Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (Modern Library)

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Hunter holds himself back and lets the story tell itself. That's is both good and bad. I am a big fan of his Gonzo-style and must admit I missed it. In "Hell's Angels" his writing style was supplanted by the lifestyle he adopted for a year in order to journalize the "trips" of the notorious California Motorcycle gang. Unless you were previously exposed to some (true) stories of the Hell's Angels, much of this book will be eye-opening for the gang did and didn't do. I hadn't been and only knew the myth perpatrated by the media. Hunter does his best to expose the NY Times, Time Magazine and others for their taget-picking, fear-baiting, if-we-printed-it-it-must-be-real style of reporting and de-myths many of the groups exploits. Hunter focuses his story of two or three "runs" the Angel's take. He captures the anti-social attitudes and behaviors of the gang without judging and relates the booze, pills, sex and thuggery stories without embellishment (or so it seemed to me). Read this book if you've ever wondered what the gang life was like for this group of misfits '60's drop-outs. Read this book if you enjoy HST and his eye for the real story.

The Hell's Angels and the outlaw biker gang phenomenon have always made for interesting discussion. One needs only to recall some of those B movies made in the 1960's about the Hells Angels and how many "ordinary" folks fantasized about living the life of a biker gang memeber. This book was written as sort of an expose'into the lives of "typical" biker gang members. It follows the history of the group from the end of World War II up to about 1966. I found it an enjoyable, easy read when I first read it 20-some odd years ago. I think the reader will come away with the understanding of why some individuals find the biker lifestyle an expression of total freedom, albeit within the seedier side of society. Anyone with an interest in the subject matter would find this a good book to buy.

Hunter Thompson's adventures with the notorious cycle gang lasted about a year and yielded some fine, exciting stories.

However, the bulk of this book is actually kind of dull. I'm not sure how he did it, but Thompson actually wrote a book about the Hell's Angels and made it pretty boring.

One gets the feeling that either the Angels didn't trust or like Thompson well enough to truly let him into their cirle or Thompson was (understandably) too afraid to get close. Either way, there is too much pedantic, researched information and statistics (do we really want statistics in a book about the Hell's Angels?) to make the book exciting.

The Angels come across as truly monstrous, vile people. Kind of latter-day Vikings. They literally do rape and pillage and assault innocents. Not only that, but they see no harm in it. A foul bunch, to be sure. Even Thompson, at the end, flat out condemns the group as brutes who deserve extermination. This, of course, after receiving his legendary, near-death beating from a group of five Angels.

If you want a really good book about a journalist getting in and detailing life with a bunch of hoodlums, check out "Among the Thugs", by Bill Buford(sp?). It's about British football hooligans. They're just as dangerous as the Angels, but a lot funnier and more entertaining. Buford also is a better writer than Thompson and he really makes the personalities come alive.

Interestingly enough, "Thugs" also ends with the author receiving a vicious beating. Although in Buford's case it was during a riot, and his attackers were Italian police wielding billy clubs.

Check it out. It's much better than Angels. More viceral. And truly exciting.

Feared by his superiors and sometimes colleagues. Loathed by the literary pundits who couldn't stack up against him. In 1965, Hunter S. Thompson shed light on one of the darkest subjects of the 60's. The Hell's Angels Motorcycle Riders. Thompson shows little remorse for infiltrating the place[s] where no other journalist dare tread, and even chronicling the experiences in a book he had to have permission to research and write, from the very subjects of the book. That permission went beyond legalities. Thompson was governed by another rule. The Hell's Angels' Rules. Readers will be shocked, surprised, and maybe sickened while they delve from the safety of time passed into the world of the most notorious two- wheeled gang in history. However, readers will also get a history lesson. A lesson obtained with real blood, sweat, and fears. Thom Ryan

R.I.P. Hunter S. Thompson. We barely knew ya.

Before Thompson really exploded into journalism, creating what is now known as "Gonzo Journalism", he took a writing assignment that led him to enter the world of the 1960's gang of motorcycle rowdies called 'The Hell's Angels'.

What is seen in today's society as a feisty road trip was, in the mid 60's, the equivalent of going into Iraq to chum-up with the enemy. Thompson was just the writer to take on this type of assignment, diving into a scorned sub-culture, and managing to air out the results with enough literary style for the entire world to grasp. In the 1960's, the words 'Hell's Angels' created as much fear in polite society as 'Mideast Terrorists' does today.

Thompson rode with the Hell's Angels for approximately one year, getting to know them and gaining, if not their respect, at least their tolerance. His account takes us through the infamous "Bass Lake" weekend, an event that had half of the State Of California on high alert.

While Thompson doesn't go as far as to portray the Hell's Angels as 'humane', he does present them as 'human'. He wrote, "To see the Hell's Angels as caretakers of the old "individualist" tradition "that made this country great" is only a painless way to get around seeing them for what they really are -- not some romantic leftover, but the first wave of a future that nothing in our history has prepared us to cope with". Included with Thompson's own writings and observations are quotes from many of the members from the gang, often credited without real names because of their borderline intentions or aberrant vocalizing of violence. Beer, $ex, Broads, Battles, and Bikes.

I think you will find it amazing how forward-thinking Thompson's observations are. What he wrote here in 1966 holds as much truth and foresight today as it did then. His projections of human nature are uncannily accurate. Perhaps genius is doomed, so to speak.

What else you will find in this true account of a intriguing trip with a gang of rebels is an entertaining read. Historic and important, the account of this sub-culture's lifestyle is nonetheless a fascinating tale. Thompson's style, though in its embryonic stage in 1966, shines with as much energy and spirit as it did throughout his lifetime. Thompson remains one of the greatest writers of this era.

