Outstanding read! Travels in Australia, urban, rural & outback. One theme throughout is how there is much to know about, and much happens, Down Under, yet the rest of the world never finds out. Not to mention the length of flight to get there! Yet the cities are clean and inviting while the people are friendly, the distances to travel are great, the skies radiant, the weather mostly warm to very hot.

I almost forgot how much fun it is to read books about foreign countries and cultures. As soon as opened In a Sunburned Country, memories of reading travelogues about U.S. rushed back to me. Oh, how amazed I was those years ago to learn that apparently many Americans put their T-shirts on to swim in the pool and wear extra underwear underneath their swimming trucks (I am originally from one of those speedo countries) or that to go to a school dance you just have to have a boy-friend who is obligated to bring you a corsage or that American toilets already have water in them so that when you... no, I am not going to elaborate on this one.

What I am getting at is that Bill Bryson's book about Australia is full of entertaining facts like that plus more - he also introduces a lot of information about history of Australia, its landscape, nature, etc. Basically, tons of information for us, people completely unfamiliar with this distant country, to finally learn something, anything about it beyond what's written in The Thorn Birds.

What especially stood out for me:

1) Australia in fact was originally forcefully populated by criminals from England.

2) The country/continent is a dangerous place where you can expect to be poisoned by any insect and jelly fish or eaten by a crocodile.

3) Australians love building big things in the shapes of other things - Big Lobster, for instance.

4) How Aborigines found their way to the continent of Australia tens of thousands years ago is still a mystery and they weren't even considered people worthy of being mentioned on Australian census up until 1970s.

5) Non-whites weren't allowed to immigrate to Australia until the same 1970s.

... and much much more.

All in all, Bill Bryson succeeds in drawing a comprehensive picture of Australia, a vast, unexplored, beautiful, dangerous, young, distant country with some unattractive spots in its past (and maybe present).

Bill Bryson is always entertaining, because he's a good storyteller with a) a genuine appreciation for quirky characters and b) an un-cynical gee-whiz attitude. In other words, he gets a kick out of stuff, and the reader can't help but share the feeling. It's like listening to Click and Clack on CarTalk.

In this case, Bryson dashes around Australia appreciating its marvels, in particular its happy, open-hearted people and its physical and biological weirdness, its size and its ongoing relative obscurity vis a vis the rest of the world. He seems to try to take on the question of the aborigines and to feel guilty for not really doing so -- they and their tragedy are too much for his chipper little travel book to encompass, so he more or less gives up.

Bill Bryson has one of the most enjoyable voices in travel writing specifically and non-fiction writing overall. He takes his research seriously but presents his experiences in a light-hearted, self-effacing manner, which bothers some people. I know, for instance, several friends of mine who are avid hikers thoroughly detested Bryson's A Walk In The Woods because he didn't approach hiking the Appalachian Trail with the proper seriousness. But I think that's the point of Bryson's travel writing -- he is NOT the expert, he's the average guy who goes out there, experiences something, falls in love with it or not.

Here, he gets the point across that Australia is endlessly fascinating, endlessly dangerous, endlessly friendly, and endlessly ignored, with chapters dedicated to each region of the continent as he explores them on several different trips. He weaves the history of Australia the continent, and Australia the nation, into each section rather than lumping it all at the beginning; he does likewise with the nature segments. Bryson doesn't pretend to be either a natural scientist or a mathematician, although he brings those subjects into his work. His love for Australia shines through most of the book, even when he is painfully admitting he has no idea how to solve the problem of the still large separation between the white population and the Aborigines.

Of course it wouldn't be a Bryson book without some travel mishaps, although here they are largely of the "took a wrong road, forgot to book a hotel room" type and nothing really life threatening.
The edition I read had been updated with Bryson's reports from the Sydney Olympics, more fun reading as he picks apart American journalists' obvious lack of understanding about Australia, and how easily even veteran writers latch onto the classic Aussie stereotypes. Then again, Bryson indulges in at least one stereotype of his own: the always happy, always accommodating Australian. Almost anyone Bryson mentions in the book as having a negative personality end up being foreigners like himself; I can only think of one instance where he talks about negative or rude Australians, and they all seem to work at one particular hotel and reside in one particular city. I find that to be a bit of a stretch.

But again, Bryson's voice and obvious love for his subject make the book fun to read and fairly informative considering it is one man's travelogue rather than a history text.

