In a Sunburned Country

There is nothing specifically special about the characters in In a Sunburned Country. The author, Bill Bryson, is the main character and narrator of the book, and he goes on various adventures throughout Australia with different people he meets along the way.

The Tony Hawks of A Week in December (narrator)

The Fred Dibnah of The Men Who Made England (voice)

The Anne Enright of The Forgotten Waltz (narrator)

The Neil Gaiman of The Ocean at the End of the Lane (narrator)

The Simon Winchester of The Map That Changed the World (narrator)

The John Grisham of The Confession (narrator)

The Anita Brookner of The Debut (narrator)

The Jasper Fforde of The Eyre Affair (narrator)

The William Dalrymple of City of Djinns (narrator)

The James Herriot of All Creatures Great and Small (narrator)

The Deborah Moggach of Heartbreak Hotel (narrator)

The Graham Greene of The Quiet American (narrator)

The Beryl Bainbridge of The Dressmaker (narrator)

The Bill Bryson of Mother Tongue (voice, inspiration…)

The Tony Hawks of Playing the Moldovans at Tennis (narrator)

The Fred Dibnah of

Bill Bryson has a wonderful way of making even the most mundane things interesting. In this book he discusses the history of houses, from the most primitive hovels to the most modern of construction. He begins by looking at how people lived in earlier times and how they lived.

I think this is a great book for anyone who is interested in history or in how our homes have evolved over time.

1. It won the 2001 Billabong Odyssey Award.

2. It was shortlisted for the 2001 Miles Franklin Award.

3. It was shortlisted for the 2001 New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards.

4. It was shortlisted for the 2001 Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards.

5. It was shortlisted for the 2001 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award.

6. It was shortlisted for the 2001 WA Premier’s Book Awards.

7. It won the 2001 National Book Council Banjo Award.