Brandon E Taylor's Weblog Cogitations, Meditations, and Ruminations

In a Sunburned Country

In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson (2001)

**** (out of 5)

Bryson delivers yet another wonderfully fun travelogue with In a Sunburned Country. The subject of this book is Australia - a fascinating country that is, in Bryson's words, 'too often overlooked'. Bryson collected material for this book during four trips to Australia, made between 1997 and 2000. His travels in the country included all of the states and provinces with the unfortunate exception of Tasmania. Visited cities included Sydney, Perth, Canberra, Melbourne and Alice Springs. Visited sites included - in addition to the obligatory set of museums and historic sites - the Indian Pacific rail line, the Great Barrier Reef, the Devil's Marbles, Treetop Walk, and Uluru.

As with his other books, Bryson seeks with In a Sunburned Country both to inform and to entertain. While there are more informative travel writers than Bryson, I know of none that produce such humorous fare. I found myself laughing at loud many time while enjoying this work; his accounts of the many ways in which you can be injured or killed by Australian flora, fauna, or geography were particularly amusing. From an informational standpoint, the book is by no means a lightweight. Bryson provides a fair amount of historical and scientific background for the interested reader. Don't expect, however, for this book to take the place of more complete, scholarly works. Expect, instead, for this book to delight you and to whet your appetite for more.

My wife and I have been planning a trip to Australia for some time now. In a Sunburned Country has certainly heightened my already keen sense of anticipation.

Also recommended:

• A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson (1998)

Rich Burridge, another Sun blogger and a former nine year resident of Australia, has read and reviewed this book as well.
( Jan 06 2005, 01:17:09 PM PST ) Permalink Comments [3]