BILL BRYSON'S BOOKS

I ordered this book (In a Sunburned Country) for a friend who is contemplating a trip to Australia. I had read this book several years ago and had read several other of his books. Bill Bryson is smart, funny, and keenly observant. I would read any of his books and am sorry that his most recent book is the only one available on Kindle. I am so spoiled with my Kindle that I don't want to read a paperback or hard cover

There is one thing about Bill Bryson; you either like him or you don't. Just reading the reviews here on Amazon and several other sites prove that. It is not just this work in question though; it is all of his work. I note that drifting from site to site that he, Bryson, has a small cadre of "haters," and all of their reviews sound sort of the same. And this is book after book....same reviewers, different books. You would think that after a few reads, and that if you found you did not like a particular author, then you would simply ignore his work. Not so with this author...go figure. This small group seems to hound his every work. Anyway, I personally like his books. I grant you I like some better than others, but that is only natural to my way of thinking. This work being reviewed here is one of his books that I particularly enjoyed.

To begin with we need to look at what this book is not. First, it is not an anthropological study of the Aborigine tribes of Australia. Yes, he does address them and their historical and tragic plight, but this is hardly the purpose of the book and no, he does not interview any of them. Secondly, this is not an all encompassing travel guide to all of the thousands of places to visit in this wonderful country. That would be an impossible task in a volume of this size. Thirdly, this is not a rough and tumble survivor type of trip (or series of trips, as the case is here) made by an intrepid survival type guy roughing it in the Outback...hey folks, this is Bryson. A cold beer, swimming pool and a good meal are relished by this guy.

What this work is, is a rather amusing and at times downright funny account of the author's trip, or to be precise, "trips" through various parts of the largest island country in the world. His travels, tribulations, adventures and encounters with various individuals are told in his normal understated and humorous style. I think one of the strong points of Bryson's writing is the ability to make fun of himself and to recognize his own short comings as a traveler, and indeed, a human being.

Unlike his work `A Walk in the Woods,' the author has kept his caustic remarks about the people he encounters to a minimum and only dealt out his understated sarcasms when they were richly deserved. The author has the ability to articulate, in a very funny and amusing way, what many of us are actually thinking when we encounter rude hotel staff member, encounter bad meals and or are bored to distraction with a place or area.

The author has filled his work with wonderful bits of trivial and not so trivial history, pieces of information we normally would not be exposed to without a great amount of research, and I must say I picked up a wealth of knowledge of geography, plants, animals, history, fish, snakes, insects, plants, minerals and people through reading this work. Yes, I know that some find his including these bits and pieces of his research into his work annoying and less than honest, but for me this is one of his strengths in presenting a very readable and interesting subject. Of all his works, this one included, I have yet to find an inaccuracy in his reporting, and I can assure you that I have made plenty of spot checks.

For a light read that is bound to entertain you, unless you are in the "I hate Bryson" camp, I cannot think of a better way to spend several evenings. On the other hand, if you have found a number of his books to not be up to your standards, then I suggest you skip this one. I personally eagerly await each and every book the man works on.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

A fun re-read from one of my favorite authors, Bill Bryson. Any book that Bryson pens is sure to lead to uncontrollable laughter, snorts, chortles or gaffaws, so plan your reading time accordingly. Not recommended reading material for mime class, funerals, or anywhere quiet, confined and where you will be surrounded by strangers - trust me on this. Even your own family members (*ehem* teenage daughters) might have a tendency to think you finally, irrevocably lost it and look warily at you as if you have become possessed by demons or body odor.

But I digress. Anyway, Bryson makes the land Down Under come alive to armchair travellers everywhere, and if you're not aching to call your travel agent by the time you finish this book, then I don't think you have an adventurous bone in your body.

Australia is a big country, filled with stranger and larger then life flora and fauna then one can possibly imagine. In Bryson's deft and sarcastic way, he manages to poke fun of and fulsomely praise this place at the same time. This is a land where prime ministers go missing forever and no one else in the world knows it, where deadly critters line up on land and in the sea awaiting the unsuspecting human to stumble upon them, where some Australian cities are often closer to other countries then they are to each other and where you can travel 1,500 miles along a rugged, scenic coast highway and pass only 2 other cars...

Bryson brings this land, its history, its people and its magnificence to vivid life. You'll laugh, you'll gape in wonder, and you'll sigh that you either weren't born there or don't have the money to get there to see for yourself. Count me as both!

