In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson (2001, Paperback)

Synopsis
Bryson, author of A WALK IN THE WOODS and I'M A STRANGER HERE MYSELF, takes on Australia. Bryson's wit and capacity for observation remain in top working condition despite the heat, and his encounters with the locals are engaging in this typical Brysonian look beyond the obvious.

Key Details
Author:	Bill Bryson
Language:	English
Publisher:	Broadway Books
Format:	Paperback
ISBN-10:	0767903862
ISBN-13:	9780767903868

Size
Length:	335 pages
Thickness:	0.8 in
Weight:	10.4 oz

Publisher's Note
A perilous journey into the lethal but luscious Land Down Under is filled with news and knowledge about the Aborigines, exiled British convicts, careless prime ministers, eating snakes the size of catcher's mitts, avoiding killer seashells, and preparing for cyclones. Reprint. 150,000 first printing.

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.

Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In a Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiosity.
Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond the beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of a land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.

IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY is crammed with news and knowledge--in this case, about the mysterious Aborigines, exiled British convicts, careless prime ministers, and a disturbingly cryptic lifeguard. Along the way, readers also get an education in eating steaks that are the size of catcher's mitts, avoiding attack by killer seashells, and preparing for cyclones. And with such an entertaining traveling companion at the wheel, what's a 600-mile drive across the desert, even if the temperature soars to 140 degrees Fahrenheit? From the beach to the bush, and at every quirky roadhouse in between, Bryson's jaunt is a painfully hilarious tribute to a singularly peculiar locale.

The author takes readers on a tour of the land Down Under that goes far beyond packaged-tour routes.

Industry Reviews
"The thing that Bryson most loves about Australia--'its effortlessly dry, direct way of viewing the world'--is, in fact, his own. They're a perfect fit."
New York Times Book Review - Annette Kobak (08/20/2000)

"Mr. Bryson coasts too much but can still make most gratifying company."
New York Times - Janet Maslin (06/05/2000)

"It's not all yuks--though it is hard not to grin idiotically through all 288 pages--for Bryson is a talented portraitist of place."
Kirkus Reviews (03/01/1998)

"It's a delight to be included on any one of Bill Bryson's journeys, but IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY is, in my opinion, Bryson's best to date. The best, actually, of a very good lot."
January Magazine (06/01/2000)