books but then stumbled across this book. What a fantastic informative book, the only problem with having this book is we need to book a longer holiday !!!
It is excellent value for money and a must have for fly-drive touring of the USA.

pretty good guidebook, 17 Nov 2007
found it much more useful then the time out NYC guidebook. Went to a couple of suggested bars which were fun. the pull out map is particularly useful.
However, NYC is a city you want to get lost in so don't get the guidebook out too often!

From Cover to Shining Cover, 02 Nov 2008
Having read the three and four star reviews, I had second-thoughts about purchasing 'Stephen Fry in America'. But after purchasing the book on the back of watchin three episodes of the TV programme I was compelled to write a review and it is one of 5 stars, as I'm sure you may be aware of! I can tell you my friends, that this well put together travelogue of a quintessentially Englishman's journey through and into the heart of America is almost definitely a book everyone who 'views' this item on amazon should purchase.
I don't want to slate the former reviews (apart from the 5 star one, great outlook ol' chum) because they're entitled to create their own opinions but they are wrong! To quote Mike D of the Beastie Boys, "I don't speak what I hear, I just say what I know" and this will form the basis of my own review, which I hope will prove informative and may tip the balance in favour of you buying this book. And I am an independent source, I'm not on Stephen Fry's payroll (NB* If he has one, can somebody please get in touch with me).
Firstly, the price of this book, as of 2/10/08 (or to be topical 10/02/08), on Amazon is £9, which is £1 cheaper than the low price of ASDA and Waterstones, is very reasonable especially seeing as it is in hardback and vibrant in colour, and perhaps more central, priceless with in the qualitative and quantitative information it is crammed with.
Fry starts off in Maine, following an interesting and humorous introduction. From the off, one can simply tell that this tale is going to be an insightful and intriguing journey through all 50 states. Fry does not fail to miss out the `little man' which he seems to stress as being so important in the fabric of the American global blanket.
I won't list every single tale from every single encounter in every single tale for I feel it is a story you need to embark upon yourself. But I can tell you he meets one very special Hollywood A-lister, and this isn't even the highlight of the saga!
This very factual and delightfully subjective account avoids falling into that massive cavity of the all-too common `America-bashing', something the man makes clear he is not a fan of. This book is not a fact-by-fact, number-by-number tale but rather an engrossing book which will see you turning the page faster and faster, your fingers will be moving faster than a New York Minute, or faster than a mid-western diner waitress swiftly topping up the `bottomless coffee' of her thirsty patrons.
Stephen Fry, the stand up for America guy! A warming and enlightening tale that is sure to warm up your autumn. Purchase in confidence of owning a great book that I'm sure you will be able to go back to again and again, until Fry embarks upon another such journey, perhaps of England!


A fine milshake of a book: smooth, creamy and satisfying, 28 Oct 2008
Facing the Introduction to this book is a picture of a satisfied "Steve" (Fry's American alter-ego) enjoying a strawberry milkshake in a typical American diner. This sets the tone for what follows.

Fry's Great American Journey is both idiosyncratic and insightful. He present's the country as he finds it: take it or leave it. You be the judge. No doubt some will be disappointed by what is not included, but that is part of the nature of the USA that Fry tries to convey: it is too large and eclectic for anyone (even natives like myself) to get to know all it.

The United States is a giant grab-bag of a nation. Everytime you dip into it you pull out something different: strange, new, old, delightful, appaling or simply intriguing. You cannot stereotype a nation of 300 million people descended from the scrambled cultures of the world and spread over thousands of miles of varying terrain. To his great credit "Stephen" Fry does not attempt to do so. Here is one celebrity travelogue worth reading.

Fascinating, 16 Oct 2008
This is a very positive and upbeat view of America, showing the country at its best.
It would be lovely to see Mr Fry doing a similarly enthusiastic tour of Britain's counties. Come on the BBC, let's see that series next!

Great companion to the TV series, 14 Oct 2008
I loved the first episode of the TV series, but Stephen whipped through the various states with an almost unseemly haste. However, this book more than fills in those gaps - an essential companion.

Room for improvement, 07 Oct 2008
So I found myself in Terminal 5 at Heathrow last week and in the process of getting psyched up for my week long European tour of my companies offices I decided to take Mr Frys book with me as a companion.

And, well, its a rather bitter sweet sort of read, leaving you simultaneously amused but short changed.

You see, the author delights you with a wonderful 7 page prologue, dripping in his trademark whit and informed conversation and you're set for the great mans perspective on all things american.

Except its exactly that same dialogue that is actually missing from this book.

What you get is 5 or 6 pages per state, usually with Mr Fry having some form of meal with "typical" residents of the State in question. It's more Dorling Kindersley visits America than Stephen Fry in America. Delaware barely gets a mention at all (6 paragraphs I think) and in what I suspect is a conspiracy to make you watch the accompanying documentary, the lack of substance makes you think all the best bits have been left out of the book.

This is a very well written book, but there's little of Mr Fry in here. I mean clearly its him, he's in all the pictures, but you dont get the feel that he's the one taking you on the journey. This is a man who could make an entire series about Washington DC alone, it would be revealing and insightful and informative and leave no stone unturned. But that's not the treatment DC gets in this book, so I was feeling a little, cheated.

So my conclusion. This is a well written book, with beautiful photography but I suspect the BBC has restricted the content to make sure we watch the TV show. And for that, I mark this down. There's just not enough room in here for Mr Fry to stretch his wings and thats a damn shame.

Stephen Fry in America

Fantastic, 04 Apr 2008
We are planning a fly-drive trip to the USA and we have been looking for information/things to do in places.We initially looked at the Foders books but then stumbled across this book. What a fantastic informative book, the only problem with having this book is we need to book a longer holiday !!!
It is excellent value for money and a must have for fly-drive touring of the USA.

pretty good guidebook, 17 Nov 2007
found it much more useful then the time out NYC guidebook. Went to a couple of suggested bars which were fun. the pull out map is particularly useful.
However, NYC is a city you want to get lost in so don't get the guidebook out too often!



Lost without it, 27 Nov 2007
I visited New York for the first time last Nov and I was given a mini rough guide to New York by a friend. I would have been lost without it.

It was a bible in my bag.

I am due to visit the big apple again in Jan and I decided to purchase the full rough guide to New York and I am not disappointed.

I have also order the mini rough guide to carry round New York when I get there.

The information contained within the book is well written and informative.

The maps at the back are a god's send and must not be under estimated in the overall picture and use of this product.

I would recommend this title to anyone wanting a comprehensive guide of New York.