I spent last semester studying in Australia. This book gave me a great overview of where I wanted and didn't want to visit in Australia without having to read through a dry tour book.

Bill Bryson gave an enlightening history and geography lesson on Australia. My family and I who were born in Australia have seen many of the locations Bill has spoken of. His sense of humor captures the real Australian attitude on life. His presentation on Australian history taught us things we didn't know and certainly were not taught in school. Despite the in depth description of the people, the attitudes, the dangers, the vastness, and the challenges written in his book, the audio version is even funnier and interesting with his feelings demonstrated with humor in his voice. Intoxicated or sober Bill was true to how Australia is and lives...well done.

Mr Bryson has the unique ability to leave the reader with a desire to experience those places he has been to. His often humorous observations
make for an entertaining read. Sprinkled with history and some of the personalities that make up that history, he covers an amazing amount of
geography on this wonderful and somewhat remote continent. I don't believe anyone would be disappointed with this book and I feel that it is
among those that should be read before a trip to Oz.

In this installment of travel writing, Bryson shares with the reader his love of and fascination with the island/country/continent of Australia. Anecdotes ranging from his intense fascination with all creatures and flora capable of killing him in this empty space, to the often friendly but occasionally confusing encounters with the residents of the outback's small towns provide amusing insight into his adventures and the clues to understanding why he loves the country so much.

This is my third Bryson book, and my second audiobook, and I think I prefer the audiobook format. There is something about his delivery...so dry and matter-of-fact...that just helps to enhance the hilarity of his storytelling. His voice really enabled me to imagine the odd situations he found himself in, and I felt that I was sitting at a dinner table swapping tall tales rather than just listening to someone read words on paper.

I've long wanted to visit Australia myself, and though I don't have the same fascination with the crocodiles or box jellyfish that he seems to, listening to the stories had me rushing to Google image animals and trees mentioned so that I could picture it better and dream of when I might see them for myself.

Bill Bryson has done it again.
Not only an amusing frolic around and in Australia, but also a very insightful historical dabble into this somewhat forgotten "planet".

Bryson travels by train and car digging up meaningful and significant events from years gone by to present times. Former explorers, Aborigines, modern-day city life, the wind swept big-empty of the Outback, flora and fauna, Australian oddities, even some things Aussies are not aware of, he has skillfully put together a wonderful travel book.
One way to achieve such cutting-edge style and perception is to talk to the local residents along the way, which Bryson does so wittingly. Good stories.

Although one may never have travel plans to Australia, the pages herein will ideate how interesting, exciting and attractive this country is, especially from this point of view.
A talented, fun read.

Here's what I know about this book:

1. If you are a Bill Bryson fan (A Short History of Nearly Everything, A Walk in the Woods, Shakespeare), then you will not be disappointed with In A Sunburned Country. His perspectives and witticisms are still there.

2. If you have been to, or plan to travel to Australia, then this volume will provide you with unique insights: the culture, the landscape, and the history.

3. If you consider yourself a people-watcher, you should find Bryson's observations of interest.

Here are a few tidbits:

"I bought a morning newspaper and found my way into a cafe. It always amazes me how seldom visitors bother with local papers. Personally I can think of nothing more exciting - certainly nothing you could do in a public place with a cup of coffee - than to read newspapers from a part of the world you know almost nothing about" (p. 71).

"The friendliness of Australians - all of it quite sincere and spontaneous, as far as I could ever tell - never ceases to amaze or gratify" (p. 77).

"...[Y]ou will never understand Australian politics. Part of the problem, of course, is that it is nearly impossible to track Australian politics from abroad because so little news of the country's affairs leak out into the wider world. But even when you are there and dutifully trying to follow it, you find yourself mired in a density of argument, a complexity if fine points, a skein of tangled relationships and enmities, that thwarts understanding. Give Australians an issue and they will argue it so passionately and in such detail, from so many angles, with the introduction of so many loosely connected side issues, that it soon becomes impenetrable to the outsider" (p. 99-100).

My three visits to Australia gave me the opportunity to "fact-check" Bryson. From discussing the impacts of the rabbits that ravaged the land, to the general friendliness of the people, to the invisible native people, his observations fit my own. I haven't been to Darwin, but based on the similarity of Bryson's reactions to parts of Australia that both of us visited, it doesn't sound like a particularly tourist-friendly location.

