Books with author Patrick F McManus

Often compared to Garrison Keillor and Mark Twain, Patrick F. McManus maintains just the right balance between baffled innocence and conspiratorial confidence. Since 1979, this humorist has been delighting readers with hilarious stories recounting his childhood in rural Idaho and relating his misadventures in the great outdoors. Whether you're a sportsman or a couch potato, he will have you laughing out loud at his escapades. In this collection of 30 tall tales, McManus introduces you to the perils of Trailer Trials and Mean Tents. Like Hemingway, McManus hunts the big fish in Down and Way Out in Brazil. The title tale, The Grasshopper Trap, unveils an ingenious invention for catching fish bait in motion. And in Hunting Camp Etiquette, McManus becomes a rustic Miss Manners. Narrator Norman Dietz adds additional spice to each impish line. You won't want to miss the other audio productions of McManus' works, including Never Sniff a Gift Fish and The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw.

This McManus Books edition of "Kid Camping from Aaaaiii! to Zip" is nearly identical to the original, which was a selection of the International Reading Association for 1980. Some of the information has been updated and a bit of new stuff added. For example, a host of web sites now exists where kid campers can view and even order a slew of neat camping information and equipment, not exactly Grogan's War Surplus but still interesting. Aaaaiii! is the sound you might hear yourself making if you find a Crawly Thing sharing your sleeping bag... "Oops!" is what you should try not to say too often while it's your turn to be camp cook. Patrick McManus's descriptions of the circumstances that can produce these responses are hilarious. Along with the humor there is practical advice for beginning campers, dispensed with a generous helping of common sense. Here you will find answers to hard questions such as how to tell the difference between hard-boiled eggs and raw... how to keep your matches dry... what to do if you encounter a cow-or a bear. In alphabetical order, these self-contained entries are capsule adventures in camping. Whether your kind of camping is sleeping out in the backyard or hiking to rugged country, you will be better prepared when you've read Patrick McManus on Air, Clothing, Dogs, Emergencies, Macho Guys-and he'll keep you laughing all the way to Zip. Illustrated by Roy Doty.

A wild collection of short and not-so-short stories from humorist Patrick F. McManus.The Horse in My Garage and Other Stories is a hilarious addition to Patrick F. McManus’s existing work in humor. The author weighs in on his childhood, everyday life, and outdoor tales with his typical exaggerated commentary that will elicit a belly laugh from all types of readers.Read about the antics of Patrick’s friends Rancid Crabtree and Retch Sweeney in such stories as “Shaping Up for the Hunt” and “Bear Hunters.” McManus plays off the recent obsession with hoarders in his surprising story “The Lady Who Kept Things.” In the titular story, meet Patrick’s horse, Huckleberry, and enjoy the experience of all the problems that come along with owning your own horse—or keeping him in the garage.Other great stories include:“Catch-And-Eaters,” about the importance of a forked stick when fishing“$7000 TV Historical Extravaganza,” a look at one director’s loose interpretation of historical accuracy and political correctness“A Lake Too Far,” concerning the woes of Patrick and his wife, Bun, on a fateful birding trip in Australia“Chicken Chronicles,” which involves Patrick’s memory of wandering around naked in the chicken yard when guests came to callSo pull up a chair, sit back, and enjoy laughing to the hilarious adventures of Patrick F. McManus in The Horse in My Garage and Other Stories.