Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens
to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in th
e sublime national bestsellerA Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his
report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country t
hat doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the ho
ttest, 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 perf
ormance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.
