In a Sunburned Country

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Bill Bryson

Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door memorable travel literature threatens to break out. This time in Australia. His previous excursion up, down, and over the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime best seller A Walk in the Woods.

Now he has traveled around the world and all the way Down Under to Australia, the only island that is also a continent and the only continent that is also a country. Australia exists on a vast scale, a shockingly under-discovered country with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on this planet, and more things that can kill you in extremely malicious ways than anywhere else: sharks, crocodiles, the 10 most deadly poisonous snakes on the planet, fluffy yet toxic caterpillars, seashells that actually attack you, and the unbelievable box jellyfish.

In a Sunburned Country is a delectably funny, fact-filled and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiosity. Wherever Bryson goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging. They are the beaming products of a land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bryson its perfect guide.

©2000 Bill Bryson (P)2000 Random House, Inc., Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"Bryson's cheery Australian tale should entertain even the most listless driver. His strength lies in his ability to incorporate astounding facts about the country with nutty personal anecdotes." (Publishers Weekly)

Very enjoyable

As the author says, we, in the rest of the world, never hear about Australia much. He did a great job making me want to learn more.

Fun book

What a fun book. Good listener to someone wanting to hear about the country of Australia.

Fantastic introduction to Australia

I downloaded this because I am planning a trip 'down under' and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is beautifully written, amusing, and extremely informative. Bryson has done an immense amount of research on this country, and imparts it in a thought-provoking, insightful, and funny way. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Australia or in travel writing in general. Only a few minor drawbacks keep this from five stars in my opinion: it has a confusing strucutre (I'm never sure which visit we're on) and gets a bit too long and repetitive toward the end.

Could You do Better?

The idea of critiquing one of Bill Bryson's books without giving it as many stars as is allowed baffles me. My reasoning is that I personally have never succeeded in writing anything, let alone a book about a real life adventure, better than Mr. Bryson.

I suppose if you were someone like say, oh, Hemmingway, that you might get away with giving Bill a 4 out of 5 star rating, sighting lack of romance to the descriptions or some such. But then, none of us are Hemingway are we? We're accountants and departmental whosits and teachers and yogurt truck drivers.

So unless your name is known by every librarian in the country, just buy the book and allow yourself all 5 stars worth of enjoyment out of it. Take a stroll through Australia through the eyes of someone who can express the experience with fun and charm.

Bryson at his best!!

You have just got to love Bill Bryson!! He takes you through a tour of such an interesting and little-known country in the self-effacing, something's-going-to-kill-or-maim-me way that only Bryson can! And as a narrator, Bryson is second to none. Hearing his works in his own voice is priceless & I cannot think of a better way to enjoy my morning car rides. I can only hope he will write more soon & that he will also be able to record them! If you like this one, check out A Walk in the Woods. Hysterical!

An Aussies eye view

What a hoot! As an Aussie I can relate to Bill's travels 'down under' however it is the authors humour that earns him 4 stars.
My wife and I were driving recently listening to the book and had to stop 5 times to avoid having an accident we were laughing so much.
This guide to Australia through the eyes of an Englishman/ American is incisive, informative, entertaining and easy listening. His views on politicians ( particularly Prime Minister John 'the undertaker' Howard) are hilarious. Bill has a natural style that grabs the listeners attention without a strong accent - it's not Yank and it's not Pom.
I learned so much about my own country, it's history and it's people that I felt ashamed that I hadn't investigated it before now.
A must read if you are interested in learning more about Australia or would like to travel down under and want a humorous yet poignant opinion.
I'm now going to buy A Walk in the Woods and A Short History of Nearly Everything on Audio to further improve my knowledge and continue to laugh at Bill's great anecdotes.

Bryson Does it again

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I really enjoy Bill Bryson's work, very relaxing and he takes you on his adventures...

What was one of the most memorable moments of In a Sunburned Country?

Listening to him talk, over and over, about all the different

Have you listened to any of Bill Bryson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, they are all good

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Too many to mention

Made me want to pack up for a holiday down under

If you could sum up In a Sunburned Country in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, ecclectic, comprehensive

What other book might you compare In a Sunburned Country to and why?

This is classic Bryson, with the expansive descriptions of everything he experiences that immerses you in the scene.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, while it isn't a cliff hanger the continually changing scenes always provides something new.

Bill Bryson is a genius!

Bryson's quirky travel narratives are part-travelogue and part-storytelling with sprinklings of trivia thrown in for good measure. I love the way he jumps around yet manages to stay on topic and interesting. I prefer to travel alone, but, if I had to pick a travel companion, there's no question it would be Bryson or one of his books!

a delightful romp down under

What did you love best about In a Sunburned Country?

i loved learning about the country. Full of nature raw and open spaces and interesting people and places. made me want to go there very badly. also enjoyed Bryson's sense of humor.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In a Sunburned Country?

All the encounters with nature.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

i like hearing the author's voice, even tho i'm not crazy about Bryson's.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

i would not make a film about it.