Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't Have Said It Better
Review: Having spent a decent amount of time in Australia myself, this book brought back many memories. I've visited a number of the places Bryson describes and he's right on - my only suggestion to him would have been to spend a few more days on the drive from Darwin to Alice Springs to get a true feel for life in the middle of nowhere! There's nothing more daunting, and in a strange way thrilling, about turning off onto a road and seeing a sign that reads "500 km to the next petrol station." And if you've never been there, Bryson's account of life in Australia will make you curious enough to buy a plane ticket and go. He acurately describes all of the wonderful, and sometimes curious, things about the world Down Under and his book made me homesick for the Sunburned Country myself!
Rating:
Summary: An uninterrupted pleasure
Review: If you want to learn about Australia and can't decide among the many excellent histories, natural histories, and travel guides, buy this book. It's fascinating, accurate, helpful--and you're guaranteed to laugh out loud, over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: An witty and informative travelogue
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Brysons latest effort, as a reader you just glide through it ,it's definately a page turner, to my mind it is his best to date. He captures the flavour of Australia in a witty and informative way. My one regret is that he didn't write more about Perth and Western Australia. He wasted an afternoon walking around the 'Rich and Famous' addresses of the affluent Peppermint Grove suburb achieving little more than sunburn and aching feet. A trip to Fremantle Prison (built with convict labour) with its rich and colourful history would have been a far better source of material.
Rating: 
Summary: Safe to Read in Public, but Good Anyway
Review: While not as funny as his previous books, it is so well-written that it is still a joy to read. Missing, however, is the danger of strangers thinking you to be insane as you read the book in public laughing hysterically to yourself. Too bad. Not quite 5 stars, but I'd give it 4 1/2 if I could.
Rating: 
Summary: Brysons rambles ....
Review: His other books I have really enjoyed - this I found dry and droll.Brysons books would not make me want to visit any of the places he describes. I find that they are helpfull when they are about places you already familiar with. They tend to make you look twice at the impressions you have already made. For me being English and moving to California - "Notes from a Small Island" and "Notes from a Big Country" hit the spot.
Rating:
Summary: Almost vintage Bryson
Review: You win some, you lose some. This latest offering by Mr. Bryson is closer to being a winner than some of his other books (especially "Made in America" and "A Walk in the Woods"). It's not up to "The Lost Continent" standards, but not far off. There are a few laughs to be had as our familiar traveler makes his way across Australia, visiting a huge number of places. Mr. Bryson writes well and his descriptions and conversations are interesting, insightful and humerous. Fortunatly, he is less smug than he has been been in some previous books as well. If you're looking for a guid to Australia, then this probably isn't the travel book for you. If you're looking for a well written, humerous look at another world, then this book is a must read. Of course, I have all the others, so I was bound to buy this one anyway...
Rating:
Summary: Makes A Sunburnt Country Sound Inviting.
Review: I don't know if it's because Bill Bryson loves to drink beer or the fact that he writes so entertainingly that makes me like him so much. But whatever it is, "In a Sunburned Country" is a wonderful book about a little-known country. You will enjoy this book and probably more each time you read it.
Rating:
Summary: Down Under Revealed
Review: This is a marvelous and witty book which reveals Australia as it really is - vast and mostly empty. Having lived in various parts of Australia for several years, I can attest to Bryson's veracity. I wholeheartedly recommend this treasure to anyone interested in the real Down Under life. A minor criticism is that he didn't cover Tasmania, which I and many others consider the most beautiful part of Australia. But hey - he can't cover it all. That would take months. Also, there is little description of the beautiful cities and the conditions therein. Nevertheless, the book is a gem and is full of interesting facts and information. Not to mention Bryson's incomparable droll humor. Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun
Review: This is vintage Bryson--from his obsession with the poisonous Australian fauna to memorable hangovers and outbursts of magnificent sarcasm. In typical fashion, Bryson includes amazing stories about 12' earthworms, the discovery of the Ediacara pre-Cambrian fossils, provincial museums with astonishing technology, and walks in the treetops. Some of the stories are horrifying--ecological disasters such as the introduction of a few rabbits into an environment with no natural predators and above all the treatment of the Aboriginies And, did I mention, Bryson obsesses over poisonous snakes, spiders, evil plants, sharks and other things Australian that can kill you, painfully. Bryson loves Australia and Australians. I was pleased to see that he included information about the interior of the continent. It is large, empty, very hot and full of things that can kill you. Great armchair travel, and a hilarious book. I've always wanted to visit the country, but I don't think I will... I don't like spiders or snakes or sharks...
Rating:
Summary: Not laugh-out-loud, but a good read none the less
Review: The first Bryson book I ever picked up was Neither Here Nor There and I've been a Bryson evangelist ever since (I fact, I'm personally responsible for 30% of his current sales and would appreciate a cheque as soon as you can, Bill). This new one (which the Europeans know under its alternate title Down Under) is a fine travel book and a good read. But unlike previous efforts it's not laugh out loud funny. That plus an over-reliance on retold stories from history mean I won't be running out, grabbing perfect strangers by the arm and pleading with them to read this book. So while I'd reccomend this one to any Bryson fan, it's not going to knock Neither Here Nor There off my "stranded on desert island with just one book" list. Plus I'd like to know why the Europeans get another cool David Cook cover while we have to put up with a stock photo of a kangaroo and a really crummy cover design.
| 