Informative, practical and up-to-date, 09 Jun 2007
Before travelling to Manhattan for the first time, I browsed a number of different travel guides for New York City, and decided on this one because of its clarity and authority. The guide is easy-to-use, packed full of useful information for travellers, and had everything I needed to know. I also found the maps were better and the information it gave more generally up-to-date and more thorough than the Lonely Planet guide.

It doesn't provide you with pre-planned walks, but you don't need that if you have well-written sections on each district, a guide on what not to miss, and clear maps. The walks I've seen in other guides I actually find limiting, because I want to wander off in directions not officially "on the walk".

The only problem I had with the guide was that occasionally the information I needed wasn't all in one place, which isn't in itself a problem, but could also sometimes be impossible to find more than once. They need to put some thought into simplifying navigation between the sections, to make it quicker and easier - but despite this gripe I still think this is the best guide out there.

Dissapointed, 29 May 2007
This is my first Rough Guide book. I was a bit dissapointed. Although there is a lot of historical information compared to other guides regarding the monuments or areas, for practical information the guide is not very useful.
There are no suggested walks which would make the life much easier specially if your are there on a short stay. The maps for each area are oriented in different ways (north is not always up!) which makes following the streets between maps impossible. There are not estimated price range for the restaurants. The practical information is limited in two pages in small print almost at the end of the guide. The restaurants are in another section than the actual section for each area, without crossreference to pages which is a bit of a hussle. Finally, the citypass (a discount ticket for major attractions) is only mentioned in the adds section of the book.
In the future I might use the rough guide for information before the trip but not in situ.

From Cover to Shining Cover, 02 Nov 2008
Having read the three and four star reviews, I had second-thoughts about purchasing 'Stephen Fry in America'. But after purchasing the book on the back of watchin three episodes of the TV programme I was compelled to write a review and it is one of 5 stars, as I'm sure you may be aware of! I can tell you my friends, that this well put together travelogue of a quintessentially Englishman's journey through and into the heart of America is almost definitely a book everyone who 'views' this item on amazon should purchase.
I don't want to slate the former reviews (apart from the 5 star one, great outlook ol' chum) because they're entitled to create their own opinions but they are wrong! To quote Mike D of the Beastie Boys, "I don't speak what I hear, I just say what I know" and this will form the basis of my own review, which I hope will prove informative and may tip the balance in favour of you buying this book. And I am an independent source, I'm not on Stephen Fry's payroll (NB* If he has one, can somebody please get in touch with me).
Firstly, the price of this book, as of 2/10/08 (or to be topical 10/02/08), on Amazon is £9, which is £1 cheaper than the low price of ASDA and Waterstones, is very reasonable especially seeing as it is in hardback and vibrant in colour, and perhaps more central, priceless with in the qualitative and quantitative information it is crammed with.
Fry starts off in Maine, following an interesting and humorous introduction. From the off, one can simply tell that this tale is going to be an insightful and intriguing journey through all 50 states. Fry does not fail to miss out the `little man' which he seems to stress as being so important in the fabric of the American global blanket.
I won't list every single tale from every single encounter in every single tale for I feel it is a story you need to embark upon yourself. But I can tell you he meets one very special Hollywood A-lister, and this isn't even the highlight of the saga!
This very factual and delightfully subjective account avoids falling into that massive cavity of the all-too common `America-bashing', something the man makes clear he is not a fan of. This book is not a fact-by-fact, number-by-number tale but rather an engrossing book which will see you turning the page faster and faster, your fingers will be moving faster than a New York Minute, or faster than a mid-western diner waitress swiftly topping up the `bottomless coffee' of her thirsty patrons.
Stephen Fry, the stand up for America guy! A warming and enlightening tale that is sure to warm up your autumn. Purchase in confidence of owning a great book that I'm sure you will be able to go back to again and again, until Fry embarks upon another such journey, perhaps of England!


A fine milshake of a book: smooth, creamy and satisfying, 28 Oct 2008
Facing the Introduction to this book is a picture of a satisfied "Steve" (Fry's American alter-ego) enjoying a strawberry milkshake in a typical American diner. This sets the tone for what follows.

Fry's Great American Journey is both idiosyncratic and insightful. He present's the country as he finds it: take it or leave it. You be the judge. No doubt some will be disappointed by what is not included, but that is part of the nature of the USA that Fry tries to convey: it is too large and eclectic for anyone (even natives like myself) to get to know all it.

The United States is a giant grab-bag of a nation. Everytime you dip into it you pull out something different: strange, new, old, delightful, appaling or simply intriguing. You cannot stereotype a nation of 300 million people descended from the scrambled cultures of the world and spread over thousands of miles of varying terrain. To his great credit "Stephen" Fry does not attempt to do so. Here is one celebrity travelogue worth reading.

Fascinating, 16 Oct 2008
This is a very positive and upbeat view of America, showing the country at its best.
It would be lovely to see Mr Fry doing a similarly enthusiastic tour of Britain's counties. Come on the BBC, let's see that series next!

Great companion to the TV series, 14 Oct 2008
I loved the first episode of the TV series, but Stephen whipped through the various states with an almost unseemly haste. However, this book more than fills in those gaps - an essential companion.

Room for improvement, 07 Oct 2008
So I found myself in Terminal 5 at Heathrow last week and in the process of getting psyched up for my week long European tour of my companies offices I decided to take Mr Frys book with me as a companion.

And, well, its a rather bitter sweet sort of read, leaving you simultaneously amused but short changed.

You see, the author delights you with a wonderful 7 page prologue, dripping in his trademark whit and informed conversation and you're set for the great mans perspective on all things american.

Except its exactly that same dialogue that is actually missing from this book.

What you get is 5 or 6 pages per state, usually with Mr Fry having some form of meal with "typical" residents of the State in question. It's more Dorling Kindersley visits America than Stephen Fry in America. Delaware barely gets a mention at all (6 paragraphs I think) and in what I suspect is a conspiracy to make you watch the accompanying documentary, the lack of substance makes you think all the best bits have been left out of the book.

This is a very well written book, but there's little of Mr Fry in here. I mean clearly its him, he's in all the pictures, but you dont get the feel that he's the one taking you on the journey. This is a man who could make an entire series about Washington DC alone, it would be revealing and insightful and informative and leave no stone unturned. But that's not the treatment DC gets in this book, so I was feeling a little, cheated.

So my conclusion. This is a well written book, with beautiful photography but I suspect the BBC has restricted the content to make sure we watch the TV show. And for that, I mark this down. There's just not enough room in here for Mr Fry to stretch his wings and thats a damn shame.

