--- product_id: 1274343 title: "In a Sunburned Country" price: "SAR 5" currency: SAR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.com.sa/products/1274343-in-a-sunburned-country store_origin: SA region: Saudi Arabia --- # In a Sunburned Country **Price:** SAR 5 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** In a Sunburned Country - **How much does it cost?** SAR 5 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.sa](https://www.desertcart.com.sa/products/1274343-in-a-sunburned-country) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. This time in Australia. 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. Review: An Antipodean Delight - I recently have been on a reading jag involving inhaling as many of Bill Bryson's books as possible. The latest milestone is his tour de force of Australia entitled "Down Under." Any travel writer - and Bryson is far more than a "mere" travel writer - who is able to make me want to book the next flight on Qantas is someone worth reading. As he does in all of his books, Bryson uses his travels through Australia to feed the reader delicious and gritty morsels of history, culture and human interest. I was particularly motivated to read this book because I have many friends and clients in Australia, and hope to visit there in 2017. I laughed throughout my reading of this book as Bryson relayed story after story of adventures and misadventures as he traveled thousands of miles in the Land Down Under. The reviewer for the New York Times said it perfectly: "If there is one book with which to get oriented before departure or en route to Australia, this is it. Allow me to share a brief excerpt from this work to give you a small taste of Bryson's style as he reacts to the antipodian continent and culture: Driving in a remote part of the Outback, Bryson found that the only radio station whose signal he could now receive was broadcasting an interminable cricket match. The author's send-up of the commentator's dialogue had me howling with delight. "'Pritchard begins his long run in from short stump. He bowls and . . .oh, he's out! Yes, he's got him. Longwilley is caught leg-before in middle slops by Grattan. Well, now, what do you make of that, Neville?' 'That's definitely one for the books, Bruce. I don't think I've seen offside medium-slow-fast-pace bowling to match it since Baden-Powell took Rangachangabanga for a maiden ovary at Bangalore in 1948.' I had stumbled into the surreal and rewarding world of cricket on the radio. After years of patient study (and with cricket there can be no other kind) I have decided that there is nothing wrong with the game that the introduction of golf carts wouldn't fix in a hurry. It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavors look interesting and lively, that was merely an unintended side effect. I do not wish to denigrate a sport that is enjoyed by millions, some of them awake and facing the right way, but it is an odd game. It is the only sport that incorporates meal breaks. It is the only sport that shares its name with an insect. It is the only sport in which spectators burn as many calories as players - more if they are moderately restless. It is the only competitive activity of any type, other than perhaps baking, in which you can dress in white from head to toe and be as clean at the end of the day as you were at the beginning." And so it goes for almost 400 rollicking pages. If you have not yet been exposed to the mind and pen of Bill Bryson, I invite you to take the plunge. Come on in; the water is fine. If you are already a fan, then add this to your long list of treasured Bryson titles. Enjoy. Al Review: A fun, humorous travelogue full of interesting detail - The author, Bill Bryson, undertook a long journey across Australia covering most of the notable seacoast cities and a number of the inland ones. He describes with sometimes sarcastic wit the historical characters and facts of the founding of the country as well as the people and sites he meets on the way. This is not an page turning book because it is so full of details but one that will certainly give you an understanding of this vast (much unexplored still) continent. To sum up the book I quote from the last chapter. "But that is of course the thing about Australia - that there is such a lot to find in it, but such a lot of it to find it in. You could never see the half of it." I have some minor criticisms of the book. 1. The maps are only in the front and are way too small. I would rather have a large map at each section with a arrow showing where the town/city or feature is located. Having them in front is confusing. 2. The information on the aborigines is scant at best. About 2/3 of the way through the book he does spend a few paragraphs on the condition of the current tribesman and earlier he does recount the treatment of them. I wanted more information - number of tribes and languages, customs, etc. 3. He repeats information on the dangers of the country but little on the mammals. He does mention the flora and its devastation, but little of the unique birds and mammals. Unless I missed it, he does not even mention the various types of kangaroos. On the other hand he does manage to pack at lot of historical facts into the book with boring the reader. He also has a blunt appraisal of how much Americans know about this country (or Europeans as well). However, I would say that pretty much of the world does not know much about the country. That is why I read this book. It is a slow read for sure, but one I would recommend. ## Images ![In a Sunburned Country - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Cp4aTKXKL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Language, Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Antipodean Delight *by A***E on May 17, 2011* I recently have been on a reading jag involving inhaling as many of Bill Bryson's books as possible. The latest milestone is his tour de force of Australia entitled "Down Under." Any travel writer - and Bryson is far more than a "mere" travel writer - who is able to make me want to book the next flight on Qantas is someone worth reading. As he does in all of his books, Bryson uses his travels through Australia to feed the reader delicious and gritty morsels of history, culture and human interest. I was particularly motivated to read this book because I have many friends and clients in Australia, and hope to visit there in 2017. I laughed throughout my reading of this book as Bryson relayed story after story of adventures and misadventures as he traveled thousands of miles in the Land Down Under. The reviewer for the New York Times said it perfectly: "If there is one book with which to get oriented before departure or en route to Australia, this is it. Allow me to share a brief excerpt from this work to give you a small taste of Bryson's style as he reacts to the antipodian continent and culture: Driving in a remote part of the Outback, Bryson found that the only radio station whose signal he could now receive was broadcasting an interminable cricket match. The author's send-up of the commentator's dialogue had me howling with delight. "'Pritchard begins his long run in from short stump. He bowls and . . .oh, he's out! Yes, he's got him. Longwilley is caught leg-before in middle slops by Grattan. Well, now, what do you make of that, Neville?' 