Try free for 30 days

A 30-day trial plus your first audiobook free.
1 credit/month after trial—to buy any title you like, yours to keep.
Listen all you want to a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Down Under cover art

Down Under

By: Bill Bryson
Narrated by: William Roberts
Free with 30-day trial

$16.45/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

Australia has more things that can kill you than anywhere else. Nevertheless, Bill Bryson journeyed to the country and promptly fell in love with it. The people are cheerful, their cities are clean, the beer is cold, and the sun nearly always shines.
©2000 Bill Bryson (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Down Under

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    887
  • 4 Stars
    201
  • 3 Stars
    52
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    10
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    773
  • 4 Stars
    168
  • 3 Stars
    60
  • 2 Stars
    21
  • 1 Stars
    32
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    824
  • 4 Stars
    171
  • 3 Stars
    42
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    10

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

It's OK but --------------------

It would have been much better, for me at least, if the book had been narrated by Bill Bryson himself, who has a delightful narration style and voice, or at least an Australian with an Aussie accent.
For one thing Australian pronunciations and stresses are, in many cases, a lot different from those practised by Americans (citizens of the USA)
This is not intended as 'Yankee Bashing' but a simple statement of fact. To hear some of the mis-pronunciations is at best laughable -------- at worst off putting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

33 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent content, xenophobic reading

The content of the book is about spot on for what a visitor to Australia should expect and experience. Some of the information is a little dated (written in 1999) but is generally still quite relevant.

There is a lot of information in the book that many natives will not know or have forgotten.

The reading of it is a joke. It is clear that the only Australian that William Roberts has actually heard is from Crocodile Dundee. The accents for men, women and children, some characters of whom are well educated and respected people are all the stereotypical drawl that borders on offensive.

A great book heavily marred by the reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story but the narrator let it down.

Bill Bryson is definitely a gifted story teller. It was such a shame he wasn't the narrator as I feel Roberts didn't do the book justice. As an Australian I cringed at his poor Aussie accent and his inability to correctly pronounce many words but none more so than Uluru. Of course I'll buy more of Bryson's books, but not the audible version (especially if William Roberts is the narrator).

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Bill is better!

Great book, however I do prefer Bill narrating his own books! Personal preference of course!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not his best

An amusing account if you can stand the irritating fake Aussie accent of the reader which to an Australian ear is awful. The book is a skilful blend of embellished anecdote and odd facts. Bill serves up his usual recipe of telling us he loves almost everything about his subject except when it comes to the ‘woke’ bits when he lectures us about Australia’s social problems. People getting indignant about history is hypocritical at worst and virtue-signalling at best. Bill could have done better in his silly treatment of this aspect of his subject.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book, shame about the narrator

Be great to get another voice actor to voice this excellent book. Bryson is a writer of great humour and empathy - this fellow has an abrasive voice that almost spoils the fun. He also, misguidedly, attempts Australian accents. I wish he wouldn't.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fun and informative

All-round great, but some inaccuracies, and the narrator's Australian accent sounded more like a Brooklyn accent at times. And, strangely, all Australians sounded almost identical. But it was part of the charm.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Irritating narration of an otherwise enjoyable audiobook

Bill Bryson has written an excellent memoir/history of Australia that’s sadly let down by the narration. William Roberts’s overtly melodramatic reading style my be better suited to re-enactments of 1950’s radio commercials. He unnecessarily attempts to imitate the Australian accent and delivers a middling to below average performance. I suffered through about 20mins before deleting and returning my order, which was a shame as I was looking forward to listening to this one. If a version narrated by the author became available I’d happily purchase again, but unless i come across it I’ll steer clear of this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • BDB
  • 28-04-2016

Perfect match!

Thanks Bill for a wonderful account of your travels and thank you William for your great narration. I think this author and narrator are the perfect match. While some of my fellow Aussies might grumble at the mispronunciation of some of people and places - I don't mind. It adds to the charm of the book. Besides, who is to say who's right or wrong...? Keep up the great work and thank you again!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

It is an amazing review of what is Australia

I must say that I am a fan of Bill Bryson and this book helped me a lot to understand a little bit more about the country I'm living now. I really recommend it for those who are curious about why this country is so peculiar...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.