Down Under

Travels from a Sunburned Country

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Bill Bryson: Down Under (2016, Transworld Publishers Limited)

432 pages

English language

Published Nov. 19, 2016 by Transworld Publishers Limited.

ISBN:
978-1-78416-183-5
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3 stars (7 reviews)

In a Sunburned Country is the 2000 travelogue book about Australia written by best-selling travel writer Bill Bryson. The title is taken from the famous Australian poem, "My Country". In other countries, including Britain, the book was titled Down Under.

In this book, Bill Bryson describes his travels by railway and car throughout Australia, his conversations with people in all walks of life about the history, geography, unusual plants and animals of the country, and his wry impressions of the life, culture and amenities (or lack thereof) in each locality.

In a style similar to his book A Walk in the Woods, Bryson's research enabled him to include many stories about Australia's 19th-century explorers and settlers who suffered extreme deprivations, as well as details about its natural resources, culture, and economy. His writings are intertwined with recurring humorous themes, notably, in the chapter Crossing Australia he makes constant …

31 editions

Review of 'Down under' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

All the travel's books that I have read lately are written by middle age men very pleased to meet themselves. This is not an exception. The guy arrives to Australia, rent a car and drives for miles and miles. He arrives to some place in the middle of nowhere and complains because he can't find a pub where he can order a steak and some beer. Sometimes he finds the pub. In the meantime, he writes about data and some stories about the place. That's why the book gets two stars. The story about cricket really made me laugh.

Subjects

  • Oceania, history