Rating: 
Summary: in a sunburnt country
Review: This is one of those can't-put-down, laugh-out-loud types of books. Although I have been to Australia, I wasn't aware of all the dangers that lurked there. Bill Bryson can sure tickle the funny bone. A must read for anyone who loves to laugh!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, but Bryson is mellowing a little
Review: Bryson made his name with "The Lost Continent", possibly the funniest grouchy travel book ever written. All his books since then have been worth reading, though they vary in quality: "A Walk in the Woods" was unusually thoughtful (and very good), but by and large he became famous as the champion of the cutting remark and the unkind anecdote."In a Sunburned Country" shows him mellowing a little. He still has a penchant for visiting odd things and places, and bumping into strange people -- giant earthworms, a town called Tittybong, and the proprietor of the Lambing Flat museum all come to mind -- but he's nice about them. It's an odd thing to say if you're used to reading Bryson, but this book is a traditional travelogue. It's still entertaining. Bryson is a good writer, and there is so much in Australia to write about -- aborigines, myxomatosis, Ayers Rock, the Great Barrier Reef, and a huge array of lethal wildlife, some of which he comes a little too close to for comfort. He does a good job of summing up history and adding a dollop of what's going on today, and he conveys a good sense of place. Occasionally the old caustic note comes through again, when he recounts the story of a self-important early Australian administrator, or has a hard time finding decent food in Canberra, but it's no longer the dominant note in the book. I can still recommend this as a fine travel book. Classic Bryson it isn't, though; so if you're a Bryson fan you may be a little disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Fabulously Fabulous story, mate!
Review: Having lived in Melbourne and Sydne nearly my entire life, I have found this book to be most realistic. His descriptions of the two cities are in incredible detail, and his ability to analyze the national sentiment is quite accurate. He is witty, and I found myself laughing most of the way through, but the account is also most informative. I too haven't been to many of the parts that he describes, because I am normally at home getting laid, but I can imagine the many wonders that the country provides to all.
Rating:
Summary: LAUGH-OUT-LOUD FUNNY
Review: Bill Bryson once again enchants and hold us spellbound with his combination of delicious wit and irreverant humour. He brings us down under to Australia this time round and shares with us his exploits and travels in the country. If for no other reason, get this book just to laugh yourself silly. Bryson's imaginatively creative literary prowess is put to the test as he once again subjects us to his ridiculous re-enactments of incidents. He invests in his humour a great amount of liberty, to take a stab at anything and everything possible. As he recounts his meetings with the people of Australia, the up-close-and-personal experiences with the dangerous fauna of the country as well as the absurdest of place names in the land, you cannot help but marvel at his ability to take you along with him on the ride. Be warned. Reading this book in public may result in having people giving you strange looks when you double up in uncontrolled laughter, not to mention your contorted appearance should you decide to hold it in. This book, however, is not just a bag of laughs. Bryson provides many glimpses into the history of Australia, including snippets of information of the politics and culture of the land. The world-famous landmarks like the Sydney Opera House and Uluru (better known as Ayer's Rock) are touched on and given a life of their own in his marvellous description. He even risks it by telling the stories of the native Aborigines. Get this book if you have never read Bill Bryson. You'll want to read the rest after that. Get this book if you have read Bill Bryson. You wouldn't want to miss this installment. Get this book. Period. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not his best
Review: Of course, I'm a big fan of Bill Bryson's and believe I've read all of his published books. This has more serious prose than his other travel literature, so it might not be the right book to start with, if you're hoping to burst out laughing while commuting. It's funny, but not as funny as his other books. Bill (if I may presume this kind of familiarity) seems to have spent more time with the landscape and the history of Australia than the people, and that may be the reason. Bill Bryson is a very good writer, and I'd recommend him highly for anyone who wants an entertaining, yet informative read. Only one thing: he needs to cut back - way back - on his use of the term "arresting."
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Summary: How sad it must be to be born without a sense of humour...
Review: This is a true gem. As an Aussie who has travelled many kilometres around the country over a 30 year period, I'm amazed just how accurate his views of Australia,and its people, really are! The truth is, I don't think any Australian writer (with the possible exception of the long-gone Lennie Lower) could possibly have been this introspective. Bill's description of the game of cricket can only truly be imagined by someone who has actually witnessed a match. You don't know how accurate he is! His travels bought back many fond memories of a 10 month jaunt around the country 20 years back. His description of the hotel at Daly Waters fits the bill of many a place in the Outback. (I recall a similar experience in Chillagoe, North Queensland) I beg you, Bill....give us a sequel! It's a riot, and I feel really sorry for those who couldn't see its funny side. Can't please everyone, I guess. P.S. If he didn't like Darwin, then I advise that he give Mareeba in North Queensland a miss,too. If you were lying half-dead on the floor of a shop there, the locals would just step over you!
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Summary: Bill Bryson does it again!
Review: This book is a treasure, even for those (like me) who've never been to Australia. It's laugh-out-loud funny in that self-deprecating way that Bryson has of making us see what he sees and appreciate the great humor and humanity in a truly strange and wonderful place peopled by quixotic and charming folks. For my money, this is Bryson's best since "Notes From a Small Island" and one of the true "pleasure reads" around. Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: In a Sunburned Country
Review: First I must say, I was not a big fan of Bill Bryson. I was very disappointed in "A Walk in the Woods", so I bought this book with some reservations. I have made five trips to Australia before I read the book and have visited all the states and territories. Mr. Bryson got it right this time! He distilled Australia and it's people down to the true essence. If you are thinking about visiting Australia for the first time, forget the tour guides and READ THIS BOOK! If you have already been to "Oz", read this book and you will understand why you loved it.
Rating:
Summary: an adventure in travel
Review: Bill Bryson gives a mesmerizing and entertaining guide to the glorious "land down under". This is the first book of his I've read, but definitely won't be the last. Can't wait to pack my bags and enjoy all the wonderful places he so vividly describes! His sense of humor and in-depth historical information make this a great read.
Rating:
Summary: Tugged toward Australia.......
Review: If a measure of good travel writing is to make the reader ardently wish to the travel to the location of note, then Bryson has done his job. While Bryson brings us to the major urban centers of Australia, he devotes most of the this book to describing Australia's hidden wonders and forgotten history. One derives a healthy respect for Australia's vast and uncharted interior, its' oceans, its' flora and fauna. In a Sunburned Country informs, enchants, and generates an intense desire in the reader to visit the land down under. Bill Bryson has easily upheld his reputation as one of todays' best travel writers.
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