In a Sunburned Country

I recently have been on a reading jag involving inhaling as many of Bill Bryson's books as possible. The latest milestone is his tour de force of Australia entitled "Down Under." Any travel writer - and Bryson is far more than a "mere" travel writer - who is able to make me want to book the next flight on Qantas is someone worth reading. As he does in all of his books, Bryson uses his travels through Australia to feed the reader delicious and gritty morsels of history, culture and human interest. I was particularly motivated to read this book because I have many friends and clients in Australia, and hope to visit there in 2017. I laughed throughout my reading of this book as Bryson relayed story after story of adventures and misadventures as he traveled thousands of miles in the Land Down Under. The reviewer for the New York Times said it perfectly: "If there is one book with which to get oriented before departure or en route to Australia, this is it. Allow me to share a brief excerpt from this work to give you a small taste of Bryson's style as he reacts to the antipodian continent and culture: Driving in a remote part of the Outback, Bryson found that the only radio station whose signal he could now receive was broadcasting an interminable cricket match. The author's send-up of the commentator's dialogue had me howling with delight. "'Pritchard begins his long run in from short stump. He bowls and . . .oh, he's out! Yes, he's got him. Longwilley is caught leg-before in middle slops by Grattan. Well, now, what do you make of that, Neville?' 'That's definitely one for the books, Bruce. I don't think I've seen offside medium-slow-fast-pace bowling to match it since Baden-Powell took Rangachangabanga for a maiden ovary at Bangalore in 1948.' I had stumbled into the surreal and rewarding world of cricket on the radio. After years of patient study (and with cricket there can be no other kind) I have decided that there is nothing wrong with the game that the introduction of golf carts wouldn't fix in a hurry. It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavors look interesting and lively, that was merely an unintended side effect. I do not wish to denigrate a sport that is enjoyed by millions, some of them awake and facing the right way, but it is an odd game. It is the only sport that incorporates meal breaks. It is the only sport that shares its name with an insect. It is the only sport in which spectators burn as many calories as players - more if they are moderately restless. It is the only competitive activity of any type, other than perhaps baking, in which you can dress in white from head to toe and be as clean at the end of the day as you were at the beginning." And so it goes for almost 400 rollicking pages. If you have not yet been exposed to the mind and pen of Bill Bryson, I invite you to take the plunge. Come on in; the water is fine. If you are already a fan, then add this to your long list of treasured Bryson titles. Enjoy. Al

The author, Bill Bryson, undertook a long journey across Australia covering most of the notable seacoast cities and a number of the inland ones. He describes with sometimes sarcastic wit the historical characters and facts of the founding of the country as well as the people and sites he meets on the way. This is not an page turning book because it is so full of details but one that will certainly give you an understanding of this vast (much unexplored still) continent. To sum up the book I quote from the last chapter. "But that is of course the thing about Australia - that there is such a lot to find in it, but such a lot of it to find it in. You could never see the half of it." I have some minor criticisms of the book. 1. The maps are only in the front and are way too small. I would rather have a large map at each section with a arrow showing where the town/city or feature is located. Having them in front is confusing. 2. The information on the aborigines is scant at best. About 2/3 of the way through the book he does spend a few paragraphs on the condition of the current tribesman and earlier he does recount the treatment of them. I wanted more information - number of tribes and languages, customs, etc. 3. He repeats information on the dangers of the country but little on the mammals. He does mention the flora and its devastation, but little of the unique birds and mammals. Unless I missed it, he does not even mention the various types of kangaroos. On the other hand he does manage to pack at lot of historical facts into the book with boring the reader. He also has a blunt appraisal of how much Americans know about this country (or Europeans as well). However, I would say that pretty much of the world does not know much about the country. That is why I read this book. It is a slow read for sure, but one I would recommend.