Of outside interest, on The Criterion Collection edition of the DVD 'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas' are the extras 'Hunter Goes To Hollywood' featuring Hunter S. Thompson (who as a rule avoided cameras and publicity), a reading of correspondence between Hunter S. Thompson and Johnny Depp (read by Johnny Depp), and 'Fear And Loathing On The Road To Hollywood', a 1978 documentary with Thompson. With Thompson gone, these DVD extras are as much worth the price of the movie, and a must for die-hard fans of Thompson. Also, check into finding a copy of Thompson's last interview, in the May 2005 issue of Playboy Magazine.

All things Hunter, 'Hell's Angels' is a great read whether your interest is in the author, the era, or the culture. Enjoy!

The book Hell's Angels, by Hunter S. Thompson, is one of the best books I have read all year. The one thing that effected my liking to this book was not the description, it was not the plot, and it was not the excessive sex, drugs and alcohol. It was the fact that Hunter Thompson was living with the actual Hell's Angels for almost two years, for the sake of journalism. Hunter Thompson is by far no saint (as you might know if you read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), but some of the things that were done in the time period that Thompson was living with them were down right sinister. Behind all the rape and the pillaging and the absolute destruction of human beings were the Neanderthals, that would strike fear in the heart of any decent, hard working American. The book goes into great detail about the ways that the press can manipulate a story, and the way that can mislead the reader, and the results of this. The worst thing about this is that a lot of the Angels had things happen to them that they were completely innocent of, but just the mere fact that they were Hell's Angels made them the enemy. In no way am I condoning any of the actions that some of the Angels partook in, but there is a large difference between committing the crime, and being friends with the people that committed the crime. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever wondered what lies on the dark side of society, and to any one with a strong stomach. Thompson is an excellent writer and does go into (sometimes obscenely excessive) detail.

I'm always surprised when fans of the great Doctor tell me they haven't read Hell's Angels. Sure, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is probably his most humorous work, and some say it is the most profound. Fair enough. But Hell's Angels has much more substance, and it has a sort of historical significance about it for Thompson fans. It is the story not only of the famous biker gang, but, on a less obvious level, the events that shaped the character of Hunter S. Thompson and made him a true master of modern literature. It also shows what a gutsy journalist can do (and become) when he throws himself into a story. I've been a journalist going on 12 years now, and I blame Thompson for my sorry fate. Reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas when I was a high school senior led me to this "low trade," as the good Doctor would put it, but reading "Hell's Angels" several years ago reminded me why I chose this field and gave me the guts to stick with it, despite having to work for a wimpy newspaper publisher who eventually fired me for stirring up too much trouble with businesses owned or controlled by his millionaire friends. Thanks, Hunter. You bastard

Hunter S. Thompson has lived his life as if he wishes to actively alter his legacy. From exagerated experiences which he contrived strictly for the purpose of adding to his legend, to the outright falsification of simple facts, Thompson represents what you get when you cross-breed a toothless Kentucky derelict with a bipolar neurotic. In this particular book, Thompson takes great pleasure in representing that he was present during several Hell's Angels criminal episodes. The simple fact of the matter is that he was never present for so much as a peaceable pow-wow. The Angels do not let sycophants like Thompson in on their innermost secrets. Hell's Angels is fictional ---- just like Ken Kesey's review below pointed out. This is nothing more than a talentless wanabe "breaking through" as a writer by means foul. Avoid this stinker at all costs.

I read this work while recouping from an operation. I could really identify with his tale of life with the Angels as I at only twelve years old was on the yearly, family summer vacation at Bass Lake when the Angels arrived in the evening. I now at 52 remember the experience as graphic as HST desribed it as I ran up to the highway after being awaken by the ground shaking noise of I do not know how many hundred knuckle, pan, and shovelheads slowly cruising around the Lake with a right hand on the throttle and the left hand holding an open bottle. It showed an expression of freedom that most will never know. It was one of the best books that I will ever read.

If you're a fan of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, don't expect to find that same genius in Hell's Angels. Not that it's a bad book. It isn't. Some of the sordid activity of the Hell's Angels is quite an interesting read... but at other points in the book I found myself skimming, i.e. the descriptions of the cycles, etc. However, one thing I really admire about the book is it's sheer objectivity. Thompson neither loves nor hates the Angels. He obviously shows contempt for some of their loutish and criminal/psychopathic behavior, but also distinguishes them as misfits looking for a home. If you're looking for an expose on biker gangs that would reflect their modern dimensions, obviously this book wouldn't be for you, but as a history lesson in outlaws it has strong merits.

I expected this book to be exciting and trippy like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I was surprised to find that it is actually a pretty serious book about what really happens when the Hell's Angels hit the road and bring their version of Brotherly Love to a town near you. The ideas and beliefs of the Hell's Angels are far from the mainstream and Thompson tells about them in a way that is easy to understand. Thompson portrays the Hell's Angels not as heroes or villans, but as a disorganized rabble of people who are basically losers. People who need a group to get along in this world. This book helped me get a perspective on just a piece of the turmoil that was the 60's.

The reviewers that gave this book a negative spin really missed the boat. The book is not a sensatonalized account as "Fear and Loathing", is it is a record, and a great one at that,of Hunter's time spent with these modern outlaws. It is informative, shocking, and very entertaining.

Having spent a considerable amount of time with several of the Hell's Angels written about in this book, I can say without any hesitation that Mr. Thompson has misrepresented some basic facts. While it is often expedient for the sake of the story to have these Hell's Angels consistently dull, boorish and intimidating, the journalist must -- repeat must -- remain true to the facts. The Hell's Angels of this era also had a sentimental and altruistic side that Mr. Thompson chose to overlook. Now, having said that, I concede that Mr. Thompson has created a mildly interesting world of good guys and bad guys. This book should be classified as a work of fiction, however.