My foray into the "sunburned" portion of the country (north of Adelaide to Woomera) gave me a very small taste of the outback. I think Bryson did a good job at sensing its vastness and inhospitableness. In the urban zones, there is a coffee house or pub on every corner, it seems.

If you are planning a trip, real or imaginary, to Australia, I recommend this book.

'In A Sunburnt Country'/'Down Under' is another entertaining Bryson travelogue, as he grapples with the Australian language, environment, wildlife, and vast distances. Australia is enourmous and incredibly diverse, but Bryson is able to provide a fairly comprehensive view of the country as a whole. He actually made a number of independent trips Down Under, all to different parts of the country, for this book.

As always, Bryson has done his homework, reciting an impressive series of historical and geographical facts of which even Australians may not be fully aware. However, it is important to emphasise that Bryson's main objective is to tell an entertaining story, so not every word needs to be taken literally. He will often exaggerate and stereotype for humour, he makes a few minor geographic errors here and there, and he seems to have let one bad incident in Darwin tar his view of the whole town. Nevertheless, most of the personal anecdotes and observations are so funny, you won't care if there's a little embellishment here and there.

It is clear Bryson loves Australia and its people, and as someone from Midwestern USA, he seems to feel an strong affinity with the Australian culture and lifestyle. Apart from a couple of individuals, Bryson in general has great respect for ordinary Australian people. There is little of the snarky cynicism and borderline-elitist sentiment which plagued 'The Lost Continent' on display here.

In all, this is a typically interesting (if not 100% accurate) Bryson book, which provides a reasonably informative and highly entertaining introduction to Australia.

Unlike in his notes on England, written after years in the country, Bryson here only spends a matter of weeks and barely scratches the surface of what Australia has to offer.

That said, I do believe there's no-one else who could possibly scratch the surface so skilfully. His writing is fun and engaging as always. Self-deprecation and humility throughout are nice things to see from a travel writer, and he does manage to meet some fascinating characters along the way.

He drives home most skilfully his relatively simpleminded thesis that Australia is a fascinating place that we in the outside world don't pay enough attention to. In fact, he says it over and over. In fact, it's the final line of the book.

At some point, I began to tire of his repeated pleasant surprises throughout the country. I lost count of the number of museums he was dreading and then found to be unexpectedly wonderful. I'm just not sure that every dusty obscure museum or landmark in Australia is as fascinating as every other one.

Despite that, he does throw in enough anecdotes and humour to keep the reader entertained, if not educated on a very deep level beyond the simple fact that Australia is too vast to encapsulate in a single book, including this one.

My biggest, in fact, perhaps only, disappointment (other than the fact that he never found a museum or attraction he didn't rave about!) is that he frequently mentions the Aboriginal history of Australia, and the modern-day state of the Aborigines, yet never went out of his way to actually find, meet, or speak with an Aborigine.

It's as if he looked at them, considered their noble history, considered their modern plight, shrugged his shoulders, and walked away.

I really wanted to know more. I guess I needed Bryson to meet at least one person from this ancient and fascinating culture and see Australia through more than just European or North American eyes, just for a second. I just don't believe the wall between the worlds is that insurmountable that a persistent travel writer couldn't have made contact.

Nevertheless, and call me shallow if you like, I found this somewhat shallow book deeply enjoyable. It certainly isn't the end-all of Australiana... it doesn't claim to be, but rather claims to offer a glimpse of a fascinating world few of us know. And glimpses, indeed, it provides in spades.

I just returned from a three-week jaunt through Australia and this book makes a very nice companion for the journey. It is layered with facts, anecdotes, and historical tidbits about the country and its teeming flora and fauna. I love the way Bryson presents it all ....his style is so effortless and casual that it reads like a conversation instead of a lecture. For this element of the book, I give 5 stars. Contained within are some fascinating and amusing stories about Australia's intriguing and unlikely history, its natural beauty, contrasting landscape and ecology. I tore through these paragraphs and pages with gusto....

....but filling the gap between these colorful anecdotes and tidbits are the stories of Bill's "adventure" in exploring, experiencing, and writing. These areas of the book are much less compelling. While some of the stories are particularly poignant and others are quite often amusing, they can be boring, seem like filler, and on one or two occasions (especially around Darwin), downright condescending and mean-spirited. While sarcasm and snark have become pervasive throughout popular media, they seem out of place here, and one gets the impression that Bryson can be, on occasion--how do I say this kindly--a bit of a jerk. Even when the locals seem to deserve it, I feel he goes too far in chastising them simply to show that he can write a witty and delicious put-down.