It is only recently that I have discovered Bill Bryson, and in short order he has managed to become one of my favorite authors. This work is the epitome of what a travel book should be. Bryson seamlessly weaves together history, wit, insight, and personal anecdote into a memorable tale that greatly increased my desire to see this enormous and remote continent. Firstly, it is clear throughout the entire length of the book that Bryson genuinely loves this nation. My appreciation of his affection may be somewhat heightened by the fact that I also listened to the audio book (read by the author), and his tone betrays his endearing lack of subjectivity. His love of the people does not keep him from making some sharp comments about particular subjects however. He observes that Australians tend to engage in the art of argumentation without actually wishing for change, as with the topic of them becoming a full-fledged independent republic. Also, he doesn't pull punches when relating how some of the inhabitants of this great nation were anything but hospitable. The historical narrative he weaves into the tale would undoubtedly be more interesting when traveling through the towns and countryside. Brief historical sketches of the small communities he passes through tend to be boring but his more generalized Australian history about the founding is fascinating and well told. The countless failed explorations into the interior were mostly forgettable, but they successfully conveyed the brutality and ruthlessness of the natural Australian environment. Also, the migration of peoples 45,000 years ago onto the continent was right on the nail. When discussing the plight of the aboriginals he makes some cutting observations about the Aussies and himself. After mulling over the `problem', and considering ways that the position of the aboriginals in Australian society might be bettered, he finds that he has no genuine answers to the problem. "So without an original or helpful thought... I did what most white Australians do. I read my paper... and didn't see them [the aborigines] anymore." His humorous obsession with deadly animals continues in this work as well, as he documents fish, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians that are particularly adept at maiming and killing unsuspecting or careless travelers. Also, he makes note of the introduction of wild rabbits onto the continent by Thomas Austin, a resident of Victoria in 1859. The 24 rabbits originally released for sport soon grew to a population in the millions. Temporarily curtailed by the governments' introduction of a rabbit-killing disease, the hardy survivors eventually began breeding again until the figures reached a staggering 300 million (at time of publication. Lastly, the most personally impactful aspect of the book is Bryson's narrative style. As an avid traveler, I log my own journeys and document where I've been, as well as interesting tales, brushes with death, etc. His descriptive ability is superb and he draws the reader into the scenes with a comic and conversational style. His lonely encounters in bars, awkward picture taking with other solo travelers (as they stare at an enormous fabricated lobster) and drunken nights with his traveling companions are hilarious and genuine. I hope to bring his vividness to my next trip, when writing about it later. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who likes travel, has gone to Australia, or wishes to go in the future. He inspired me to do so, and even made me believe that Uluru (Ayers rock) might be worth seeing, and not just the world's most useless geological artifact. Five stars.

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.

Excellent storytelling! Great storytelling! Excellent narration by the author. I strongly recommend the book for everyone wanting to understand Australia in depth

Down Under by Bill Bryson Bill Bryson’s book Down Under is mostly a collection of experiences that Bill had during 3 weeks in Australia visiting the main cities and some of the most well known locations outside the cities. My initial reaction to the book was that it was bit superficial but more or less what one would expect by a writer who made fleeting trips to the various locations. One of the first places mentioned was my home city Sydney and I was a bit disappointed in his coverage in the knowledge that there is a lot more to Sydney than mentioned. The book seemed to be aimed at providing intending US tourists a brief humorous overview. As I progressed further into the book I became more impressed with the research that had gone into it and how the author had created humorous stories out of his visits. Creating this sort of humour often requires bending the story a bit, highlighting some incidental aspects. I don’t think it matters that the book is a bit inaccurate in some places as that didn’t take away from Bill Bryson’s take on Australia. Another visitor to Australia would have a completely different take especially one not as friendly and easy to get on with as Bill Bryson. Locals also see things differently. Australia is a first world country and has similar issues to North America and Europe. There are a few special Australian issues and the plight of the indigenous peoples is the big one. Many like to ignore this issue so not to overdo the “ black armband view of history ” quoting previous Prime Minister John Howard. Bill Bryson has done a great job in bringing out the issues in his book. The book is also good in the way it brings forward the concept that Australia is not a young country as it is often described (particularly compared with UK) but a very old one. It is geologically much older that others with fauna and flora which have direct connections to very ancient times. This old land is the essential essence of Australia not the big coastal cities (sometimes described as “the five festering sores on the continent of Australia”) and it’s newly arrived European immigrants. I finished the book believing I had read an interesting humorous take on Australia. Thinking also that there are many possible takes on Australia (or other countries like the US).