Having read Hell's Angels, A Strange and Terrible saga at least eight times starting in 1968, I never cease to be amazed at the criticisms leveled against it in the ensuing years, the major one being that it's not a Fear and Loathing book. I'm pretty sure it was originally a (very) long article written for The Nation magazine. The Nation ain't Rolling Stone, kids. If you are coming to this book expecting Hunter's usual blend of fact, fiction, and hallucinations, you will be sorely disappointed. "Gonzo journalist" though he is, the operative part there was journalist. He had, after all, developed a rather strong food habit since birth, and had no desire to kick it. He explores the Angels' mystique by letting them provide the history, their then current attitudes, and their lives as outlaws outside the system. He then blends research and his observations gleaned from riding with them for the better part of a year into the mix, producing a riveting book.

Since the recent death of Marlon Brando, his movie The Wild One has gained a new audience; it is in fact based on an incident Hunter chronicles in this book, the Rape of Hollister. Oddly, nothing remotely similar to the movie happened there, and some other legendary "motorcycle riots" such as the one at Laconia, New Hampshire, weren't initially riots at all, and certainly didn't involve the Angels, though the media portrayed these events as the brink of Armageddon and gave middle America yet another "dangerous group running wild in their midst," something else to freak over in addition to Communists hiding under every rock.

The Angels became, over time, what people expected them to be. Hunter recognized this transformational quality in his own profession: if other reporters, from respected national magazines, could make up stories or at least embellish them enough to freak people out, he could do it better! What you will find in Hell's Angels is great reporting, an unflinching look at real wildness and personal risk, and the genesis of what would become Hunter's trademark style.

If for no other reason, fans of Tom Wolfe, Ken Kesey, or the "Beats" (including the real "Dean Moriarty" from On the Road, still alive at the time, still driving, and hanging out with the Pranksters) should read this book for the legendary Acid Test at Kesey's place at La Honda when Hunter and the Angels showed up (by invitation, as Kesey was burning to meet them). In a singularly rare occurrence, we find two journalists just before they became instant icons writing about the same private party, rather than, say an inauguration, or awards ceremony, or some other public spectacle; the "public" was definitely not invited to La Honda. Compare Hunter's account of that weekend with the one that appears in the Electric Kool Aid Acid Test; you might just be surprised by who is the more "legitimate" writer.

I obviously love this book and highly recommend it, but again, it isn't FEAR and LOATHING WITH THE HELL'S ANGELS; it's far too serious a situation for that, as you will discover upon reading it. (And if that idea somehow still escapes you, watch Gimme Shelter, the great Maysles brothers' documentary of the Stones free concert at Altamont; if THAT doesn't do it, go down to your local biker bar and kick over a few choppers; you'll deserve what you get.)

Hunter Thompson trys to get the facts about the "outlaw's" by being there with a group of them. He was upfront and got beyond the hype put out by "the man" and dealt with bikers as real people. This book speaks of a time before the "R.I.C.O." statutes turned loose "agents-provocateur" to entice individual gang members to break the law. Thompson's accurate descriptions of his time within the biker community are now historical documents speaking of a past 30 years gone. In his time Outlaws were still creating the biker lifestyle, free from the image consciousness of today's bikers. [$20G's&20 miles don't make you a biker!] They ride what they want and do things that make for good storytelling on Thompson's part.

I recommend this book as a balance to the disinformation found in most others on the subject, and because it's entertaining reading.

Roll up your sleeves boys and girls, if you read Hell's Angels the Doctor is going to inject you with a dosage of Outlaw Reality and Hog Rage as it were. The Hell's Angels are the last vestiges of the American Outlaw, 1%'s they're called, outside the outside, committed to a life of Freedom, punctuated by violence, booze, barbituates, indiscriminate sex and of course cruising the Amercian Wastelands on their Great Metallic Steeds, stripped down Harley Davidson's known affectionately as Hogs. Hunter S. is in his own right a one percenter. This book shows the Dr. of Gonzo's journalistic zeal, as he braves the world of the Angels, driving not a Hog as he should but a Dark Shadow. This is only too perfect as Hunter is the dark specter following the dastardly deeds of these bastard bikers. This book displays Hunter's ballsy journalism, as well as allowing him to focus on a central theme that would go on to pervade his other works: the outlaw and his importance to American society, a society that is dredged to the hilt with phonies, gutless wonders, souless greedmongers, hypocrites, cowards, politicians and other scum, capitalisitc, bureacratic, pig-like and otherwise. Hell's Angels is the journalistic calm that precedes the storm of hallucinagenic brilliance that was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. So one way or the other let the Doctor of Gonzo vaccinate your mind from the mindless surge that makes up the money grubbing, TV watching majority of this Great Country of Ours

The original demonstration of gut-wrenching, brutally-insightful, stream-of-consciousness journalism as displayed by the board-certified and often self-stimulated Doctor of Gonzo himself. The born-in-America phenomenon of outlaw motorcycle gangs is irreverently exposed -- the rumbling, drinking, riding, snorting, fornicating, smoking, racing, is exposed and finally culminates with the outlaw bikers joining forces and beating the crap of the author. It's a fitting finale to a wild & crazy ride with a wild & crazy group of anti-social, tatooed, psychopath, drug & alcohol enhanced Harley outlaws and their motorcycle mamas. "Hell's Angels" is a classic and literary predecessor to the next step, "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas." He's wild, he's crazy, he drives a Vincent Black Shadow, he's Hunter S. Thompson.

Hell's Angels is an all-time enduring classic by the late "Gonzo" journalist Hunter S. Thompson. It is a very interactive, very detailed description of one's affiliation with the dreaded motorcycle outlaws known as the Hell's Angels. The writing style is quite fascinating, for if it were not based on actual accounts or the interpretations thereof, it would be a most fascinating series of pulp fiction stories.

The group, Hell's Angels, is described as a group of unhygienic individuals who have no particular goals in life and who know that the roads they travel will lead to no success. They are highlighted as those who know that they are in financial and social oblivion and that their situations are only going to get worse. They are characterized, with the exception of a rare few, as uneducated bums with no purpose in the long run and who choose to live for the moment by going to bars, drinking heavily, engaging in unspeakable sexual acts, and torturing those who "get in their way" psychologically, physically and sexually.

