"A Fine and Pleasant Misery"

[James Riley]

While floating around on the South China Sea back in the day you could always tell who had Patrick F. McManus' book "A Fine and Pleasant Misery" from the ship's library. He was the guy who kept everyone else up all night with the belly laughs. About his days growing up in the outdoors of Northern Idaho. I can't recommend this book highly enough. I bought all his books, all good, and read them to my son when he was little. We were both in tears every night for weeks.

"A Sand County Almanac" by Aldo Leopold can't be beat for writing skill (Fragrant little chips of history" "REST, said the sawyer").

"Meditations on Hunting" by Jose Ortega e'Gasset is full of wonderful quotes and good philosophy.

"Desert Solitaire" by Edward Abby. Great book about alone time in Arches NP back in the day.

Those are the best out door and hunting type books I've ever read.

 

[NoWiser]

I must have read every one of McManus's books a hundred times by 8th grade!! I still own all of them and pick one up when I need a chuckle. He's been my favorite author ever since I picked up "Never Sniff a Gift Fish," the first book of his I ever read. I especially like reading about his adventures with Crazy Eddie Muldoon.

 

[katqanna]

Before I married into a hunting family back in Texas, my father-in-law had a plethora of hunting subscriptions, which I began to read when I would visit. I would bust out laughing and they would all look quizzically at me, like what could be so funny that tears were running down my face. It was always The Last Laugh. I also bought several of his books. Laughter is good medicine.

 

[gman82001]

When I was a Sr in high school my appendix burst. My uncle bought me rubber legs and white tail hairs. I tried to read it in the hospital but it hurt to bad to laugh after the surgery. I picked it up a few weeks later and read it cover to cover in one afternoon. I immediately began buying all of his books lol

 

[Gerald Martin]

on the quest for Bambo.... " We looked up towards where Bambo lived. It was a sheer cliff and then it got steep. Only fools and idiots would attempt such futility. Halfway to the top, I paused and unleashed a supressed scream. Bambo raised his head and smiled..."

I do like me some McManus.

 

[James Riley]

I love the story about his dog, Strange. Everyone thought they named him Strange because he was odd. In reality it was just short for Stranger; so named in the hopes that he was just passing through.

Rancid Crabtree, Retch Sweeny, the Troll, his mom. All back before cable news, video games, etc. Wonderful.

 

[csutton7]

you can't go wrong with McManus, as he really hits the nail on the head with a lot of us--I think I have all of his books also, but still need to read the latest two.....chris

 

[MKotur325]

Definitely Enjoy McManus. Personal favorite was "Never Sniff a Gift Fish"

A few other Gems for hunting and fishing stories. Anything by Russell Annabel. "Adventure is my Business", "Adventure is in my Blood"; and "The Way We Were" are my favoires

"Death, Taxes and Leaky Waders" by John Gierach

And "If You Didn't Bring Jerkey, What Did I Just Eat?" by Bill Heavey

 

[Kharper]

Anything by Mr. McManus is a great read.

 

[Gary]

McManus' humor is definitely "quirky". Love him. If you like McManus and ever run across anything by Ed Zern, grab it. He used to write for Field & Stream (a looong time ago).
For exotic hunting writing, my favorites are Man Eaters of Kumon, by Jim Corbett and anything Capstick wrote about Africa.

 

[Ben Long]

McManus was my hero when I was a kid, alongside O'Connor and Trueblood. I have a signed copy of "They Shoot Canoes" from when I was 16. It says "Congratulations on the deer with the bow and arrow." 35 years later, Pat and I were both on the masthead of Outdoor Life, him as a editor emeritus and me as a contributing writer. Pretty cool how that worked out.

 

[Hunterrich]

My mom used to think my father and I were insane. I mean who reads an outdoor magazine and laughs until they cant breath and tears are running down their face?
She bought McManus books for us to read soon after figuring it out. Both parents are gone now, but i still have those books and the memories.

 

[Cav1]

Everyone in our family loved Pat McManus' books, including my mother. My childhood friend Randy and I were always getting into similar misadventures. After our attempt to ride feeder pigs, Mom started to refer to us as Pat and Crazy Eddie.

 

[Walkathon]

I liked the story about the mountain car. Cracked me up. I think I had 4 of his books growing up, my dad bought them for me and I'd read them over and over again.

 

[NECALI]

So true. His writing skills put you right in the story. “The grasshopper trap”,” my first deer and welcome to it” were a couple of my favorites, but “the night the bear ate goomba” was my all time favorite.

 

[gouch]

Can't go wrong with McManus. Been a big fan ever since I was a kid when every month my dads copy of Field and Stream showed up in the mail. First thing I would do is turn to the back page, sit on the couch and bust a gut. Never have read or heard anyone funnier than McManus.