In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. 

3/5 rating. 304 pages.

Book #33 of 2020. Read May 24, 2020.

This book recounts Bill’s amblings all over Australia.

Over multiple trips, Bill visits much of Australia, from the major cities to the most far-flung, out-in-the-bush places imaginable. His books are always entertaining with his hilarious anecdotes. Besides just being a travel story, Bill offers a lot of knowledge about a wide array of different Australian locales.

While Australia is on most people’s list of places to visit, it is often almost an afterthought in the world. As Bill says:

“Australia is mostly empty and a long way away. Its population is small and its role in the world consequently peripheral. It doesn’t have coups, recklessly overfish, arm disagreeable despots, grow coca in provocative quantities, or throw its weight around in a brash and unseemly manner. It is stable and peaceful and good. It doesn’t need watching, and so we don’t.” This book was fine, but nothing special. I absolutely love Bill Bryson, but I think this book is not one of his best ones. If you are going to read one of his books, I would choose a different one unless you are planning on traveling to Australia soon.

Quotes:

“Unfortunately, as so often in a shortsighted world, no one asked me about any of this.”

“Do more. Try harder. Start now.”

IG Link.