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 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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In a Sunburned Country
By Bill Bryson
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 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.
Popular Reviews(1)
Reviewed by Tara NelsonI haven't finished this book yet, but it is so funny. I have never read Bill Bryson, so I wasn't sure what I was going to get. In <u>In a Sunburned Country</u>, Bill Bryson writes about his travels through Australia. Sometimes, he travels alone, and other times, he has friends or co-workers with him. Bryson tells of his adventures with humor and great description. It shows in the way he writes, that he really loves Australia and respects the Australian people. I visited Sydney in 1997 and fell inlove with the few things I saw. Reading this book brought back all of the warm feelings I had for the people and city, as well as made me hungry for experiencing more of Australia. There is a lot about Australia's history that Bryson covers in this book, which I found to be very fascinating because all I knew about the history was that it was a country of prisoners from England in its early beginnings. There's a lot more to it than that. He explains the prisoner beginnings, as well as explorations conducted both around the continent as well as across it. Bryson tells some of the, as yet unstudied/unresearched, history of the Aboringines. There is so little known about these people and yet they have been victims of years of abuse. Bryson also relates very humorous stories about the various deadly creatures that call Australia home. Australia is home to some of the deadliest snakes, spiders and crocodiles in the world. The Box Jellyfish and taipan snake are both mentioned quite a bit by Bryson, many times in humorous stories related to him by Australians. Based on how he describes the stories he is told by "the locals", I began to picture Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter. Bryson has a refreshing way of telling a story. He tells it with humor and affection, pride and respect. I'm anxious to visit Australia again and go to some of the places he describes. THis is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about Australia or is planning a trip there. THis book will tell you things that all those tourism guide books don't, and you'll get a good belly laugh as a bonus. *Quick note: just finished the book. Loved it! Bill Bryson has a fantastic ability to tell an engaging story. I am trying to plan a trip to Australia now, and plan on trying to see some of the places he talked about in the book. Been to Sydney in 1997, think it is time to try Perth and Melbourne.