Bill Bryson - Down Under

Four and a half stars. Highly recommended. Award-level stuff.

I can't imagine anyone reading this book and not coming away with the impression that Australia is a cool and funky place to visit. Bryson adores the country and its people, and this love shines through even when he is explaining just how bizarre the place can get. He makes Australia sound like the best kind of adventure: relaxed, civilised and friendly when you choose to stay in and around the big cities, yet wild, unpopulated, outlandish and frankly dangerous when you stray from the beaten track. He finds delight in everything he encounters, and relates even the dullest encounter with relish and glee. Down Under is a pleasure from beginning to end.