Stephen Fry in America

Fantastic, 04 Apr 2008
We are planning a fly-drive trip to the USA and we have been looking for information/things to do in places.We initially looked at the Foders books but then stumbled across this book. What a fantastic informative book, the only problem with having this book is we need to book a longer holiday !!!
It is excellent value for money and a must have for fly-drive touring of the USA.

pretty good guidebook, 17 Nov 2007
found it much more useful then the time out NYC guidebook. Went to a couple of suggested bars which were fun. the pull out map is particularly useful.
However, NYC is a city you want to get lost in so don't get the guidebook out too often!



Lost without it, 27 Nov 2007
I visited New York for the first time last Nov and I was given a mini rough guide to New York by a friend. I would have been lost without it.

It was a bible in my bag.

I am due to visit the big apple again in Jan and I decided to purchase the full rough guide to New York and I am not disappointed.

I have also order the mini rough guide to carry round New York when I get there.

The information contained within the book is well written and informative.

The maps at the back are a god's send and must not be under estimated in the overall picture and use of this product.

I would recommend this title to anyone wanting a comprehensive guide of New York.

Informative, practical and up-to-date, 09 Jun 2007
Before travelling to Manhattan for the first time, I browsed a number of different travel guides for New York City, and decided on this one because of its clarity and authority. The guide is easy-to-use, packed full of useful information for travellers, and had everything I needed to know. I also found the maps were better and the information it gave more generally up-to-date and more thorough than the Lonely Planet guide.

It doesn't provide you with pre-planned walks, but you don't need that if you have well-written sections on each district, a guide on what not to miss, and clear maps. The walks I've seen in other guides I actually find limiting, because I want to wander off in directions not officially "on the walk".

The only problem I had with the guide was that occasionally the information I needed wasn't all in one place, which isn't in itself a problem, but could also sometimes be impossible to find more than once. They need to put some thought into simplifying navigation between the sections, to make it quicker and easier - but despite this gripe I still think this is the best guide out there.

Dissapointed, 29 May 2007
This is my first Rough Guide book. I was a bit dissapointed. Although there is a lot of historical information compared to other guides regarding the monuments or areas, for practical information the guide is not very useful.
There are no suggested walks which would make the life much easier specially if your are there on a short stay. The maps for each area are oriented in different ways (north is not always up!) which makes following the streets between maps impossible. There are not estimated price range for the restaurants. The practical information is limited in two pages in small print almost at the end of the guide. The restaurants are in another section than the actual section for each area, without crossreference to pages which is a bit of a hussle. Finally, the citypass (a discount ticket for major attractions) is only mentioned in the adds section of the book.
In the future I might use the rough guide for information before the trip but not in situ.



Real Reviews but a Weighty Tome, 25 Oct 2008
Although having been to Disneyworld previously this is the first time I have bought this book. They state that they will give the real picture and this they certainly do, in a very humorous way. The book is littered with hints and tips and gives information on the best ways to go on rides and which ones are usually worth the wait. However, I think sometimes there is a bit too much information which could reduce a lot of spontenaity. The do everything as quickly as possible approach my be ok if you are only in Orlando for a few days but for Brits going over there for three weeks it just sounds exhausting. Some of the advice is good, such as taking rest days. The section on Walt Disney World with Kids is excellent. For the first time I will be going with children (my nieces aged 8 and 5) and will certainly take into account much of the advice. Some of the advice on eating in the parks is excellent and again the hints and tips are welcome. The section on booking character meals sounded like it would be harder to mount than a polar expedition and has made me decide to avoid these like the plague. Thanks for the advice guys. For those who are desperate to dine with the characters the plan of action is very well laid out. Overall, I have found this book to be helpful and I am sure much of it will enhance the experience of my trip. I hope everyone else in my party (all 7 of us) find it just as useful. Why 4 stars. The book is very thick and weighs a ton. It makes it somewhat impractical to take to the parks, but in their defence, the authors do provide tear out information sheets and maps at the back of the book.

From Cover to Shining Cover, 02 Nov 2008
Having read the three and four star reviews, I had second-thoughts about purchasing 'Stephen Fry in America'. But after purchasing the book on the back of watchin three episodes of the TV programme I was compelled to write a review and it is one of 5 stars, as I'm sure you may be aware of! I can tell you my friends, that this well put together travelogue of a quintessentially Englishman's journey through and into the heart of America is almost definitely a book everyone who 'views' this item on amazon should purchase.
I don't want to slate the former reviews (apart from the 5 star one, great outlook ol' chum) because they're entitled to create their own opinions but they are wrong! To quote Mike D of the Beastie Boys, "I don't speak what I hear, I just say what I know" and this will form the basis of my own review, which I hope will prove informative and may tip the balance in favour of you buying this book. And I am an independent source, I'm not on Stephen Fry's payroll (NB* If he has one, can somebody please get in touch with me).
Firstly, the price of this book, as of 2/10/08 (or to be topical 10/02/08), on Amazon is £9, which is £1 cheaper than the low price of ASDA and Waterstones, is very reasonable especially seeing as it is in hardback and vibrant in colour, and perhaps more central, priceless with in the qualitative and quantitative information it is crammed with.
Fry starts off in Maine, following an interesting and humorous introduction. From the off, one can simply tell that this tale is going to be an insightful and intriguing journey through all 50 states. Fry does not fail to miss out the `little man' which he seems to stress as being so important in the fabric of the American global blanket.
I won't list every single tale from every single encounter in every single tale for I feel it is a story you need to embark upon yourself. But I can tell you he meets one very special Hollywood A-lister, and this isn't even the highlight of the saga!
This very factual and delightfully subjective account avoids falling into that massive cavity of the all-too common `America-bashing', something the man makes clear he is not a fan of. This book is not a fact-by-fact, number-by-number tale but rather an engrossing book which will see you turning the page faster and faster, your fingers will be moving faster than a New York Minute, or faster than a mid-western diner waitress swiftly topping up the `bottomless coffee' of her thirsty patrons.
Stephen Fry, the stand up for America guy! A warming and enlightening tale that is sure to warm up your autumn. Purchase in confidence of owning a great book that I'm sure you will be able to go back to again and again, until Fry embarks upon another such journey, perhaps of England!


A fine milshake of a book: smooth, creamy and satisfying, 28 Oct 2008
Facing the Introduction to this book is a picture of a satisfied "Steve" (Fry's American alter-ego) enjoying a strawberry milkshake in a typical American diner. This sets the tone for what follows.

Fry's Great American Journey is both idiosyncratic and insightful. He present's the country as he finds it: take it or leave it. You be the judge. No doubt some will be disappointed by what is not included, but that is part of the nature of the USA that Fry tries to convey: it is too large and eclectic for anyone (even natives like myself) to get to know all it.