'That's definitely one for the books, Bruce. I don't think I've seen offside medium-slow-fast-pace bowling to match it since Baden-Powell took Rangachangabanga for a maiden ovary at Bangalore in 1948.' I had stumbled into the surreal and rewarding world of cricket on the radio. After years of patient study (and with cricket there can be no other kind) I have decided that there is nothing wrong with the game that the introduction of golf carts wouldn't fix in a hurry. It is not true that the English invented cricket as a way of making all other human endeavors look interesting and lively, that was merely an unintended side effect. I do not wish to denigrate a sport that is enjoyed by millions, some of them awake and facing the right way, but it is an odd game. It is the only sport that incorporates meal breaks. It is the only sport that shares its name with an insect. It is the only sport in which spectators burn as many calories as players - more if they are moderately restless. It is the only competitive activity of any type, other than perhaps baking, in which you can dress in white from head to toe and be as clean at the end of the day as you were at the beginning." And so it goes for almost 400 rollicking pages. If you have not yet been exposed to the mind and pen of Bill Bryson, I invite you to take the plunge. Come on in; the water is fine. If you are already a fan, then add this to your long list of treasured Bryson titles. Enjoy. Al ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A fun, humorous travelogue full of interesting detail *by D***N on June 26, 2016* The author, Bill Bryson, undertook a long journey across Australia covering most of the notable seacoast cities and a number of the inland ones. He describes with sometimes sarcastic wit the historical characters and facts of the founding of the country as well as the people and sites he meets on the way. This is not an page turning book because it is so full of details but one that will certainly give you an understanding of this vast (much unexplored still) continent. To sum up the book I quote from the last chapter. "But that is of course the thing about Australia - that there is such a lot to find in it, but such a lot of it to find it in. You could never see the half of it." I have some minor criticisms of the book. 1. The maps are only in the front and are way too small. I would rather have a large map at each section with a arrow showing where the town/city or feature is located. Having them in front is confusing. 2. The information on the aborigines is scant at best. About 2/3 of the way through the book he does spend a few paragraphs on the condition of the current tribesman and earlier he does recount the treatment of them. I wanted more information - number of tribes and languages, customs, etc. 3. He repeats information on the dangers of the country but little on the mammals. He does mention the flora and its devastation, but little of the unique birds and mammals. Unless I missed it, he does not even mention the various types of kangaroos. On the other hand he does manage to pack at lot of historical facts into the book with boring the reader. He also has a blunt appraisal of how much Americans know about this country (or Europeans as well). However, I would say that pretty much of the world does not know much about the country. That is why I read this book. It is a slow read for sure, but one I would recommend. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ As near to perfection a travelogue can get *by M***K on September 27, 2013* It is only recently that I have discovered Bill Bryson, and in short order he has managed to become one of my favorite authors. This work is the epitome of what a travel book should be. Bryson seamlessly weaves together history, wit, insight, and personal anecdote into a memorable tale that greatly increased my desire to see this enormous and remote continent. Firstly, it is clear throughout the entire length of the book that Bryson genuinely loves this nation. My appreciation of his affection may be somewhat heightened by the fact that I also listened to the audio book (read by the author), and his tone betrays his endearing lack of subjectivity. His love of the people does not keep him from making some sharp comments about particular subjects however. He observes that Australians tend to engage in the art of argumentation without actually wishing for change, as with the topic of them becoming a full-fledged independent republic. Also, he doesn't pull punches when relating how some of the inhabitants of this great nation were anything but hospitable. The historical narrative he weaves into the tale would undoubtedly be more interesting when traveling through the towns and countryside. Brief historical sketches of the small communities he passes through tend to be boring but his more generalized Australian history about the founding is fascinating and well told. The countless failed explorations into the interior were mostly forgettable, but they successfully conveyed the brutality and ruthlessness of the natural Australian environment. Also, the migration of peoples 45,000 years ago onto the continent was right on the nail. When discussing the plight of the aboriginals he makes some cutting observations about the Aussies and himself. After mulling over the `problem', and considering ways that the position of the aboriginals in Australian society might be bettered, he finds that he has no genuine answers to the problem. "So without an original or helpful thought... I did what most white Australians do. I read my paper... and didn't see them [the aborigines] anymore." His humorous obsession with deadly animals continues in this work as well, as he documents fish, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians that are particularly adept at maiming and killing unsuspecting or careless travelers. Also, he makes note of the introduction of wild rabbits onto the continent by Thomas Austin, a resident of Victoria in 1859. The 24 rabbits originally released for sport soon grew to a population in the millions. Temporarily curtailed by the governments' introduction of a rabbit-killing disease, the hardy survivors eventually began breeding again until the figures reached a staggering 300 million (at time of publication. Lastly, the most personally impactful aspect of the book is Bryson's narrative style. As an avid traveler, I log my own journeys and document where I've been, as well as interesting tales, brushes with death, etc. His descriptive ability is superb and he draws the reader into the scenes with a comic and conversational style. His lonely encounters in bars, awkward picture taking with other solo travelers (as they stare at an enormous fabricated lobster) and drunken nights with his traveling companions are hilarious and genuine. I hope to bring his vividness to my next trip, when writing about it later. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who likes travel, has gone to Australia, or wishes to go in the future. He inspired me to do so, and even made me believe that Uluru (Ayers rock) might be worth seeing, and not just the world's most useless geological artifact. Five stars. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.sa/products/1274343-in-a-sunburned-country](https://www.desertcart.com.sa/products/1274343-in-a-sunburned-country) --- *Product available on Desertcart Saudi Arabia* *Store origin: SA* *Last updated: 2026-09-26*