I had no idea Australia was such a fascinating place.

For example he asks, with the perfectly quizzical note of concern in his voice, 'So are you suggesting that I just drown calmly?' after having been advised on how to deal with the dangerous rip currents off Australia's beaches. His self deprecating tones add humor to the many absurd situations in which finds himself. (a recurring joke only readers of the book will get) Bryson does his own narration and is one of the few authors for whom this works. This book allows you to enjoy myriad dangers of Australia's vast and deadly outback without the slightest risk of being reduced to drinking any urine. You even enjoy the occasional pause for refreshment, that cup of tea before a day's adventures, or a well earned pint at some colorful pub at the end of a long day. Both history and natural wonders are described with proper perspective to sound quite worthy of one's appreciation. He describes all the characters or ridiculous situations in which he finds himself in such delightful way that you often feel as if you have stumbled into the fictional word of 'The Phantom Tollbooth' (with its odd but well intention inhabitants) but with the thrill of it all having been real. Ultimately when you 'travel' with with Bill you feel as if you are along for the ride enjoying the sights or puzzling over the oddities of any given location.

Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bryson its perfect guide. They are the beaming products of a land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine. Wherever Bryson goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging. In a Sunburned Country is a delectably funny, fact-filled and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiosity. Australia exists on a vast scale, a shockingly under-discovered country with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on this planet, and more things that can kill you in extremely malicious ways than anywhere else: sharks, crocodiles, the 10 most deadly poisonous snakes on the planet, fluffy yet toxic caterpillars, seashells that actually attack you, and the unbelievable box jellyfish. Now he has traveled around the world and all the way Down Under to Australia, the only island that is also a continent and the only continent that is also a country. His previous excursion up, down, and over the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime best seller A Walk in the Woods.

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door memorable travel literature threatens to break out.

In a sunburned country sparknotes