The United States is a giant grab-bag of a nation. Everytime you dip into it you pull out something different: strange, new, old, delightful, appaling or simply intriguing. You cannot stereotype a nation of 300 million people descended from the scrambled cultures of the world and spread over thousands of miles of varying terrain. To his great credit "Stephen" Fry does not attempt to do so. Here is one celebrity travelogue worth reading.

Fascinating, 16 Oct 2008
This is a very positive and upbeat view of America, showing the country at its best.
It would be lovely to see Mr Fry doing a similarly enthusiastic tour of Britain's counties. Come on the BBC, let's see that series next!

Great companion to the TV series, 14 Oct 2008
I loved the first episode of the TV series, but Stephen whipped through the various states with an almost unseemly haste. However, this book more than fills in those gaps - an essential companion.

Room for improvement, 07 Oct 2008
So I found myself in Terminal 5 at Heathrow last week and in the process of getting psyched up for my week long European tour of my companies offices I decided to take Mr Frys book with me as a companion.

And, well, its a rather bitter sweet sort of read, leaving you simultaneously amused but short changed.

You see, the author delights you with a wonderful 7 page prologue, dripping in his trademark whit and informed conversation and you're set for the great mans perspective on all things american.

Except its exactly that same dialogue that is actually missing from this book.

What you get is 5 or 6 pages per state, usually with Mr Fry having some form of meal with "typical" residents of the State in question. It's more Dorling Kindersley visits America than Stephen Fry in America. Delaware barely gets a mention at all (6 paragraphs I think) and in what I suspect is a conspiracy to make you watch the accompanying documentary, the lack of substance makes you think all the best bits have been left out of the book.

This is a very well written book, but there's little of Mr Fry in here. I mean clearly its him, he's in all the pictures, but you dont get the feel that he's the one taking you on the journey. This is a man who could make an entire series about Washington DC alone, it would be revealing and insightful and informative and leave no stone unturned. But that's not the treatment DC gets in this book, so I was feeling a little, cheated.

So my conclusion. This is a well written book, with beautiful photography but I suspect the BBC has restricted the content to make sure we watch the TV show. And for that, I mark this down. There's just not enough room in here for Mr Fry to stretch his wings and thats a damn shame.

Stephen Fry in America

Fantastic, 04 Apr 2008
We are planning a fly-drive trip to the USA and we have been looking for information/things to do in places.We initially looked at the Foders books but then stumbled across this book. What a fantastic informative book, the only problem with having this book is we need to book a longer holiday !!!
It is excellent value for money and a must have for fly-drive touring of the USA.

pretty good guidebook, 17 Nov 2007
found it much more useful then the time out NYC guidebook. Went to a couple of suggested bars which were fun. the pull out map is particularly useful.
However, NYC is a city you want to get lost in so don't get the guidebook out too often!



Lost without it, 27 Nov 2007
I visited New York for the first time last Nov and I was given a mini rough guide to New York by a friend. I would have been lost without it.

It was a bible in my bag.

I am due to visit the big apple again in Jan and I decided to purchase the full rough guide to New York and I am not disappointed.

I have also order the mini rough guide to carry round New York when I get there.

The information contained within the book is well written and informative.

The maps at the back are a god's send and must not be under estimated in the overall picture and use of this product.

I would recommend this title to anyone wanting a comprehensive guide of New York.

Informative, practical and up-to-date, 09 Jun 2007
Before travelling to Manhattan for the first time, I browsed a number of different travel guides for New York City, and decided on this one because of its clarity and authority. The guide is easy-to-use, packed full of useful information for travellers, and had everything I needed to know. I also found the maps were better and the information it gave more generally up-to-date and more thorough than the Lonely Planet guide.

It doesn't provide you with pre-planned walks, but you don't need that if you have well-written sections on each district, a guide on what not to miss, and clear maps. The walks I've seen in other guides I actually find limiting, because I want to wander off in directions not officially "on the walk".

The only problem I had with the guide was that occasionally the information I needed wasn't all in one place, which isn't in itself a problem, but could also sometimes be impossible to find more than once. They need to put some thought into simplifying navigation between the sections, to make it quicker and easier - but despite this gripe I still think this is the best guide out there.

Dissapointed, 29 May 2007
This is my first Rough Guide book. I was a bit dissapointed. Although there is a lot of historical information compared to other guides regarding the monuments or areas, for practical information the guide is not very useful.
There are no suggested walks which would make the life much easier specially if your are there on a short stay. The maps for each area are oriented in different ways (north is not always up!) which makes following the streets between maps impossible. There are not estimated price range for the restaurants. The practical information is limited in two pages in small print almost at the end of the guide. The restaurants are in another section than the actual section for each area, without crossreference to pages which is a bit of a hussle. Finally, the citypass (a discount ticket for major attractions) is only mentioned in the adds section of the book.
In the future I might use the rough guide for information before the trip but not in situ.



Real Reviews but a Weighty Tome, 25 Oct 2008
Although having been to Disneyworld previously this is the first time I have bought this book. They state that they will give the real picture and this they certainly do, in a very humorous way. The book is littered with hints and tips and gives information on the best ways to go on rides and which ones are usually worth the wait. However, I think sometimes there is a bit too much information which could reduce a lot of spontenaity. The do everything as quickly as possible approach my be ok if you are only in Orlando for a few days but for Brits going over there for three weeks it just sounds exhausting. Some of the advice is good, such as taking rest days. The section on Walt Disney World with Kids is excellent. For the first time I will be going with children (my nieces aged 8 and 5) and will certainly take into account much of the advice. Some of the advice on eating in the parks is excellent and again the hints and tips are welcome. The section on booking character meals sounded like it would be harder to mount than a polar expedition and has made me decide to avoid these like the plague. Thanks for the advice guys. For those who are desperate to dine with the characters the plan of action is very well laid out. Overall, I have found this book to be helpful and I am sure much of it will enhance the experience of my trip. I hope everyone else in my party (all 7 of us) find it just as useful. Why 4 stars. The book is very thick and weighs a ton. It makes it somewhat impractical to take to the parks, but in their defence, the authors do provide tear out information sheets and maps at the back of the book.

Enjoy your trip..., 20 Oct 2008
My wife and I found this a very useful book for our 6-week road trip around the US in 2007. Initially we found it useful in the planning stage - the book suggests itineraries for 11 road trips, with small maps and descriptions of all towns/cities on the route, together with accommodation, places to eat and roadside attractions. When you are faced with the whole of the US to visit, we found it helpful to have these suggestions as a starting point. You don't have to follow them - we ended up stitching together parts of three different routes from the book and doing some of our own things as well. (We also used the Rough Guide and found that a large-scale road atlas was a must as well.)