An intermittent account of how the Hell's Angels, especially the lower-ranking members, are portrayed is laden with paradoxes. Comparisons are drawn between their physical attributes and those of the bikes they ride. On the one hand, the Angels are the sloppiest individuals of the worst kind, yet their bikes are lovely, well-maintenanced machines of thoroughly polished chrome and steel. In one recollection, Thompson mentioned that when off their bikes, they appeared as clueless, spastic, inane and inarticulate dolts, but when they got on their bikes, they became transformed into something quite the opposite, which entitled them to being Kings of the Road. For the clumsiness on foot would be more than compensated for by masterful uses of their motorcycles, including an indescribable ability to skillfully and gracefully go around highly dangerous curves at 120 mph. It is at that point that the reader comes to realize that if he/she were on a California highway in the mid-1960's, especially any of those near Oakland or Berdoo, no one messes with the Angels.

The paragraphs above shed light on the Angels in very notorious ways, and rightfully so. Indeed, the Angels could be quite a perplexing group. Despite the nihilistic tendencies of its several members, the Angels consisted of chapters throughout California and various parts all over the U.S. For these multi-faceted groups to be formed and maintained, the presidents had to be highly systematic, highly organized individuals. Hunter Thompson mentioned the Grand Poo-Bah of these chapters, namely Sonny Barger, who primarily ran the Oakland chapter and was a very astute and intelligent individual much attuned to the activities of and policies enacted in California law so as to know that, in order to reduce, if not eradicate, dealings with police and patrolmen, there was a time and place for Angels' "activities" as well as that for "no Angels around".

Even included are unusual accounts where owners whose stores were along highways the Angels would frequent would be intimidated by the Angels and relinquish their businesses to the bikers for a few hours, only to return and find that nothing was stolen and that the shops were in even better shape than they were before the Angels arrived. Not only did Thompson record accounts that some of the Angels could be good storekeepers for the moment, he also made note that after some of their excursions, they would actually leave behind money on the counter for purchases of beer.

Psychologically complex and dysfunctional, yet functional, could the Angels have ever been during Thompson's adventures with them. Thompson acknowledged that the Angels were to be regarded as hippies but not in the fashion attributed to the anti-Vietnam War demonstrators. In fact, Thompson mentioned that by-and-large the Angels did not like this latter bunch. Interestingly enough, Thompson pointed out that the groups were physically similar but were ideologically dissimilar; what was the present (the mid-1960's) was the only tie that would bind these groups. To sum it up, Thompson would cite the peace demonstrators as those who turned against the values instilled by previous generations and were "rebelling against the past", while the Angels, without the education and marketable skills to thrive in a developing, technologically-driven U.S. market, were "rebelling against the future".

All in all, Thompson had his share of interesting experiences. I will not get into the juicy details, but one might as well receive the message that if you were to deal with people like the 1960's Hell's Angels and wanted to survive, you might as well put philosophical themes of ethics on hold, unless if they are equipped with the rationality needed for self-preservation. I conclude with portions of a paragraph regarding the nature of the Hell's Angels: "Despite everything psychiatrists and Freudian castrators have to say about the Angels, they are tough, mean and potentially dangerous as packs of wild boar. The moment a fight begins, any leather fetishes or inadequacy feelings are entirely beside the point, as anyone who has ever tangled with them will sadly testify...[Y]our chances of emerging unmaimed depends on the number of heavy handed allies you can muster in the time it takes to smash a beer bottle. In this league, sportsmanship is for old liberals and young fools."

...first hand accounts of Dr. Thompson's personal dealings with the Angels. Much of the book is written as an essay on the topic of the Hell's Angels. It includes many facts and quotes of everyone involved, from the Angels themselves, to quotes of police officers and politicians. Included throughout are Hunter's analysis of press coverage of the Angels and how the press nearly glorifies criminals. Too much facts. When I bought the book, I was hoping to learn of the Angel's reputation not by reading someone's studies (because anyone could do research), but by living it through the author's eyes. Hunter makes it clear that he studied/mingled with the Hell's Angels for about a year. Where are all the crazy stories? There were a couple personal accounts sprinkled here and there, but there he also a lot of general statements in the piece without giving me the experience I was hoping for.

For example, he'd say something to the effect of... and no one wanted these modern day Huns coming into their town, raping, pillaging, and chain-whipping anyone in their path. Did the Angels actually do these sorts of things? Did they go through towns ravaging and raping everything in site? After reading "Hell's Angels" I still can't answer these and similar questions.

This book was written in 1966 so if you are looking to read about such things as the infamous incident involving the Hell's Angels at the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont, you will be disappointed. However, this book is a fascinating snapshot in time of the outlaw motorcycle gang just as they were gaining national notoriety. Hunter S. Thompson, who would later achieve much wider fame as a "gonzo" reporter for Rolling Stone, actually hung out with the gang for about a year or so while he was writing this book. This is not HST at his best - he would get much better later on - but nevertheless this book makes for compelling reading.

The Hell's Angels in the mid-1960s were the scourge of America. Just a rumor of them coming to town would cause mass hysteria. Most of the natives would cower in their homes and many of the men would load their weapons and gather at the town square. Police would throw up roadblocks and attempt to discourage them by citing them for any violation they can think of and throwing them in jail, if they can find a good enough reason (such as an unpaid traffic ticket).

But according to Thompson, the Hell's Angels didn't go out of their way to terrorize people and they just wanted to be left alone. Sure, the Angels got a kick out of "spooking the squares" with their loud choppers and their menacing dress and mannerisms but they wouldn't go out of their way to harm anybody. If you decided to lock horns with them however, all bets are off. The Angels have a code in which if you take on one Angel, you take on them all. Give any one of them some lip in a bar and you will find yourself surrounded by a dozen of them wielding chains, monkey wrenches and whatever else they can find that can serve as a lethal weapon.

