It S A Bit Rugged Mate

Once described as 'Barry Crump meets Fred Dagg', 'Big Al' Lester is the modern-day master of the hunting genre. 'I'm often asked what inspired me to take up writing yarns about the mishaps and mayhem that I have endured while venturing into the New Zealand bush.' 'In truth, I am an average to poor hunter who has had more hunting cock-ups than the rest of the country combined. For every deer I've successfully shot, dozens have escaped only to hide in the bush peering back at me, clearly laughing at my stupidity. I have always managed to see the funny side of the situation and had a good old laugh at myself. I began to wonder if my stuff-ups, with a bit of humour and mayhem thrown in, might just make for good reading – the oddball, unusual, humorous, weird and fun side of hunting – and gave it a go. I must have got something right.'—'Big Al' Lester It's a Bit Rugged, Mate compiles the biggest and best yarns from Big Al's first three books – plenty of fun for those with a good keen sense of humour and a love for New Zealand's wild outdoors. Also available as an eBook

‘This book takes you into the life of a New Zealand policeman. I tell it how it was and spare few details so that you too can see the world through one policeman’s eyes. These stories range from humorous, strange and bizarre to extreme violence and murders. This is the lot of a copper and was the life I lived for 31 years.’ From his fledgling days as a junior policeman to being detective sergeant on high-profile cases, Christchurch cop Al Lester has many a story to tell as he reflects on a career on the thin blue line. Al’s a man who took policing seriously, always doing his level best to keep riff-raff in check and turn chaos into order. He never lost sight, however, of how to see the lighter side of the job, enjoying a laugh when need be, often at his own expense. Welcome to the world of a Kiwi cop. (No actual pigs were harmed in the making of this book.)

Stag Doo by Al Lester, the master of the hunting genre, is full of rip-roaring yarns for those with a good keen sense of humour and a love for New Zealand's wild outdoors. Once described as 'Barry Crump meets Fred Dagg', 'Big Al' Lester is the modern-day master of the hunting genre. His books are for those with a good keen sense of humour and a love for New Zealand's wild outdoors. 'Many times I have sat by a campfire with its coarse smoke etching into my eyes and tears streaming down my face. The tears not caused by the smoke, though, but by laughing so hard at the oddball, strange, hilarious or simply outright bizarre yarns told by my hunting mates. It never ceases to amaze me how readily my hunting colleagues and others dob in their mates to disclose their mishaps, balls-ups, cunning plans and frequent disasters. Each story is told with great relish, and often, I suspect, with liberal helpings of embellishment. For every story recounted, the often embarrassed subject gets a right of reply, and in turn dobs in his cobber with an equally or more embarrassing yarn, and so it goes. As the evenings pass and the tide-line in the whisky bottle drops, the yarns get increasingly more hilarious. This book contains a number of yarns gleaned from these fireside sessions, and a few from other interesting characters I have had the good fortune to encounter.' —'Big Al' Lester

'The mountains have a habit of bringing out the best in people, despite the hardships that rain, hail and snow often throw in. In fact, it's only after a bit of adversity comes along that a person's true character comes to the fore. Those with a love for the hills take these things on the chin and just get on with enjoying it.' Once described as 'Barry Crump meets Fred Dagg', 'Big Al' Lester is the modern-day master of the hunting genre. Mad Men of the Mountains – Al's seventh collection of yarns – is another rollicking ride through New Zealand's wild outdoors, a countryside he so obviously loves. Armed with his rucksack, a rifle and a keen sense of humour, Al and his mates encounter all manner of beasts that got in the way and many a curly situation to test their mettle. Plenty of off-the-wall adventure for the hunting mad and hard case! Also available as an eBook