Coast to Coast: A Journey Across 1950s America

by Jan Morris

Following the recent publication of Jan Morris’s final book, here is her very first. Fresh from her success reporting on the first Everest ascent in 1953, she spent a year journeying by car, train, ship, and aircraft across the United States. “I did not know it then, and nor did America, but chance had brought me across the Atlantic at the very apex of American happiness,” writes Morris in her new introduction. The author was then James Morris, and America’s identity was different then, too. In brilliant prose, Morris records with exuberance and wonder a time of innocence in America. “The prose sparkles, and everything [Morris] tells glitters.” — San Francisco Chronicle

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History, The United States Of America

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2002

About the author

Jan Morris was a British historian, author and travel writer. Morris was educated at Lancing College, West Sussex, and Christ Church, Oxford, but is Welsh by heritage and adoption. Before 1970 Morris published under her assigned birth name, "James ", and is known particularly for the Pax Britannica trilogy, a history of the British Empire, and for portraits of cities, notably Oxford, Venice, Trieste, Hong Kong, and New York City, and also wrote about Wales, Spanish history, and culture.

In 1949 Jan Morris married Elizabeth Tuckniss, the daughter of a tea planter. Morris and Tuckniss had five children together, including the poet and musician Twm Morys. One of their children died in infancy. As Morris documented in her memoir Conundrum, she began taking oestrogens to feminise her body in 1964. In 1972, she had sex reassignment surgery in Morocco. Sex reassignment surgeon Georges Burou did the surgery, since doctors in Britain refused to allow the procedure unless Morris and Tuckniss divorced, something Morris was not prepared to do at the time. They divorced later, but remained together and later got a civil union. On May, 14th, 2008, Morris and Tuckniss remarried each other. Morris lived mostly in Wales, where her parents were from.

Reviews

[Jrobertus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jan Morris (once James Morris) is a famous British travel author and historian. This is a collection of essays about a year long trip through America in the mid 1950s. The writing is witty, if a bit snarky at times. Some of the observations are dated now, but the writing is crisp and the view from 60 years ago is enlightening. I was particularly taken by his critical analysis of the South; it seems that the racist attitudes she described then are still pertinent today. The review of Charleston "society" fits will with comments I heard from scientists who lived there while working at the Cancer center. People there are obsessed with their regal relatives rather than what they personally have accomplished.

[Heidi Seary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not at all what I expected as I thought I would read about an interesting road trip through 1950’s America. Instead what I got was a series of disjointed essays about various parts of the country with an outdated and often offensive account of what the writer was detailing. The writing is good but I don’t think this book has stood the test of time. There was an amusing part when writing about the racist south when Jan Morris talks about the horror people in the south would have if a black man got into political power which amused me but at the same time she writes about jabbering Mexican children or makes other offensive statements about non-white people.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this are beautifully written, and Morris is an astute observer of atmosphere and space. Plus, it is always interesting to see what this country (the U.S.) looks like to an outside observer, and to see what it looked like in the past, and this book does both together. What struck me the most, I think, is her thoughts about what would happen in the future; she saw some things both about the South and about the blind patriotism of the Midwest that have continued into the present.

[Simon J Alvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange book tbh. Morris is a spectacular writer and there is much of that to enjoy, the description of New York is incredible. However it reads like the somewhat disjointed writing of a young writer trying things out, and seems to mix writing from the 50s and 60s, in spite of its subtitle. Also the attitudes and language around black people and racial injustice do put off a modern audience. All in all I need to read more Jan Morris, but this wasn't the best start point.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed much of this book, there were times when the author's viewpoint stuck in my craw. Her opinions are very decided. While she justly rails against injustice, she also describes pueblos as, "poor mud pile[s]" that are "dull work." There are many such passages to be found.

[Pamela Saenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this travelogue of 1950s America. Such an interesting account of America of that time -- and a reminder of how much has changed. I enjoyed the many evocative descriptions, sometimes surprising (and frank) opinions, and sprinklings of humor.

[Graham S · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyable and insightful. a lot of what she wrote 60 years ago would apply today

[Darla Ebert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out well and interestingly enough but bogged down in the middle. It is undeniable the author was a good writer. I have enjoyed many other books written by Morris.

[Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Jan Morris' writing for her richness of historical knowledge, best illustrated in the book "The World of Venice". However, USA was built for merely a few centuries. How would Morris account for such country without a long history?

NEW YORK

It was more remembered than the places with "mystery or age" (Venice, Moscow, Everest, Kerak, etc).
The highway, and the vehicles. The sight of the skyscrapers. The Lincoln Tunnel and its radio.
The scenes of Manhattan ( Policeman, summer frock racks, trains, liners,shopping women,men in taxi,Polish shops, newspapers, colors/noises/smells,cats, dustcarts, buses, etc).
The Statue of Liberty, and the lines carved upon its plinth.
The exuberant people, the taxi-drivers, the waiters, the drug store girl.
People at the skating rink at Rockefeller Center.

[Diana Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much...

[Mike Peleah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of travel notes by an Englishman in 1950s USA is interesting as (i) snapshot of late 1950s USA; (ii) through the eyes of an Englishman. Very enjoyable reading.

[Catherine Mustread]

1950s book by a British travel writer