A FINE AND PLEASANT MISERY

Camping reminiscences by Field and Stream contributor McManus, whose 27 collected efforts rank among the funniest we've read, whatever the genre. His dog is called ""Strange""--short for Stranger, on the off-chance that he might just have been passing through, then abbreviated to suit his character. A woodsman-mentor called Rancid and a camping buddy named Retch also people this woodsy anthology that's rife with the spirit of nine-year-old boyhood in flower--wreaking havoc on the great outdoors. ""Grogan's War Surplus"" was our favorite: ""We learned from war movies that steel helmets could be used for boiling things in. On hot summer days, we found out what--our heads. The helmets could also be used for pillows. If you went to sleep, your head would slip off the helmet and bonk on the ground. Bonking your boiled head on the ground kept you awake all night, which was one of the reasons for using a helmet for a pillow in the first place."" And so on. A must for anyone who has ever spent the night in a lumpy sleeping bag. And a fine and pleasant pastime for those who opt for mattresses as well.