Also discussed is the real story behind the alleged "rapes" committed by Hell's Angels. I was amazed to read of how women would willingly "throw themselves" at the Hell's Angels in spite of their reputation for "gang-raping" any female who willingly enters their midst. Once the Angels started making the papers, groupies started coming out of the woodwork everywhere. I think Thompson does a good job explaining the circumstances behind the notorious "rapes" and when you hear the whole story, you will no longer wonder why nearly every rape charge leveled against a Hell's Angel was thrown out of court or ended in acquittal. Rule of thumb to would be Hell's Angel groupies: Don't stick your hand in a hornet's nest unless you intend to get stung many times!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not making the Hell's Angels out to be nice guys. These are true outlaws who have virtually no respect for decency or law and order. Some parts of the book will gross you out (if Hunter is telling the truth). For example, when you are initiated and wear your "colors" for the first time, a pail of feces and urine is dumped over you and you are required to wear those same clothes unwashed until they fall apart.

No question this is one wild bunch and this book makes fascinating, if voyeuristic reading. One gets the sense that Hunter Thompson was never really accepted into the club. Supposedly Thompson "wimped out" during a riot by locking himself in his car trunk (not mentioned in the book). This may be why he ended up being beaten to a pulp by them towards the end of the book. Also, Thompson is said to have welshed on the deal he made with the Angels for writing his book. Supposedly he offered to buy them two kegs of beer when the book was written and he never delivered. Many years later, he offered the beer but his offer was refused by club president Sonny Barger. Once you get on the wrong side of the Angels, it is for life!

This book fears to go where it should: straight at the Hell's Angels. The author seems scared of them, and he seems to believe that he'll get hunted down and beaten if he says anything bad about them. Violence is glorified. Scumbags who have such nicknames as Gut and Drive-by are glorified as modern-day heros. They are not heros, and this book is a zero.

Unless you are the type of person who enjoys bullying, physical intimidation and domination you will find this book disturbing. That's fine and all, but I simply cannot get it out of my head that this writer practically worships the ground these cretins walk on. Episode after episode of criminal behavior is explained away as if it's just a "boys will be boys" kind of deal. You get the idea that the writer has some repressed fantasy that he is living out when he is among these motorcycle toughs. I bet the writer thinks the current gangs and the Mafia are also cool.

Everyone else can applaud this Hunter Thompson if they want. I read this book with no preconceived notion regarding its author, and I can state with no hesitancy that it reads as little more than a star-struck tribute. Mr. Thompson takes great pains to show how misunderstood these fellows are, and how a few random rapes and assaults are misportrayed by the multitudes of journalists who are less insightful than he. Although the Hell's Angels are outdated and tame by today's Crip and Blood standards, there remains a chilling message: bad people exist and bad sycophantic writers exist to worship them.

This was the book that first brought Hunter S. Thompson to national attention, and deservedly so. He dissects the cultural phenomenon that was the Hell's Angels in the mid-1960s with great insight and a prose style that reads like a cold beer on a hot day -- impossible to put down.

Thompson stressed two major themes in his assessment on the Angels: (1) They were largely a bunch of "losers," men with very limited opportunities to achieve The American Dream, who banded together to create The American Nightmare of violent anarchy, or at least the image of violent anarchy. In Thompson's portrayal, the Angels seem to revel in their "outsider" status and in their calculated efforts to shake up the "squares." Thompson also indicates that the image of Hell's Angels in the '60s seems to have mattered far more than the relatively isolated incidents of violence and public outrage they perpetrated. (2) That image was swallowed whole by the mainstream media of the mid-'60s (and by law enforcement officials), so that square Americans already reeling from the civil rights movement and black unrest, from the sexual revolution of the '60s, and from the "counterculture" and antiwar movements, were presented with one more reason to believe that the country was going to hell. Thomson sees the hysteria over the Angels in that era as essentially a creation of gullible reporters and paranoid politicians and cops.

This book (which came out in 1966) catches the California-based Angels between 1964 and 1966, as the hysteria was spreading. Eventually the Angels began to believe the media image too, which led to that fatal night at Altamont Raceway in 1969. Thompson may bear some of that responsibility, too, simply because his book was The Word on the Angels in that time; but his accurate assessment of the Angels was overwhelmed by the popular image that "outlaw bikers," Hollywood, and the media as a whole found profitable to promote.

Some reviewers portray "Hell's Angels" as the story of Thompson's own involvement with the motorcycle group. Certainly, Thompson is a "character" in the book, but he's careful to keep some distance from the Angels. (In the first-person centerpiece of the book, an Angels "run" to Bass Lake, California in 1965, Thompson traveled by automobile rather than on a "chopper.") Moreover, he never forgets that the story he's trying to tell is of the motorcycle club and their image, not about himself. His detached involvement (involved detachment?) in this book is a model for all insistently subjective journalists. I have read little of Thompson's later work, and I gather that as he became more concerned about hyping his own image, he worked up some calculated outrages of his own; but "Hell's Angels" remains a damned good piece of "new" reporting.

Since the 1960s, Hell's Angels -- portrayed by some romantic pukes in Thompson's time as latter-day cowboys, the last champions of traditional American "freedom" -- has gone corporate, handing out franchises ("charters") around the world and selling logoed merchandise. The most famous of the Angels, Ralph "Sonny" Barger, has parlayed his status as Oakland chapter president into a franchise of his own (complete with website), marketing his own "lean and mean" brand of beer, writing a philosophical self-help book and selling signed copies at motorcycle shows. Certain outlaw motorcyclists still are being blamed (with some justification, apparently) for a variety of crimes in various countries. Thompson's book has little to do with the commercialized Hell's Angels or felonious "1 percenters" of today. It's a book very much of its time and place -- but such a well-focused, incisive snapshot it is!