When we travelled along the suggested routes we used the book throughout the day to locate places of interest and places to eat/stay. The book pointed us towards some really good diners to eat in (like Doug's Fish Fry in Skaneateles), some of which we would no doubt have stumbled on ourselves in some of the smaller places we passed through but others we possibly would have missed. The book does also contain a few notes on interesting places just off the routes and suggests a few diversions; it also has some general notes on states and areas and some odd interesting facts. Most days one of us would read out some of these interesting facts about the places we travelled through - world's largest kazoo anyone?

This makes a road trip across the USA sound tedious.., 19 Jul 2008
..which seems a difficult thing to do. What is good about it, is that it describes each town/city and provides a couple of ideas for places to stay/eat which is useful. What it doesn't provide is a good read. I think because it's written by an American, it's not quite right for a British audience - as it doesn't provide the outsider's point of view which I was looking for. I'm not interested in knowing where the best baseball games are in each state nor anything that smacks of patriotism, I want to know when is the best time to travel to each place, what I need to look out for, what are good things to take, car hire information, where will give me a real glimpse of America, the FEEL of the places. The other issue, is that it reads from West to East, not vice versa, so for most Brits, it's not easy to back-track your route.

OK but too specific, 28 Jul 2004
This book is likely an excellent guide for those who have a vague wish to take a road trip around the states but no clear idea of where to go, but if you have any plans or ideas of your own this probably isn't for you - it is more a book of factual anecdotes chronicaling a series of pre-set routes taken by the author than a guidebook, although the information on a specific place may be useful should you arrive there on your route. I would instead recommend the latest Rough Guide to the USA edition.

The Travellers Return, 13 Aug 2002
I had long yearned to undertake a USA road trip, but where do you start? And how do you ensure you experience the curiosities that you can find if you venture that little bit from the beaten track?

Armed with Jamie in hand we used the "Road Trip USA" as our guide and motored along the US-80 trip. We veered off and saw New Oleans but STILL read through the info from another road trip to give us an idea of what was worth diverting from the straight and narrow to see.

A really invaluable resource which gives you more than the average guide book to entertain you along the way.

Enjoy the read. Enjoy the preparations that you will have to make, and then savour the journey.

The easy drivers guide to small town America, 05 Jun 2001
Jenson's view is that the Interstate is not for real travellers. The book covers a series of coast to coast and border to border trips through small town America in a detail which can be annoying and yet is thoroughly enjoyable. His style is easy, compulsive and, based on our previous experience of some of the places he describes, very honest.

Full of throw away descriptions of "blink or you'll miss them" towns, facts and figures, the best places to eat, drink and sleep, and survival guides to the major metropolis en route the book is much more than the stereotypical guide. It offers an insight into an America which is not obtained from the more formal Fodor and Rough Guide style of guidebook. It is that lack of formality which makes the book such a delight.

Its unlikely that anybody will be able to complete any of the routes and visit all the suggested sites in the standard two week annual holiday, but, by judicial selection and patching bit together, its possible to see some of the country described. It is difficult to find good travel guides to the lesser known areas of America; Road Trip USA was an unexpected pleasure!

From Cover to Shining Cover, 02 Nov 2008
Having read the three and four star reviews, I had second-thoughts about purchasing 'Stephen Fry in America'. But after purchasing the book on the back of watchin three episodes of the TV programme I was compelled to write a review and it is one of 5 stars, as I'm sure you may be aware of! I can tell you my friends, that this well put together travelogue of a quintessentially Englishman's journey through and into the heart of America is almost definitely a book everyone who 'views' this item on amazon should purchase.
I don't want to slate the former reviews (apart from the 5 star one, great outlook ol' chum) because they're entitled to create their own opinions but they are wrong! To quote Mike D of the Beastie Boys, "I don't speak what I hear, I just say what I know" and this will form the basis of my own review, which I hope will prove informative and may tip the balance in favour of you buying this book. And I am an independent source, I'm not on Stephen Fry's payroll (NB* If he has one, can somebody please get in touch with me).
Firstly, the price of this book, as of 2/10/08 (or to be topical 10/02/08), on Amazon is £9, which is £1 cheaper than the low price of ASDA and Waterstones, is very reasonable especially seeing as it is in hardback and vibrant in colour, and perhaps more central, priceless with in the qualitative and quantitative information it is crammed with.
Fry starts off in Maine, following an interesting and humorous introduction. From the off, one can simply tell that this tale is going to be an insightful and intriguing journey through all 50 states. Fry does not fail to miss out the `little man' which he seems to stress as being so important in the fabric of the American global blanket.
I won't list every single tale from every single encounter in every single tale for I feel it is a story you need to embark upon yourself. But I can tell you he meets one very special Hollywood A-lister, and this isn't even the highlight of the saga!
This very factual and delightfully subjective account avoids falling into that massive cavity of the all-too common `America-bashing', something the man makes clear he is not a fan of. This book is not a fact-by-fact, number-by-number tale but rather an engrossing book which will see you turning the page faster and faster, your fingers will be moving faster than a New York Minute, or faster than a mid-western diner waitress swiftly topping up the `bottomless coffee' of her thirsty patrons.
Stephen Fry, the stand up for America guy! A warming and enlightening tale that is sure to warm up your autumn. Purchase in confidence of owning a great book that I'm sure you will be able to go back to again and again, until Fry embarks upon another such journey, perhaps of England!


A fine milshake of a book: smooth, creamy and satisfying, 28 Oct 2008
Facing the Introduction to this book is a picture of a satisfied "Steve" (Fry's American alter-ego) enjoying a strawberry milkshake in a typical American diner. This sets the tone for what follows.

Fry's Great American Journey is both idiosyncratic and insightful. He present's the country as he finds it: take it or leave it. You be the judge. No doubt some will be disappointed by what is not included, but that is part of the nature of the USA that Fry tries to convey: it is too large and eclectic for anyone (even natives like myself) to get to know all it.

The United States is a giant grab-bag of a nation. Everytime you dip into it you pull out something different: strange, new, old, delightful, appaling or simply intriguing. You cannot stereotype a nation of 300 million people descended from the scrambled cultures of the world and spread over thousands of miles of varying terrain. To his great credit "Stephen" Fry does not attempt to do so. Here is one celebrity travelogue worth reading.

Fascinating, 16 Oct 2008
This is a very positive and upbeat view of America, showing the country at its best.
It would be lovely to see Mr Fry doing a similarly enthusiastic tour of Britain's counties. Come on the BBC, let's see that series next!

