How long does it take to read Down Under?
Down Under by Bill Bryson takes about 6 hours 23 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 6 hours 23 minutes
A weekend read
First published 2000. 348 pages, about 95,700 words.
13 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 10 hours 38 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 6 hours 23 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 3 hours 59 minutes |
The page count is the median across 34 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
In a Sunburned Country is the 2000 travelogue book about Australia written by best-selling travel writer Bill Bryson. The title is taken from the famous Australian poem, "My Country". In other countries, including Britain, the book was titled Down Under. In this book, Bill Bryson describes his travels by railway and car throughout Australia, his conversations with people in all walks of life about the history, geography, unusual plants and animals of the country, and his wry impressions of the life, culture and amenities (or lack thereof) in each locality. In a style similar to his book A Walk in the Woods, Bryson's research enabled him to include many stories about Australia's 19th-century explorers and settlers who suffered extreme deprivations, as well as details about its natural resources, culture, and economy. His writings are intertwined with recurring humorous themes, notably, in the chapter Crossing Australia he makes constant reference to drinking of urine to survive, as was done by many 19th century explorers.
Subjects: Social life and customs, Description and travel, Humour, Journeys, Travel, Civilization