This was the book that got me into Hunter S. Thompson. Back when I was living in the Bay Area, I was on the verge of buying a Triumph Bonneville. I figured that this book would give me some inspiration, and get me to go through with my purchase. What I found was a book that pays great respect to a fantastic machine, and an outlaw culture that surrounded it. Sex, violence, LSD, politics, and counter cultural icons like Keasey and Gingsberg all pop up in this book. I also found this book interesting becuase of it's historical insight into the Bay Area during one of the most exciting decades.

I read this book years ago. It was the first HST book I read and if you're new to his writings and new to his style, as your lawyer I would advise you not to start here. Don't get me wrong - it's a great book, however you need to be interested in the topic.

This is the book that began the reign of gonzo journalism. Written in 1966, Hunter does a great job of relaying his exploits as he is allowed to co-mingle with the members of the Hell's Angels. He does a nice job of telling their histroy, the importance of Harley's and how these men are real men - not devils. Well.... maybe a few of them.

Although the book is basically dated, if you want to know more about the "outlaw" biking culture this is a great read. If you're just getting into HST you should try FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS and I'm sure you won't stop from there.

If you are looking for the same high calibur, rapid gunfire writing as Fear and Loathing, look elsewhere. I read this book first and thought that it was plainly and intelligently written, but not at all interesting, and I'm glad one of my friends made me read Fear and Loathing because I would have never touched it after having read Hell's Angel's.

The author of this "sociology" treatise goes to great lengths to show how great these old boys are. Worse yet, the author brags about his exploits with the Angels. There is simply nothing worse than a wanabe living vicariously through the experiences of another. Avoid this stinker at all costs.

The book was very interesting and so intrigueing. Where can I read more about where this book left off? Better yet, what other books are there that relate the early history about the Red and White or the one percenters? I love the 60s especially ideas and trends that were pushed underground and that the status quo desperately tried to ignore or tried to relegate to obscurity. Those trends had real meaning and artistic value. But it is precisely why this book was so fascinating to me. I guess the status quo's intentions backfired in a major way. This book also demonstrates how the outlaw bikers actually set off certain trends like tattoos and piercings which are quite popular among the "artists" and "art" of today...actually quite boring and predictible like today's "music". The attached chains on the wallets, tattoos, and piercings had already been done by a more interesting subculture in the late 50s and early 60s which were totally rejected by most people. This book offered a glimpse into something I really had little knowledge about. Today's youthful culture think that they are doing something original and interesting with tattoos and piercings but they don't even come close to the counterculture of the late 50s and 60s, particularly the outlaw culure.

As for the Hunter S. Thompson's other famous book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,...what a bore. I disagree that it's a better book than this one that I'm reviewing. In fact, it's totally the opposite. Hells Angels left me with more hunger to gobble up more material related to the Red and White and outlaw bikers in particular. I had to almost force myself to read Fear and Loathing. Drugs can sometimes have the opposite effect on creativity, and it seems that drugs and writing were not a good mix for Hunter S. Thompson when he wrote Fear and Loathing.

This guy is a self-inflating ballon. No one and nothing is as important in his eyes as he is. His opinion of himself and the world around him is all that really matters. His ability to cunningly insinuate himself into the minds of others dramatically increases the danger he poses. If you have the misfortune to be assigned one of his books in a college class, lament that no one has made "Cliff Notes."

I really should like Hunter Thompson more than I do, I mean he did ride a BSA and he is from my hometown of Louisville, Ky but to be honest he's always seemed kind of faggy to me with that gay filtered cigarette thing hanging from his mouth, plus there's that whole bizarre chapter he dedicated to finding a link between outlaw bikers and homosexuality. Hey what can I say, the guy sets my gaydar off. But I will give him credit, he did write a true classic in Hell's Angels. I've heard grumblings that he sacrificed reality for entertainment value by making some of the HA's into exagerated caricatures of themselves in this book, but whether thats true or not this is a great read.

If you're expecting an introspective study of a complete infiltrate on the Hell's Angels day to day, forget about it, this is basicly the report of two big reunions of the Angels in the early 60's, with some articles of the time. And ONLY till that date, no further. TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTING. Tedious, boring, in fact didn't finished it.

Written before Thompson freaked out on drugs and went truly Gonzo, "Hell's Angels" is instead a great piece of reporting. The Angels were a fairly new phenomenon in the public mind when Thompson went riding with them and recorded all that he saw. It is a fascinating account of what has become one of America's most notorious criminal enterprizes. Thompson's description of an LSD rush (taken when the drug was still legal) is worth the price alone. For all his troubles, the Angels beat him half to death. This is a must read for anyone ineterested in criminology.

This book, which is a fine read, seems to not quite follow the trend of dialogue style of the more recent Thompson books. It is much more of a documentary then a commentary. Hunter blazes off in a convertible following the ruthless swine who were the California Hell's Angels. The book documents a year that took place in the mid-sixties. Hunter tries his hardest to paint the Angels as innocent of various charges such as murder, kidnapping, and rape; he admits of course that they were there, but things usually just got out of hand, naturally. He became close friiends with a few and truely felt that there was an appeal of belonging to the tight nit group, that had more order to it than it was actually given credit for. This was the first point in his life that Hunter habitually used hard drugs, and I have to say that, personally, I think this was the adnventure that twisted our beloved Dr. Gonzo. The adventure comes to a sudden end as Hunter gets stomped senseless by a couple of Angels he didn't know to well. The moral of the story? The edge is out there, and no one strives to discover it more than the Hell's Angels, except maybe Hunter S. Thompson.

I'm a great Hunter S Thompson fan, and have read all of his books. Although "Hell's Angels" was his first book, it would be the last one, that I got around to reading. I was used to his later, gonzo style, of writing so I was actually expecting this to be more of the same. But it was not. He seems more objective and a bit more conventional in this volume, than in his later work. He is still biased, but not to the same degree as he would become later. Also he keeps his long rantings about everything and nothing with no connection whatsoever to his main subjects to a minimum.