Great companion to the TV series, 14 Oct 2008
I loved the first episode of the TV series, but Stephen whipped through the various states with an almost unseemly haste. However, this book more than fills in those gaps - an essential companion.

Room for improvement, 07 Oct 2008
So I found myself in Terminal 5 at Heathrow last week and in the process of getting psyched up for my week long European tour of my companies offices I decided to take Mr Frys book with me as a companion.

And, well, its a rather bitter sweet sort of read, leaving you simultaneously amused but short changed.

You see, the author delights you with a wonderful 7 page prologue, dripping in his trademark whit and informed conversation and you're set for the great mans perspective on all things american.

Except its exactly that same dialogue that is actually missing from this book.

What you get is 5 or 6 pages per state, usually with Mr Fry having some form of meal with "typical" residents of the State in question. It's more Dorling Kindersley visits America than Stephen Fry in America. Delaware barely gets a mention at all (6 paragraphs I think) and in what I suspect is a conspiracy to make you watch the accompanying documentary, the lack of substance makes you think all the best bits have been left out of the book.

This is a very well written book, but there's little of Mr Fry in here. I mean clearly its him, he's in all the pictures, but you dont get the feel that he's the one taking you on the journey. This is a man who could make an entire series about Washington DC alone, it would be revealing and insightful and informative and leave no stone unturned. But that's not the treatment DC gets in this book, so I was feeling a little, cheated.

So my conclusion. This is a well written book, with beautiful photography but I suspect the BBC has restricted the content to make sure we watch the TV show. And for that, I mark this down. There's just not enough room in here for Mr Fry to stretch his wings and thats a damn shame.

Stephen Fry in America

Fantastic, 04 Apr 2008
We are planning a fly-drive trip to the USA and we have been looking for information/things to do in places.We initially looked at the Foders books but then stumbled across this book. What a fantastic informative book, the only problem with having this book is we need to book a longer holiday !!!
It is excellent value for money and a must have for fly-drive touring of the USA.

pretty good guidebook, 17 Nov 2007
found it much more useful then the time out NYC guidebook. Went to a couple of suggested bars which were fun. the pull out map is particularly useful.
However, NYC is a city you want to get lost in so don't get the guidebook out too often!



Lost without it, 27 Nov 2007
I visited New York for the first time last Nov and I was given a mini rough guide to New York by a friend. I would have been lost without it.

It was a bible in my bag.

I am due to visit the big apple again in Jan and I decided to purchase the full rough guide to New York and I am not disappointed.

I have also order the mini rough guide to carry round New York when I get there.

The information contained within the book is well written and informative.

The maps at the back are a god's send and must not be under estimated in the overall picture and use of this product.

I would recommend this title to anyone wanting a comprehensive guide of New York.

Informative, practical and up-to-date, 09 Jun 2007
Before travelling to Manhattan for the first time, I browsed a number of different travel guides for New York City, and decided on this one because of its clarity and authority. The guide is easy-to-use, packed full of useful information for travellers, and had everything I needed to know. I also found the maps were better and the information it gave more generally up-to-date and more thorough than the Lonely Planet guide.

It doesn't provide you with pre-planned walks, but you don't need that if you have well-written sections on each district, a guide on what not to miss, and clear maps. The walks I've seen in other guides I actually find limiting, because I want to wander off in directions not officially "on the walk".

The only problem I had with the guide was that occasionally the information I needed wasn't all in one place, which isn't in itself a problem, but could also sometimes be impossible to find more than once. They need to put some thought into simplifying navigation between the sections, to make it quicker and easier - but despite this gripe I still think this is the best guide out there.

Dissapointed, 29 May 2007
This is my first Rough Guide book. I was a bit dissapointed. Although there is a lot of historical information compared to other guides regarding the monuments or areas, for practical information the guide is not very useful.
There are no suggested walks which would make the life much easier specially if your are there on a short stay. The maps for each area are oriented in different ways (north is not always up!) which makes following the streets between maps impossible. There are not estimated price range for the restaurants. The practical information is limited in two pages in small print almost at the end of the guide. The restaurants are in another section than the actual section for each area, without crossreference to pages which is a bit of a hussle. Finally, the citypass (a discount ticket for major attractions) is only mentioned in the adds section of the book.
In the future I might use the rough guide for information before the trip but not in situ.



Real Reviews but a Weighty Tome, 25 Oct 2008
Although having been to Disneyworld previously this is the first time I have bought this book. They state that they will give the real picture and this they certainly do, in a very humorous way. The book is littered with hints and tips and gives information on the best ways to go on rides and which ones are usually worth the wait. However, I think sometimes there is a bit too much information which could reduce a lot of spontenaity. The do everything as quickly as possible approach my be ok if you are only in Orlando for a few days but for Brits going over there for three weeks it just sounds exhausting. Some of the advice is good, such as taking rest days. The section on Walt Disney World with Kids is excellent. For the first time I will be going with children (my nieces aged 8 and 5) and will certainly take into account much of the advice. Some of the advice on eating in the parks is excellent and again the hints and tips are welcome. The section on booking character meals sounded like it would be harder to mount than a polar expedition and has made me decide to avoid these like the plague. Thanks for the advice guys. For those who are desperate to dine with the characters the plan of action is very well laid out. Overall, I have found this book to be helpful and I am sure much of it will enhance the experience of my trip. I hope everyone else in my party (all 7 of us) find it just as useful. Why 4 stars. The book is very thick and weighs a ton. It makes it somewhat impractical to take to the parks, but in their defence, the authors do provide tear out information sheets and maps at the back of the book.

Enjoy your trip..., 20 Oct 2008
My wife and I found this a very useful book for our 6-week road trip around the US in 2007. Initially we found it useful in the planning stage - the book suggests itineraries for 11 road trips, with small maps and descriptions of all towns/cities on the route, together with accommodation, places to eat and roadside attractions. When you are faced with the whole of the US to visit, we found it helpful to have these suggestions as a starting point. You don't have to follow them - we ended up stitching together parts of three different routes from the book and doing some of our own things as well. (We also used the Rough Guide and found that a large-scale road atlas was a must as well.)

When we travelled along the suggested routes we used the book throughout the day to locate places of interest and places to eat/stay. The book pointed us towards some really good diners to eat in (like Doug's Fish Fry in Skaneateles), some of which we would no doubt have stumbled on ourselves in some of the smaller places we passed through but others we possibly would have missed. The book does also contain a few notes on interesting places just off the routes and suggests a few diversions; it also has some general notes on states and areas and some odd interesting facts. Most days one of us would read out some of these interesting facts about the places we travelled through - world's largest kazoo anyone?

