A Good Keen Man
Barry Crump was one of New Zealand’s most popular authors of all time. From A Good Keen Man in 1960 through to his death in 1996, over a million copies of the 24 books he wrote were sold. He was a superb storyteller, who captured perfectly the laconic humour and the lifestyle of the rugged Kiwi outdoors man. His ability to craft a tale that is both moving and funny is superbly illustrated by the huge international success of the movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which is based on his book Wild Pork and Watercress.
Almost all of Barry Crump’s books are now out of print. A new volume of collected stories published in 2017 remedied that. And the five classic yarns comprising that volume are available in ebook form as separate titles – A Good Keen Man, Bullock Creek, Gold and Greenstone, Puha Road, and Wild Pork and Watercress.
About A Good Keen
It is nearly 60 years since A Good Keen Man first captured the imagination of its readers. It was so immediately successful that its title rapidly became a household expression.
This is not only Barry Crump’s best-known and well-loved book but it has also become recognised as a classic.
In A Good Keen Man, Barry Crump follows the amusing experiences of a young New Zealander’s introduction into the manly art of a deer-culling.
The story is set against a background rich in the rugged beauty of the New Zealand back-country. There is no other writer who seems to capture the essence of the New Zealand character with a mixture of love, amusement and respect.
Those many readers who are familiar with this novel will find it as vivid and compelling as ever, and for those who have yet to enjoy it, there is a special treat in store.
About the
Barry Crump was born in 1935 and died in 1996. In 1959 he began writing humorous sketches of life as a government deer-culler and pig hunter, publishing these in 1960 as A Good Keen Man. This became a massive bestseller in New Zealand and over the next 50 years he wrote another 23 books, which sold over a million copies.
As well as a best-selling author, Crump was an actor, TV personality, poet, radio commentator, man of leisure, traveller, goldminer, photographer and more. A successful 12-year association with Toyota brought a series of award-winning advertisements that catapulted Crump into living rooms around the country with his laconic, blokey style.
Crump was married five times and had six children, all sons. In the 1990s Crump was awarded an MBE and OBE for services to literature, something he was quietly proud of and reckoned would be hard case pinned to his Swanndri. He was listed in the Who’s Who as having no fixed abode, and regarded himself as a world citizen. He insisted that, first and foremost, he was just a Kiwi bushman.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Missing dust jacket; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G186971170XI4N01
Seller: Lowry's Books, Three Rivers, MI, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good w/ Protective Cover. Some minor wear. Text is clean and tight in binding, no ownership or other markings. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Seller Inventory # 104129
Seller: Archway Books, Mana, New Zealand
Papered Boards. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. Dennis Turner (illustrator). Reprint Edition. 24 cm, 224 pp, pen & ink illus, d/w. A lovely copy of the 50th anniversary edition. Seller Inventory # 010941
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: The Secret Bookshop, Tararua, New Zealand
Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. Anniversary Edition. A very close to new copy. Barry Crump's first and most famous book, A Good Keen Man, is a comic, sharply observed account of a young New Zealander learning the ropes as a government deer?culler. Set in the rugged back?country, the story follows his misadventures, close calls, and encounters with the characters who inhabit the bush. Crump's laconic humour, eye for detail, and affection for the outdoors helped make the book an instant bestseller, and it quickly became part of New Zealand's cultural vocabulary. The 50th anniversary edition presents the classic text in a sturdy hardback format, celebrating a story that remains vivid, funny, and quintessentially Kiwi. Seller Inventory # 051508
Quantity: 1 available