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone travelling to Australia or simply interested in reading an interesting account of its history....the balance of narrative vs. content is a bit off as I mentioned, just breeze through the superfluous parts and concentrate on the superbly satisfying quick history lessons.

I have never read anything by Bill Bryson that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. His prose is readable, very humorous and if you're not careful you will learn a lot about Australia.

Once again Bill Bryson hits the nail on the head with this trully funny book. Truer observations were never made and you feel as if you are really on the trip with him.

I'm always amazed how my ten-year old can finish a book and then turn back to the first page and read it again, and then once she's done that start it all over again. Bill Bryson is one of the few authors--and this goes especially for travel writers--whose works I could take pleasure in reading again.

IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY, which chronicles two visits to Australia Bryson made to write this book (a new appendix covers Bryson's additional visit to Sydney to report on the 2000 Summer Games), begins in Sydney, follows him out through the Blue Mountains and south to the national capital district of Canberra, onward to Adelaide and Sydney's rival sister Melbourne, and then north to Surfers Paradise near Brisbane (with many side trips, of course). After a hiatus in the States, he returns to Australia to travel in Queensland, first visiting the Great Barrier Reef and then flying to Darwin. He travels overland to Alice Springs and makes a quick pilgrimage to Uluru, a.k.a. Ayers Rock. Finally, he flies to Western Australia to Perth, and drives eight hours up to Shark Bay.

Of course, it's Bryson's stories told on the way, containing a luxuriant dose of good humor, that carries the book. Among these stories include the "mysterious seismic disturbance" in the remote Australian outback that some attributed to the Aum Shinrikyo cult (p. 4), the drowning of an Aussie Prime Minister, Harold Holt (p. 143), the massacre of Aborigines at Myall Creek (p. 191), the deaths of a pair of Yankee scuba divers at the Great Barrier Reef (pp. 217-218), Cyclone Tracy's devastation of Darwin (pp. 230-231), and the continued existence of the Great Daddy of us all, the stromatolites, descendants of the first living Earth organisms 3.5 billion years ago now living their lives in retirement off the western coast of Australia (pp. 298-299). That's just a sprinkling of the stories; there are also the accounts of the flora and fauna, giant and (re the stromatolites) tiny, benign and deadly (witness the box jellyfish that delivers an excruciatingly painful death).

As in A WALK IN THE WOODS, Bryson is at his best when he is traveling with someone. This is especially true in the section on Queensland, when his traveling companion is UK television producer Allan Sherwin. The banter is always funny; it's as if to be really on his game Bryson needs a foil. Overall, though, Bryson is not quite as acerbic in temperament as in NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND. It's true that he doesn't suffer fools gladly, whether they be benighted journalists or just plain stupid hotel clerks. He's the kind of guy you want to travel with because he'll say what you're thinking. Besides, he loves a good pub.

IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY celebrates the majesty of Australia and the wonderful friendliness of its people. Nonetheless, Bryson doesn't shy away from Australia's shameful treatment of its Aborigines. He is an honest traveler, which makes his overall joy in Australia all the more genuine.

If you've read "A Walk in the Woods," Bill Bryson's best known book, "I'm a Stranger Here Myself," or "Notes from a Small Island," you'll know the Bryson style and format.

"In a Sunburned Country" is Bryson's journey and travel tale throughout Australia. Classic Bryson at his best. I've read most of what Bill Bryson has written since "Walk in the Woods" and consider "In a Sunburned Country" to be its equal.

By now, Bill Bryson is a well-established travel writer.

This is the first Bryson book I have read. It is a cross between and story and a travel guide. It makes me want to go to Australia. I will definitely read more of his books.

A pretty good read about that country down under. The author takes you on a journey around the continent as well as into its past, and does so with a decent helping of satire and irony. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's works.

I read this book almost twice--first silently to myself, then every other paragraph had to be read aloud to my husband. I felt like I had encountered Dave Barry, Carl Hiassen, and Art Buchwald all rolled into one very funny writer.

I won't repeat all the accolades written by other reviewers. I will say that I finished the book on 7/30/08, and we were boarding a plane for New Zealand/Australia on 10/26/08. A wonderful trip inspired by a great travel book.