This makes a road trip across the USA sound tedious.., 19 Jul 2008
..which seems a difficult thing to do. What is good about it, is that it describes each town/city and provides a couple of ideas for places to stay/eat which is useful. What it doesn't provide is a good read. I think because it's written by an American, it's not quite right for a British audience - as it doesn't provide the outsider's point of view which I was looking for. I'm not interested in knowing where the best baseball games are in each state nor anything that smacks of patriotism, I want to know when is the best time to travel to each place, what I need to look out for, what are good things to take, car hire information, where will give me a real glimpse of America, the FEEL of the places. The other issue, is that it reads from West to East, not vice versa, so for most Brits, it's not easy to back-track your route.

OK but too specific, 28 Jul 2004
This book is likely an excellent guide for those who have a vague wish to take a road trip around the states but no clear idea of where to go, but if you have any plans or ideas of your own this probably isn't for you - it is more a book of factual anecdotes chronicaling a series of pre-set routes taken by the author than a guidebook, although the information on a specific place may be useful should you arrive there on your route. I would instead recommend the latest Rough Guide to the USA edition.

The Travellers Return, 13 Aug 2002
I had long yearned to undertake a USA road trip, but where do you start? And how do you ensure you experience the curiosities that you can find if you venture that little bit from the beaten track?

Armed with Jamie in hand we used the "Road Trip USA" as our guide and motored along the US-80 trip. We veered off and saw New Oleans but STILL read through the info from another road trip to give us an idea of what was worth diverting from the straight and narrow to see.

A really invaluable resource which gives you more than the average guide book to entertain you along the way.

Enjoy the read. Enjoy the preparations that you will have to make, and then savour the journey.

The easy drivers guide to small town America, 05 Jun 2001
Jenson's view is that the Interstate is not for real travellers. The book covers a series of coast to coast and border to border trips through small town America in a detail which can be annoying and yet is thoroughly enjoyable. His style is easy, compulsive and, based on our previous experience of some of the places he describes, very honest.

Full of throw away descriptions of "blink or you'll miss them" towns, facts and figures, the best places to eat, drink and sleep, and survival guides to the major metropolis en route the book is much more than the stereotypical guide. It offers an insight into an America which is not obtained from the more formal Fodor and Rough Guide style of guidebook. It is that lack of formality which makes the book such a delight.

Its unlikely that anybody will be able to complete any of the routes and visit all the suggested sites in the standard two week annual holiday, but, by judicial selection and patching bit together, its possible to see some of the country described. It is difficult to find good travel guides to the lesser known areas of America; Road Trip USA was an unexpected pleasure!

Excellent guide, 23 May 2007
It would seem almost impossible to write a one-volume travel book on the USA but somehow Rough Guides has managed it in style.

I would usually hesitate to spend more than £15 on a paperback but this is so detailed and well-written I find myself returning to it again and again.

These days it's probably easier to use online resources when choosing accommodation but as a pithy guide to resorts and for planning trip itineries, this Rough Guide is invaluable.

From Cover to Shining Cover, 02 Nov 2008
Having read the three and four star reviews, I had second-thoughts about purchasing 'Stephen Fry in America'. But after purchasing the book on the back of watchin three episodes of the TV programme I was compelled to write a review and it is one of 5 stars, as I'm sure you may be aware of! I can tell you my friends, that this well put together travelogue of a quintessentially Englishman's journey through and into the heart of America is almost definitely a book everyone who 'views' this item on amazon should purchase.
I don't want to slate the former reviews (apart from the 5 star one, great outlook ol' chum) because they're entitled to create their own opinions but they are wrong! To quote Mike D of the Beastie Boys, "I don't speak what I hear, I just say what I know" and this will form the basis of my own review, which I hope will prove informative and may tip the balance in favour of you buying this book. And I am an independent source, I'm not on Stephen Fry's payroll (NB* If he has one, can somebody please get in touch with me).
Firstly, the price of this book, as of 2/10/08 (or to be topical 10/02/08), on Amazon is £9, which is £1 cheaper than the low price of ASDA and Waterstones, is very reasonable especially seeing as it is in hardback and vibrant in colour, and perhaps more central, priceless with in the qualitative and quantitative information it is crammed with.
Fry starts off in Maine, following an interesting and humorous introduction. From the off, one can simply tell that this tale is going to be an insightful and intriguing journey through all 50 states. Fry does not fail to miss out the `little man' which he seems to stress as being so important in the fabric of the American global blanket.
I won't list every single tale from every single encounter in every single tale for I feel it is a story you need to embark upon yourself. But I can tell you he meets one very special Hollywood A-lister, and this isn't even the highlight of the saga!
This very factual and delightfully subjective account avoids falling into that massive cavity of the all-too common `America-bashing', something the man makes clear he is not a fan of. This book is not a fact-by-fact, number-by-number tale but rather an engrossing book which will see you turning the page faster and faster, your fingers will be moving faster than a New York Minute, or faster than a mid-western diner waitress swiftly topping up the `bottomless coffee' of her thirsty patrons.
Stephen Fry, the stand up for America guy! A warming and enlightening tale that is sure to warm up your autumn. Purchase in confidence of owning a great book that I'm sure you will be able to go back to again and again, until Fry embarks upon another such journey, perhaps of England!


A fine milshake of a book: smooth, creamy and satisfying, 28 Oct 2008
Facing the Introduction to this book is a picture of a satisfied "Steve" (Fry's American alter-ego) enjoying a strawberry milkshake in a typical American diner. This sets the tone for what follows.

Fry's Great American Journey is both idiosyncratic and insightful. He present's the country as he finds it: take it or leave it. You be the judge. No doubt some will be disappointed by what is not included, but that is part of the nature of the USA that Fry tries to convey: it is too large and eclectic for anyone (even natives like myself) to get to know all it.

The United States is a giant grab-bag of a nation. Everytime you dip into it you pull out something different: strange, new, old, delightful, appaling or simply intriguing. You cannot stereotype a nation of 300 million people descended from the scrambled cultures of the world and spread over thousands of miles of varying terrain. To his great credit "Stephen" Fry does not attempt to do so. Here is one celebrity travelogue worth reading.

Fascinating, 16 Oct 2008
This is a very positive and upbeat view of America, showing the country at its best.
It would be lovely to see Mr Fry doing a similarly enthusiastic tour of Britain's counties. Come on the BBC, let's see that series next!

Great companion to the TV series, 14 Oct 2008
I loved the first episode of the TV series, but Stephen whipped through the various states with an almost unseemly haste. However, this book more than fills in those gaps - an essential companion.

