An American Journey

Name: An American Journey
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ISBN: 9781915812902

Ethel Mannin, Joanna Pocock

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English

UEA Publishing Project
31 May 2026

Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000; Classic travel writing

In the spring of 1965, British novelist Ethel Mannin decided to see America ""the hard way""—traveling by bus from New York to California and back. What she records in An American Journey is all too reminiscent of today's America: racial discrimination, economic inequality, environmental exploitation, and treatment of native Americans as second-class citizens. Her outsider's perspective provides an eye-opening view on both America's recent past and continuing challenges.

Starting out in New York City, Mannin crosses the U.S., noting its eyesores and disgraces along with its grandeurs and glories. Long an advocate of outsiders and the oppressed, she observes the desperate poverty on Indian reservations and the hopelessness of the young and unemployed in Watts. She sees the reluctance of America's most privileged people to open the same opportunities to its least privileged. And yet, everywhere she encounters an irrepressible sense of optimism and faith in the American dream.

As Joanna Pocock, who recounted similar journeys across America by bus in her book Greyhound, writes, Mannin records the ""myriad human dramas and mundane exchanges played out and on Greyhounds across the country."" At the same time, she notes, ""There are two journeys at the heart of this book: an inner and an outward one,"" placing An American Journey among the classics of travel literature.

A Note from the Publishers: This book was originally published in 1967. It is a historical text and for this reason we have not made any changes to its use of language.

By: Ethel Mannin
Introduction by: Joanna Pocock
Imprint: UEA Publishing Project
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 180g
ISBN: 9781915812902
ISBN 10: 1915812909
Publication Date: 31 May 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Ethel Mannin was a prolific writer, author of over eighty novels, travel books, memoirs, and literary and political criticism. Born in London in 1900, she inherited her father's unique combination of socialism and grass-roots Christianity and throughout her life remained an advocate of outsiders and the oppressed. Active in anti-fascist movements in the 1930s, she became a vocal supporter of sovereignty for the Palestinians after the recognition of Israel. She also prided herself on traveling ""the hard way"" and published books on her journeys in the Soviet Union, the Middle East, India and Pakistan, as well as in England and the United States. She died in Devon in 1984.