It was just my luck that buying second hand books in Australia is a joy. Not only are they cheaper than buying brand new, most of the used books I was able to buy were nearly new. It was actually in Melbourne that I started collecting and got hooked on travel books.
One of my finds was Bill Bryson‘s Down Under. Bill Bryson is one of the names I often come across when people mention travel books, and find his book about Australia is very fitting indeed.
Bryson writes well, and can illicit quite a few chuckles while reading. Not only was the book a joy to read, it was also a great way to learn about the history of the country where I currently am staying. For me, history is interesting, but it can get quite boring to read. Down Under presents gives you a nice alternative to boring prose about how Australia came to be, and is a recomended reading for every travelling headed down under.
Out of five stars, I give this book a 4 1/2.
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Bryson is wonderful for making history interesting. Have you read A Brief History of Nearly Everything? He begins by talking about how incredibly boring all of his history books in school were, which is why he wrote his somewhat irreverant guide to history. Check it out when you get a chance!
Nope, but it has been recommended by friends who’ve read it. It’s definitely in my list of books to read
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