Hilarious and heartwarming stories of outdoor mishaps and misadventures from the beloved five-time New York Times bestselling humorist, Patrick F. McManus, "a writer who makes people laugh out loud, hard." (The New York Times)

McManus's first story collection, gathering twenty-seven witty, cautionary tales about camping, fishing, backpackers, and bears, with an introduction by Jack Samson, long-time editor-in-chief of Field & Stream.

In A Fine and Pleasant Misery, McManus reminisces about the adolescent thrill and terror of "backyard safaris" and pedaling his "two-wheeled ATV"; he ventures down harrowing rapids and through the almost equally harrowing parking lot of a national park during the busy season; and he shares teachings from his wilderness mentor, Rancid Crabtree. The great outdoors have never been rendered as hysterically as in these tales--true and exaggerated.

Including such classic stories as "A Fine and Pleasant Misery" and "Shooting the Chick-a-nout Narrows."

"A hilarious compilation" --The Los Angeles Times