Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. This time in Australia.His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the … continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.
Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book.
Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.
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One of Bryson’s funniest books. A unique place described by a great writer.
I read In a Sunburned Country on a plane headed towards Australia. It seemed a fitting read, and proved to be so. Bryson’s book is different from the normal travel book, infusing sarcastic humor and facts about the country and its people. It’s an insightful read with a lot of depth about a country, that most travel books leave untouched. Not only …
Bill Bryson wrote this book and I picked it up on a whim. It was a laugh out loud funny book, plus educational concerning the landscape, history and culture of Australia.
The author brings an uncritical eye to the zany contradictions of character and culture, and the vast geographical distances of Australia, and in describing them, enables you to be there as well. Witty and entertaining.
I liked this book so much I had to go to Australia. Not only that but I bought this book for a friend who was going to Australia. Bill Bryson is a really funny guy in a rather subtle way.
I laughed so hard I very nearly wet my pants!
Very much enjoy Bryson’s writings about Australia, but book now needs updating.
A great, if note THE beat Australian travel book. Witty, funny, amusing & insightful. I was given copies two different copies by folks who’d been there several times. It’s a great motivator!
It caused me to explore Australia.
Everything Bryson writes is fun to read. He is an excellent story teller with a rather dry wit. His ode to Australia is no exception. Here are just a few random bits which hopefully convey a sense of his writing style:
(writing about his encounter with a Portuguese Man-O-War)
“as I later learned from browsing through a fat book titled, if I …
I think Bill Bryson is the best. I read anything I can find of his.
A fun read, AND I learned some things about Australia as a bonus. I found myself looking up things that I was reading about, which made me enjoy the book even more. I would love to travel with the author – just to see if he is as funny in person as he is in his books.
Funny and informative
Read this book years ago – loved it. But then I like most of what he writes. It was full of interesting information and easy to read. It caught my attention right away and held it. Austrailia is not a country for wimps!
He makes me laugh aloud AND learn lots about other countries. I highly recommend his work
While it wasn’t a laugh-a-minute (like his “A Walk in the Woods”, but I learned so much about Australia — historical, animal and bug-related, and just plain quirky. I doubt I’ll ever get to Australia, but if I do, I’ll re-read the book on the plane. A travel guide to the strange and bizarre places on a continent that’s full of threats to life and …
Perfect preparation for a trip to Australia.
Laughed so hard i could barely breathe. And that was AFTER my husband had read the funny parts to me. It deserves 10 stars … or more.
One of the funniest books I’ve ever read! I love Bill Bryson. I read this in 2002 when I returned from 8 months living In Australia. I laughed so hard impede myself. His description of the Australian fly…. I still remember every word… it will lick your eye ball!
I gave it to my mother (who had never been to Australia) and I could hear her …
Another stellar work by Mr. Bryson! A little bit of history and geography of Australia, layered with an amusing travel experience. It’s a giggle on nearly every page. Fascinating facts about Australia are the icing on this cake.