Room for improvement, 07 Oct 2008
So I found myself in Terminal 5 at Heathrow last week and in the process of getting psyched up for my week long European tour of my companies offices I decided to take Mr Frys book with me as a companion.

And, well, its a rather bitter sweet sort of read, leaving you simultaneously amused but short changed.

You see, the author delights you with a wonderful 7 page prologue, dripping in his trademark whit and informed conversation and you're set for the great mans perspective on all things american.

Except its exactly that same dialogue that is actually missing from this book.

What you get is 5 or 6 pages per state, usually with Mr Fry having some form of meal with "typical" residents of the State in question. It's more Dorling Kindersley visits America than Stephen Fry in America. Delaware barely gets a mention at all (6 paragraphs I think) and in what I suspect is a conspiracy to make you watch the accompanying documentary, the lack of substance makes you think all the best bits have been left out of the book.

This is a very well written book, but there's little of Mr Fry in here. I mean clearly its him, he's in all the pictures, but you dont get the feel that he's the one taking you on the journey. This is a man who could make an entire series about Washington DC alone, it would be revealing and insightful and informative and leave no stone unturned. But that's not the treatment DC gets in this book, so I was feeling a little, cheated.

So my conclusion. This is a well written book, with beautiful photography but I suspect the BBC has restricted the content to make sure we watch the TV show. And for that, I mark this down. There's just not enough room in here for Mr Fry to stretch his wings and thats a damn shame.

Stephen Fry in America

Fantastic, 04 Apr 2008
We are planning a fly-drive trip to the USA and we have been looking for information/things to do in places.We initially looked at the Foders books but then stumbled across this book. What a fantastic informative book, the only problem with having this book is we need to book a longer holiday !!!
It is excellent value for money and a must have for fly-drive touring of the USA.

pretty good guidebook, 17 Nov 2007
found it much more useful then the time out NYC guidebook. Went to a couple of suggested bars which were fun. the pull out map is particularly useful.
However, NYC is a city you want to get lost in so don't get the guidebook out too often!



Lost without it, 27 Nov 2007
I visited New York for the first time last Nov and I was given a mini rough guide to New York by a friend. I would have been lost without it.

It was a bible in my bag.

I am due to visit the big apple again in Jan and I decided to purchase the full rough guide to New York and I am not disappointed.

I have also order the mini rough guide to carry round New York when I get there.

The information contained within the book is well written and informative.

The maps at the back are a god's send and must not be under estimated in the overall picture and use of this product.

I would recommend this title to anyone wanting a comprehensive guide of New York.

Informative, practical and up-to-date, 09 Jun 2007
Before travelling to Manhattan for the first time, I browsed a number of different travel guides for New York City, and decided on this one because of its clarity and authority. The guide is easy-to-use, packed full of useful information for travellers, and had everything I needed to know. I also found the maps were better and the information it gave more generally up-to-date and more thorough than the Lonely Planet guide.

It doesn't provide you with pre-planned walks, but you don't need that if you have well-written sections on each district, a guide on what not to miss, and clear maps. The walks I've seen in other guides I actually find limiting, because I want to wander off in directions not officially "on the walk".

The only problem I had with the guide was that occasionally the information I needed wasn't all in one place, which isn't in itself a problem, but could also sometimes be impossible to find more than once. They need to put some thought into simplifying navigation between the sections, to make it quicker and easier - but despite this gripe I still think this is the best guide out there.

Dissapointed, 29 May 2007
This is my first Rough Guide book. I was a bit dissapointed. Although there is a lot of historical information compared to other guides regarding the monuments or areas, for practical information the guide is not very useful.
There are no suggested walks which would make the life much easier specially if your are there on a short stay. The maps for each area are oriented in different ways (north is not always up!) which makes following the streets between maps impossible. There are not estimated price range for the restaurants. The practical information is limited in two pages in small print almost at the end of the guide. The restaurants are in another section than the actual section for each area, without crossreference to pages which is a bit of a hussle. Finally, the citypass (a discount ticket for major attractions) is only mentioned in the adds section of the book.
In the future I might use the rough guide for information before the trip but not in situ.



Real Reviews but a Weighty Tome, 25 Oct 2008
Although having been to Disneyworld previously this is the first time I have bought this book. They state that they will give the real picture and this they certainly do, in a very humorous way. The book is littered with hints and tips and gives information on the best ways to go on rides and which ones are usually worth the wait. However, I think sometimes there is a bit too much information which could reduce a lot of spontenaity. The do everything as quickly as possible approach my be ok if you are only in Orlando for a few days but for Brits going over there for three weeks it just sounds exhausting. Some of the advice is good, such as taking rest days. The section on Walt Disney World with Kids is excellent. For the first time I will be going with children (my nieces aged 8 and 5) and will certainly take into account much of the advice. Some of the advice on eating in the parks is excellent and again the hints and tips are welcome. The section on booking character meals sounded like it would be harder to mount than a polar expedition and has made me decide to avoid these like the plague. Thanks for the advice guys. For those who are desperate to dine with the characters the plan of action is very well laid out. Overall, I have found this book to be helpful and I am sure much of it will enhance the experience of my trip. I hope everyone else in my party (all 7 of us) find it just as useful. Why 4 stars. The book is very thick and weighs a ton. It makes it somewhat impractical to take to the parks, but in their defence, the authors do provide tear out information sheets and maps at the back of the book.

Enjoy your trip..., 20 Oct 2008
My wife and I found this a very useful book for our 6-week road trip around the US in 2007. Initially we found it useful in the planning stage - the book suggests itineraries for 11 road trips, with small maps and descriptions of all towns/cities on the route, together with accommodation, places to eat and roadside attractions. When you are faced with the whole of the US to visit, we found it helpful to have these suggestions as a starting point. You don't have to follow them - we ended up stitching together parts of three different routes from the book and doing some of our own things as well. (We also used the Rough Guide and found that a large-scale road atlas was a must as well.)

When we travelled along the suggested routes we used the book throughout the day to locate places of interest and places to eat/stay. The book pointed us towards some really good diners to eat in (like Doug's Fish Fry in Skaneateles), some of which we would no doubt have stumbled on ourselves in some of the smaller places we passed through but others we possibly would have missed. The book does also contain a few notes on interesting places just off the routes and suggests a few diversions; it also has some general notes on states and areas and some odd interesting facts. Most days one of us would read out some of these interesting facts about the places we travelled through - world's largest kazoo anyone?

This makes a road trip across the USA sound tedious.., 19 Jul 2008
..which seems a difficult thing to do. What is good about it, is that it describes each town/city and provides a couple of ideas for places to stay/eat whic