This was my first Bryson book and it was a lot of fun. When I was in Australia other tourists kept asking me is I read the book so I had to get it and see what all the fuss was about. It is an easy read yet gives you a lot of info on history, geography, nature, the people etc. I recommend it both for people that have visited as it is fun to compare your thoughts with Bill's and also to those who have not yet gone.

"Sunburned Country" is one fantastic audio book. I had no idea what I was in for, knowing very little about Australia, but Mr. Bryson's descriptions of his excellent adventures back and forth across the continent/country down under were VERY enlightening. I've grown to be very fond of his audio books, which he narrates himself. His distintive style and unique Iowegian/British accent add much color and interest to his recitations. His observances and opinions make for a super listen. I now want to visit Aussie-Land for myself!

Bill Bryson has the great ability to make the commonplace both interesting and hilarious. He makes Australia come alive, it's people, it's history, and it's many oddities, from echidnas to the "Giant Lobster." It also takes a master to weave hilarious personal anecdotes with serious reflections. I found the section on the aborigines to be particularly moving. I've reach much of Bill Bryson's work, and I'd have to say that this is the best of the best.

During several lunches, I laughed so hard I snorted salsa up my nose (twice) and diet coke (once). Not only is it descriptive and informative, it's funny as heck! Sometimes you're tooling along reading it and suddenly, out of no where, a single sentence or turn of phrase sneaks up and bites you in the butt! Great read! Enjoyed it immensely!

This is a wonderfully insightful and accurate observation of Australia. The author thoroughly researched his subject, then added his own perspective and views. I real joy to read.

This book is great very entertaining. I purchased the book because I am planning on moving to Australia and wanted to get some perspective on what it was like. Besides an a slight feeling that I will die because Bryson constantly reminds you of the creatures in the country that might kill you; crocodile, snakes, spiders, etc. I am very excited for my future trip to Australia. I was also very happy to find that he did not concentrate on just Sydney and Melbourne but all over the country which not many books do.

This is for the audio version of In a Sunburned Country. I laughed nonstop while listening to this. It's narrated by the author, which I really enjoyed.

Bryson manages to convey enormous amounts of information and a fair bit of commentary about Australia in a fun, easy-to-read package that makes you care about the country, the people, the animals, the plants, and even the ancient bits of grey goo (that created the basis for all life on the planet) which are found in Australia. Interesting, educational, and laugh-out-loud funny, this is a book which will make you want to read everything that Bryson has ever written and emigrate to Australia, buy an RV, and see the country. Best travel book I have ever read. Donald J. Bingle, Author of GREENSWORD

I didn't finish reading the book so I can't give a complete review - the only thing I have to strongly suggest is that you read before landing in Australia. Otherwise, you'll just wish you had read it before because you learn things about the country and its history that you are going to wish you had known while you were actually there. The little I did read was so witty and entertaining. I wish I had read it all before arriving!

It was a delightfully painless travel read. Very well researched, a lot of background but the the anecdotes were so humorous that it was very hard to put down. Yes, Bill Bryson is information And Entertaining.
Thank you, Bill. Now do the same for New Zealand.

I bought this book to read while on vacation. I have to say this was the first book that I ever read and laughed until I had tears. I lived for a few years in South Australia and this book brought back great memories. I recalled my first few days in country and the experience. This book is light hearted and witty, just pure fun. The boogie board experience was hilarious.

If only the authors of history books were as talented as Bill Bryson. I started with Bill in "A Walk in the Woods", which I enjoyed as well. Something about this book is even better. I was laughing out loud within reading the first few pages--the way he described his first boogie boarding experience is to die for, very few books ever evoke that response of me. This book is very informative, lots of interesting facts (and I'm not talking about the rather standard and basic facts you can find in an encyclopedia), discussed without stereotype, perfect for someone about to go to Australia (shouldn't everyone know what norks are without having to ask?) or who is interested in the history of Australia. Bill's approach to travel as he describes his own adventures really inspires me to be more adventurous in my own travels. I'm off on my next Bryson book.

I read this book right before a trip to Australia, finished on the first leg of the flight. The whole time traveling around the country (great place by the way), I found myself seeing and hearing things right off the pages. My wife got so tired of listening to my chuckle and me trying to explain what was so funny that she read it on a train trip we did in our second week of the trip. If you've got a trip to Oz in your future, get the usual travel guides but also get this book.

