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In a Sunburned Country
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MSRP: $14.95
Your Price: $10.17
Savings: $ 4.78 ( 32% )
Shipping: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Broadway
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Additional In a Sunburned Country Information
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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.
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What Customers Say About In a Sunburned Country:
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A pretty good read about that country down under. The author takes you on a journey around the continent as well as into its past, and does so with a decent helping of satire and irony. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's works.
I won't repeat all the accolades written by other reviewers. I read this book almost twice--first silently to myself, then every other paragraph had to be read aloud to my husband. I felt like I had encountered Dave Barry, Carl Hiassen, and Art Buchwald all rolled into one very funny writer. I will say that I finished the book on 7/30/08, and we were boarding a plane for New Zealand/Australia on 10/26/08. A wonderful trip inspired by a great travel book.
This was my first Bryson book and it was a lot of fun. When I was in Australia other tourists kept asking me is I read the book so I had to get it and see what all the fuss was about. It is an easy read yet gives you a lot of info on history, geography, nature, the people etc. I recommend it both for people that have visited as it is fun to compare your thoughts with Bill's and also to those who have not yet gone.
I've grown to be very fond of his audio books, which he narrates himself. "Sunburned Country" is one fantastic audio book. His distintive style and unique Iowegian/British accent add much color and interest to his recitations. I had no idea what I was in for, knowing very little about Australia, but Mr. Bryson's descriptions of his excellent adventures back and forth across the continent/country down under were VERY enlightening. His observances and opinions make for a super listen. I now want to visit Aussie-Land for myself.
Bill Bryson has the great ability to make the commonplace both interesting and hilarious. He makes Australia come alive, it's people, it's history, and it's many oddities, from echidnas to the "Giant Lobster." It also takes a master to weave hilarious personal anecdotes with serious reflections. I found the section on the aborigines to be particularly moving. I've reach much of Bill Bryson's work, and I'd have to say that this is the best of the best.
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