A lengthy review is not needed if one is familiar with Bill Bryson's work. "In a Sunburned Country" is typical. He infuses the narrative with so much humor and so many fascinating factoids that there's not a dry sentence, let alone a boring page or chapter in this book. In a few trips, he covered about as much of the continent as is habitable, and I got a good understanding of what Australia is like, at least as it was in the twilight days of the 20th century when he wrote it. The books is not encyclopedic. For example, I learned little indeed about the aboriginal people. They're mentioned, of course, and the crimes committed against them in the early days of the country are recounted in sometimes exquisite detail, but there's nothing about their rise toward citizenship, nothing about Albert Namatjira's art or contributions to the elevation of the rights and status of his people. The well-known fauna are mentioned, but I think there was more space given to the discovery, loss, and rediscovery of a living-fossil ant than there was to kangaroos, and there was a lot more information on the continent's invasion by rabbits than there was about koalas. The form of government is complicated and unique, so Bryson wisely left its exposition to others; anyone interested can fill in the blanks through Wikipedia. Well, in my opinion, omissions like these are inevitable if one is going to write a compelling and captivating book about a land, a country, and its peoples. And make no mistake, "in a Sunburned Country" is compelling and captivating. Although nonfiction, I found it to be as much of a "page turner" as anything by Clancy or Le Carré. So my sincere advice to anyone wishing to learn about Australia is to start with "In a Sunburned Country." If one's curiosity is piqued by anything not covered, there are other sources . . . But I guarantee that they'll be an order of magnitude less entertaining than Mr. Bryson's timeless account.

This book made me laugh out loud more than any other I've read in recent years. My husband would get annoyed with me as I tried to contain my giggles while he was trying to sleep! I love Bryson's writing style and if you have ever visited Australia, are just about to visit, or are indeed Australian, you will love this book. As a Brit who's lived in Australia for six years and recently taken up Australian citizenship, I found this book was spot on when it comes to looking at this country from an outsider's perspective. The sometimes just, sometimes fanciful, fear of all the deadly creatures that live here, the vast space, the Aussies' no-nonsense but always friendly and laid back attitude, were all things I could relate to. You don't have to have been to all the places he mentions to enjoy the book by any means, but I think it's fair to say that the more you can share in his experiences the more you'll get out of it. You may not agree with every depiction - his disparaging outlook on the little town of Macksville, halfway between Brisbane and Sydney, which he can only imagine people being pleased to have arrived in if it was the "only place on earth not underwater," was hilariously funny, although we regularly enjoy a great meal in The Star pub there on our travels between Sydney and Brisbane and think it's a nice country town. Bryson somehow manages to depict it as a dump, but does so in an affectionate and jokey manner so that even if you're born and bred in Macksville you'd be unlikely to take any offence. But it's not all light-hearted and fun - he delves into the "uncomfortable" topic of Australia's history and treatment, past and present, of the Aboriginal community and asks some tough questions that he can't get answers to. Bryson's love for Australia and its people is evident throughout the book, and in the main he praises everywhere he goes. As any foreigner knows if they've been here, the Aussies are very keen to know that you like it here and often their first question is about what you think of their town/city/country. If you like it, you can go on to say anything you want about it - the Aussies are very good at laughing along with you.

Love Bill Bryson - I so "get" him.

Another gem from a master of the art of storytelling. You'll learn things you didn't think you needed to know, laugh out loud at the many anecdotes and feel as if you've visited Oz without ever having been there. I've read my copy several times and it never fails to educate and make me laugh. Bill sees things as a visitor to the country and describes details and differences you never usually notice, so you get a true all-round picture. His sense of humour is never far from the page and the weird and wonderful oddities of life 'down under' give his 'pen' a real work out. A 'must read'.

Dieses Buch gab es bereits als ich 2000 nach Australien zog. Aber ich wusste es nicht. Bei einem Freund viel mir zufällig das Buch in die Hände, und ich las es mit zunehmender Freude, lautem Lachen und Sehnsucht nach Orten, die ich ebenfalls besuchte. Bryson beschreibt seine Eindrücke so humorvoll und treffend, dass es mir eine Freude war und mich immer noch lächeln lässt.

Per chi ama viaggiare o conoscere Paesi diversi: un racconto piacevole e completo di ogni Stato australiano, una guida ai luoghi e alle abitudini di vita raccontate in modo puntuale e divertente. Il modo più facile per capire l'Australia ed avere voglia di visitarla.

I read this book after my visit to Australia and it made me want to return as often as I could. Would recommend this book for travellers planning to visit Australia or those, like me, who are predisposed to love Australia rags and all. I particularly love Bryson's anecdotes on his Australian encounters that range from strange to extraordinary and the history that comes with it all. A definite must read!