A fascinating, and often humorous, look at Australia

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	• In a Sunburned Country Bill Bryson Broadway, 2001 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 396 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

In a Sunburned Country

Great book - helped make our trip down under a wonderful one! Recommend it to anyone traveling to Australia-read it BEFORE you go!!!

A fascinating, and often humorous, look at Australia

Although Bill Bryson is fond of detailing the myriad ways the Australian wild can maim or kill, the overall effect of his excellent travelogue is to increase his readers' affection for the country and its people. This book is well-written, loaded with interesting facts, and often incredibly funny.

While the author's travels include the major coastal cities, much of his time is spent crisscrossing the vast, empty tracts of land that make up most of the continent. He visits remote outback settlements and obscure museums rarely frequented by other tourists. As interesting as Sydney is, small towns such as White Cliffs, where the dwellings are dug into the hills, are Australia's true gems.

Among the most rewarding aspects of the book is the rich historical context provided by Bryson. Australia's unique and colorful past includes its days as a penal colony, a veritable plague of rabbits, and more than a few ill-fated exploring expeditions. When the narrator visits Canberra he not only describes his experiences in the modern metropolis, but also how and why the nation's capital ended up, literally, in the middle of nowhere. The additional information sheds a great deal of light on modern day Australia.

In a Sunburned Country is a very enjoyable read regardless of whether or not you plan to visit the land down under. While it won't replace a guide from Fodor's or Lonely Planet, it is immensely more entertaining and leaves you far better acquainted with this fascinating place.

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Join the 'roos!

Absolutely outstanding tour of down under. Definitely a page-turner. I couldn't wait to see where he was going next. His wit and candor is unsurpassed. Certainly makes me want to take a trip to Australia for several months!

A "must read" before a trip to OZ

You MUST read this book before your travels to OZ. It could even help you plan your itinerary. Bill Bryson's writing and wry humor illuminate this vast continent for us visitors. Bill's interesting history, geography, side-splitting anecdotes and an unabashed love for this country make this book a great introduction to OZ.

Things have changed a bit since this book was first published (Australia is in the news more, and used extensively in the U.S. in marketing campaigns.), but the basics still apply and give one a real appreciation for this fascinating country.

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great book

Loved this book. Someone recommended this to me before I began my study abroad in Australia. This book is so funny yet so informative I really enjoyed it. It's not complicated to read and it moves very fast. I bought this book for other family members before they visted Australia and they loved it as well, and everyone actually laughed out loud throughout the book. This is a must read if you are going to Australia. It's a great country and this is a great book to read prior to your visit.

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