He is still very eloquent and writes in an interesting way, just more sober. A bit like Tom Wolfe or such.

I'm not particularly interested in the subject of Hell's Angels or bikers, but I enjoyed this look into a culture that seldom lets in outsiders. Also it gives some contrast to the image the Hell's Angels have these days. Very interesting and highly recommendable.

I first got to know Hunter S. Thompson through the worst possible way: the movie version of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". Don't get me wrong, I loved the film then and I still love it now, but it is one of the riskiest ways to get introduced to this brilliant author.
The thing is, I became instantly smitten with Johnny Depp's performance and I was completely won over by the brilliant humour, but after the film was over, well... it was a fun ride but, hey, that was it. Besides the humour, and the prodigious drug taking, there was not much insight that I got out of it, so Hunter dropped off my radar for some years.
All of that changed when I picked up the Rum Diary two years ago, recognized the author, and decided to give it a spin. Boy, am I glad I did that, otherwise I would have missed out on one of the most brilliant authors of the 20th century!
Hunter S. Thompson is a MONSTER writer, and he is one of the most original, funniest and insightful voices I have ever heard in my entire life! He is brilliant, a master of hyperbolic realism, and reading his books is like engaging in a late night conversation with a genius: it can be funny, disconcerting, gross, insightful, frenetic but always unforgettable.
Hell's Angel's - the book that first cast the spotlight on Hunter - is a perfect example. I didn't buy this book because I was particularly interested in the Angels - I'm not! - or even motorcycles - I don't really care about them, to be honest. I bought it, because I knew that it would read like the brilliant account of a writer who is so talented that he can make any subject interesting, whether you had any interest in it or not!
I exaggerate, of course. You have to be attuned to Hunter's sensibility first, to his Fear and Loathing, to his take no prisoners sense of humour - which has the calculated subtlety of a nuclear bomb! - but if you are, man, what a ride!
This book fits like a glove in the main theme of Hunter's oeuvre - The American Dream, or rather, What became of the American Dream - and what starts as a character study on one of the last embodiments of the Dream turns out to be something quite different...
There are many layers in this book, some frightening insight, brilliant analysis and, of course, a superb sense of humour.
If you are familiar with Hunter, you already know this but if all of you've read, or heard about, revolves around "Fear and Loathing..." give this one a try. There is a lot more to the Good Doctor than what his wild legend might suggest.

This is a fun read, with more info on biker gangs than you probably wanted to know. Generally considered a classic within most HST fan circles. I really like it.

Hell's Angels is boring, boring, boring unless you enjoy reading lots of statistics. If you're really curious about how many motorcycles were registered in the U.S. in 1965, this might be the book for you. On occasion there is a paragraph or page that has some meat in it and then it's back to numbers. After all the hype I'd read about Hunter S. Thompson, I expected to read the 1970's version of "On the Road." One thing for sure Thompson is no Kerouac.

Hunter S. Thompson writes a truthful, unsentimental and ultimately sad story of the Hell's Angels in the mid 60's. After describing the activities of the outlaws, exploits which we are mostly familiar with and which pale by comparison to today's youth gangs, he concludes that the Hell's Angels are losers; lonely and uneducated.

I was surprised at H. S. Thompson's ability to describe the personalities behind the outlaw biker facade. He makes the sad point that the HA's would be the first group eradicated by the very political factions they reflected, if those factions ever came to power. Of course, the Angels weren't remotely aware of this.

Thompson writes with a simple, hilarious style. I found myself laughing out loud at sentences of brilliant understatement. I had no intention of reading this book, which was loaned to me by a friend, but once I started, I couldn't stop reading.

This turned out to be a very interesting book. The author was a rider with the Hell's Angel for a short duration. He was able to relate his time as an angel into a very readable book. This writing tells of the partying,drinking,and drugs that make up the everyday life of being a member of the Hell's Angels. Hunter is also able to show the dangerous sides of being part of this notorious group.After reading this book and hearing Thompson's experiences you will know that he went to great lengths to bring this story.All in all a very exciting and readable story. Read it you will be greatly entertained.

As Thompson aficionados are probably aware Hell's Angels is Hunter's first real foray into the sustained writing that would make us smile or be provoked to call for his head on a platter for the next forty years. Although the text clearly demonstrates that this is not a piece of `gonzo' journalism, as it later came to be known, one can see the outline of where he could be heading in this book on probably the most famous outlaw motorcycle gang in American history. The line between Thompson the reporter and Thompson the participant is still fairly clear but one can see just enough sympathy with the subject matter of his book to see where he might be heading. His major `gonzo' work and most famous book Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas thus did not just come out of the blue.

And what of the subject matter of his book, the infamous Hell's Angels that in my youth my mother warned me against incessantly? As noted above Hunter gained a grudging sympathy for them during his yearlong experience in and around their hangouts and their nefarious various doings in Northern California. Some of the antics that they were involved in like their `robust' partying in natural settings and scaring the `squares' seem a little dated, and juvenile. Their gratuitous violence, however, seems rather too familiar.

The more sociological aspects of their marginal social existence is far more interesting and Thompson does a good job of identifying the post-World War II American times that gave rise to such self-defining outcasts. This phenomenon enters the books as one of the outcomes that occur when the Turner thesis on the effects of the end of the frontier and land's end get fleshed out in sunny California. While these men, and they were almost exclusively white Anglo-Saxon men (the women involved with them are a separate and in some ways more interesting question although in the book a marginal one), came from mainly working class backgrounds the details provided by Thompson portrays a classic lumpenproletarian milieu. Thus, politics, protest or allegiance to other organizations meant nothing to them. Forget all that intellectual gibberish, it was about the bikes, man. Dr. Freud can read what he wants into that. Dr. Thompson gives it to us straight.