I've read this book three times and I'm sure I will read it many more. Bill's insightful commentary on his travels through Australia is fascinating. His prose is easy to read, making this a great bathroom or late night reader.

You will learn facts about Australia you never knew all the while laughing out loud at Bill's perspective on his experiences. You will feel like the author brought you along for the journey!

I ran into this audio book on a used mp3 player I bought,,hmm hmm on ebay. Rather than just delete everything, I thought should check things out. I don't get time to read books, though I would like to. I have audio books, but never have time to listen to them either. One title was Bill Bryson. Never heard of him, but I had a few hours to listen to my mp3 payer. So I may as well check out the books that were on there. The author had kind of a British accent. I don't like british accents that much. They annoy me., alot. (crippes, now im writting like him))) After a short listen to this book not even starting from the beginning of the book, I could not put this down. The intelligents and style of writting/speaking was informitive, clear and humorous along with the vivid immagination of views of what he was talking about. Yes, several laughs out loud with the ear-bud mp3 player headphones on. I recommend this to anyone who appriciates some history,humor,life and a chance to get away from it all. If you like travel or just basic human behavior, you should love it. I would love for my family to hear this book.

I'm sure there are tons of reviews like mine. Anyways: I loved that book. It's very funny and loaded with information. Since I'm planning to go to Australia in December, I'm glad for all the tips and hints the book comes with. However, as always coming from Bill Bryson, it's a great read.

I read Bryson's "A short history of nearly everything" and I did enjoy the book. However when reading "In a Sunburned Country" I have to say I was disappointed at the overall tone of the book.

While fans of Bryson may think he is humorous, most of his humor falls flat and somewhat tasteless especially in his cavalier treatment of the beloved game of Cricket. Please, if you don't understand cricket and never grew up with it, you have no clue what you are talking about, and the attempted humor was pathetic.

Another thing I find mildly offputting is that he mentions in the beginning of the book that it feels great to land in Australia where everything seems similar to America and how civilized it is, and that people look like you. Is he saying that the people are white? So if I was not a white person I should feel uncomfortable? There are many other countries not too far from Australia where the people may not look like Bryson, but that does not mean one can't feel comfortable and feel that people of those countries are friendly.

It also appears that all Bill Bryson and his traveling buddy want to do is find bars and drink excessively. He does not really explore the culture of Australia in a deeper sense, it reminds me more of two college kids driving through another country.

Overall the book gave me a decent idea of Australia, but now I am not sure how accurate it is.

A visit to with an old friend with map in hand and adventure ahead is what I was to discover upon re-reading Sunburned Country. I first read Bryson's book about his trip to Australia when it was first published and recently recommended it to friends who are traveling with us down under later in the month. They loved the book and I thought it might be fun to re-read it in preparation for our trip. Now, I normally don't waist time going back to a book I have already read when I have too many on the shelf as it is. But this was a most rewarding and entertaining experience. Bryson is a traveler who specializes in being an historian of the lesser knows. If facts about plants and animals that can kill you in Australia could, in fact, kill you while reading about them; well, no doubt, I'm then now dead from a crocodile attack to my funny bone. What fun!

I read this book before returning to Australia after forty years. I'd been there as an exchange student in 1967 and returned in 2008 with my grown son, for two weeks. I'd asked my son to read it to after I finished so that he'd have an idea what Australia was about. Bryson reports fairly and with humor. Even though it's been a while since it was written, what he wrote still holds true, although we found the music in public transportation in South Australia was all the way up to the 1980s, not the 1950s!

My only gripe with the book is his editorializing about how Australia has treated the Anangu (aboriginals). Americans have no moral high ground to stand on with respect to how we've treated native peoples. And while I do not pretend any expertise in the history or current affairs of Australia and aborigines, I believe Bryson's opinions in this area are inappropriate.

