The scale of the problem is overwhelming

The scale of the problem is overwhelming.”With what seems like slightly childish idealism, he refuses to be negative about it. “I do think that, with 15 or 20 years of good government, stable government, and help from the outside world, you could turn the place around. It wouldn’t suddenly be Paris or London, but it would be much better than it is. What they need is focus and responsibility and help, a government that’s not corrupt, and an outside world that’s helping them on.”Blimey.

Is there a danger that the genial Bryson, the wide-eyed traveller and droll sceptic, is being turned into a diplomat, a goodwill ambassador, a political engag?He shakes his head. “I’ll always be extremely naive as far as politics is concerned You can pull the wool right over my eyes. I think I’ll always be well-meaning and tempted into simplistic answers. Politics is not a place where I should go, it’s not a territory where I can make a difference as a writer. But I can help a group such as Care to raise its profile and generate funds. If you really want to appreciate a place such as Africa, you need Paul Theroux, someone more sophisticated than I am I’m happy to leave it to him. Making jokes is what I do.”Calculated self-effacement is what he does, too Mr Bryson is not a natural joker.

His strength has always been his irresistible yoking together of enthusiasm, wonderment and laconic humour. But in many of his books you can detect a desire to do more than skate across the surface of things, places, people – to flex his considerable intelligence, to test his powers of understanding. Hence, I suspect, A Short History of Nearly Everything.And now (hurrah!), he and his family are coming back to live in England. They’ve bought a house, not in Yorkshire this time, but in Norfolk.