Reviewing a book that has been in print for eight or so years has an almost Rip Van Winkle feel to it. Like I just woke up and discovered I had missed something while asleep. However, I have to admit that picking up this Bryson "travel narrative" much later than the reviewers before me, and having read many of the positive reviews posted, I am sorry to say my tardy review won't be among them. This book just isn't in the same category as NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, or even his tale of a partial saunter along the Applachian Trail A WALK IN THE WOODS. The humor is just not there. It's as though Bryson was compelled to write 300 plus pages of something about Australia by his publisher and went to the library to find interesting bits and pieces among the stacks to pad it with. There is a lot of historical, geological, zoological, and botanical information contained within. In fact, the bibliography at the back of the book has three pages of very tiny print. While interesting and informative, especially to anyone who is going to Australia for the first time or has just returned from there and wants to relive the experience, there's little for the armchair traveler to really enjoy. The author doesn't interact with many locals, unlike his previous books, and goes off on a tangent about "the invisible people" (aka the Aborigines). It's a social commentary about the sad plight of these people when their culture clashes with white Australia. He interviews a few white people in the outback about their view of "Abos," (which is generally one of indifference) but doesn't talk to an Aborigine about his/her view of life alongside whatever whites he/she has had contact with. That aside, I have to say that I still like the way Bryson writes, when he's not lecturing me about flora and fauna or offering his liberal social opinions and sticks to well-written humorous slices of life. Sorry, Bill. I just can't recommend this book.

Reviewing a book that has been in print for eight or so years has an almost Rip Van Winkle feel to it. Like I just woke up and discovered I had missed something while asleep. However, I have to admit that picking up this Bryson "travel narrative" much later than the reviewers before me, and having read many of the positive reviews posted, I am sorry to say my tardy review won't be among them. This book just isn't in the same category as NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, or even his tale of a partial saunter along the Applachian Trail A WALK IN THE WOODS. The humor is just not there. It's as though Bryson was compelled to write 300 plus pages of something about Australia by his publisher and went to the library to find interesting bits and pieces among the stacks to pad it with. There is a lot of historical, geological, zoological, and botanical information contained within. In fact, the bibliography at the back of the book has three pages of very tiny print. While interesting and informative, especially to anyone who is going to Australia for the first time or has just returned from there and wants to relive the experience, there's little for the armchair traveler to really enjoy. The author doesn't interact with many locals, unlike his previous books, and goes off on a tangent about "the invisible people" (aka the Aborigines). It's a social commentary about the sad plight of these people when their culture clashes with white Australia. He interviews a few white people in the outback about their view of "Abos," (which is generally one of indifference) but doesn't talk to an Aborigine about his/her view of life alongside whatever whites he/she has had contact with. That aside, I have to say that I still like the way Bryson writes, when he's not lecturing me about flora and fauna and sticks to well-written humorous slices of life. Sorry, Bill. I just can't recommend this book.

First off I'd like to say that Bill Bryson is a very humorous and talented writer. In a Sunburned Country is full of Bryson's humorous anectdotes and fluid --entertaining writing style. The book is certainly worth purchasing just for the laughs it provides and the opportunity to experience Australia thru the eyes of a real travel pro.

The only criticism I have of the book is that sometimes I feel that Bryson is making some of his unique encounters up--or embellishing his anecdotes and stories with a good dose of bullocks. But whatever his methods--I must admit that I loved the book and it has paved the way for me to make additional purchases of Bryson's travel books.

The book was sent promptly and was exactly as advertised.

Great service!

I read this book on the way to Sydney a couple of years ago at the beginning of a project assignment which called for me to spend about six weeks there. I enjoyed the author's writing style much more than a typical travel book. However, despite the light tone and the many humorous anecdotes, I found that Mr. Bryson really did effectively capture a "feel" for the culture. Time and again, as I interacted with the people while working with them, I was reminded of a passage in the book. I beleive that reading the book helped me relate to the people more easily. Highly recommended.

Everything you never knew about Australia, presented in entertaining prose. I'm reading this book for the 2nd time and enjoying it quite as much as the first. My only complaint with this book is the map provided in the front - hand drawn and almost completely useless, it shows maybe half of the places mentioned in the book.

I initially bought the CD version of Sunburned Country thinking it would keep me from driving off I-5 into a feedlot while traversing San Francisco to LA and back. As it turned out - Mr. Bryson's account is so much more than caffeine or background entertainment that I must revisit this book (without the roar of Big Rigs or BMW's) to experience the details, wonderful insight, amazing adventures and most of all - hilarious perspective that he brings to Australia. Hearing it read by the author adds the perfect pitch to this journey, which has made this "book" a treasure!!

Bill Bryson's take on Australia is hilarious. I'm going there in a few weeks and can't wait to compare my experiences with him. This is a book that will have you chuckling, laughing out loud and then marveling at his insight and sense of humor. A must read for anyone interested in Australia and that part of the world.