In my opinion it doesn't get more gonzo than this. Thompson goes in and becomes a part of this degraded and bizarre world, promising a keg of beer to his friends after the book is finished. Although he never did give them that keg of beer, he got his butt kicked for not going it. I believe that sets things even.

I've read most of Thompson's work, and out of all of it this book is my favorite.

Americans are as fascinated with violence as the outlaw motorcycle cult, the Hell's Angels, are encouraged to provide it. Hunter S. Thompson's "year of close association" made "Hell's Angels." Graphically it explains the colorful characters, group practices, accompanied by the steady consumption of drugs, alcohol, and violent sex. Thompson offers an account that breaks the myths into truths and untruths.

In a calm tone that neither reaches fascination nor condemnation, Thompson gives a close look at the Angels through what we least expect: lame parties and men who want to be heroes, to what we do expect: gang rape, gang violence, and a lot of people whose ultimate goal is to collect unemployment.

A moderate perspective of mainly white Anglo-Saxons under thirty, reeking of bike grease and human waste crushed into their initiation clothing, whose most frequent hangouts are taverns, emergency rooms, and jails. The outlaws' only source of pride lies in an individually customized Harley and by the colors of belonging to the Hell's Angels.

"The outlaws tend to see their bikes as personal monuments, created in their own image, however abstract, and they develop an affection for them that is hard for outsiders to understand."1

Thompson criticizes journalists and the police for not understanding the Angels, but acting as if they do. A certain finesse is required for dealing with the Angels. Angels. Angels do not care about the law, in fact, they will easily flaunt any behavior they think will shock onlookers. For no other reason two Angels will often embrace and kiss one another for the benefit of company. Thompson also summarizes the public view of the Hell's Angels.

"They command a fascination, however reluctant, that borders on psychic masturbation."2

Thompson's honest and original research uncovers America's fraternal motorcycle cult at the peak of their fame. As individuals, the members have no future, as a whole, that is a separate question. It seems that as long as men are unable to fit in modern society there is always a club or cult, depending on taste, waiting in the shadows.

1 pg. 92.

2 pg. 262.

I am a huge fan of Mr. Thompson and this was, in fact, the book that introduced me to the Good Doctor, only six months ago, while I was on vacation in the Dominican. A strange place to read this book, but read it I did on the glorious white sand beaches, and I was not easily distracted from it. But enough about me. Here's some brief blurb on the book.

Thompson writes as a very imformed party, indeed he was, riding with the Angels for about a year and studying their lifestyle, what made them tick, whether most of the horrible things that people said about them were true. The fruits of this labor is this wonderful, entertaining book that should be read by every fan of Hunter S. Thompson, as well as anyone interested about hearing what the Angels REALLY were like at their peak in the 60s. The analyzation of the emergence, divergence, and merging of the various countercultural movements of the time (c. 1965) in the San Francisco area is very interesting stuff. The image of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters and The Hell's Angels under the same roof dropping acid is an intriguing one.

Read this book. If you are interested in or like Thompson, the Hell's Angels, or the 60s in general, you will not recieve a shortage of information and entertainment from this early masterpiece of the Good Doctor.

This book was not what I had expected, having already read several of Thompson's books. The Gonzo-style that he is so well known for is not present here. There are moments of "Gonzo" that appear and inpire some laughter, but it is not what makes the story a good read.
What we have is a completely objective view of a group that terrified most that came within earshot of their screaming motorcycles. Thompson sets the record straight on what the Angels were really all about. He does not glorify them nor condemn them. He simply gives you the straight story.
I loved that he does not make them out to be saints, but simply exposes that they are not what the media had been making them out to be. He gives several examples of what was printed and what actually happened.
In short the great Doctor does for us what journalists are trusted and supposed to do for us: give an objective story based on fact.

This is early Hunter S. Thompson and already his own life is in such disarray that I wonder how much of his information can be trusted. Nevertheless, he captures the relationship between "law and order" and the Hell's Angels in a way that no other has. I have not read Sonny Barger's book but it is a must if one is to complete the picture. Like most "outlaw" groups the Hell's Angels tend to see themselves in a certain almost heroic light. Hunter captures how they saw themselves in the middle sixties or there abouts. Barger admits much later that they have softened with time into something else (just not mainstream society). The all for one and one for all attitude the Angels Supposedly espouse has always made me personally uneasy even when made available to me. I have been more of an independent I suppose so Hunter's descriptions of the Hell's Angels psychology is enlightening to me although it is tempered with half truths.

Dr. Hunter S Thompson captured what it was like to be in a gang on a hostile hog, hateful and on drugs-- circa 1965. There was mischief in the air and things were never what they seemed to our hero, Hunter S.-- and then he got his ass beat.

This epic tome was Thompson's explosion onto the literary art scene. Hell, back when this descent into hedonism was published, "The Brady Bunch" and "Nixon" where almost 4 years away.

This novel 'freaked' everyone out and remains the pen-ultimate tale of debauched barbarians waging war against 'mom and pop' America.

Roll up your sleeves boys and girls, if you read Hell's Angels the Doctor is going to inject you with a dosage of Outlaw Reality and Hog Rage as it were. The Hell's Angels are the last vestiges of the American Outlaw, 1%'s they're called, outside the outside, committed to a life of Freedom, punctuated by violence, booze, barbituates, indiscriminate sex and of course cruising the Amercian Wastelands on their Great Metallic Steeds, stripped down Harley Davidson's known affectionately as Hogs. Hunter S. is in his own right a one percenter. This book shows the Dr. of Gonzo's journalistic zeal, as he braves the world of the Angels, driving not a Hog as he should but a Dark Shadow. This is only too perfect as Hunter is the dark specter following the dastardly deeds of these bastard bikers. This book displays Hunter's ballsy journalism, as well as allowing him to focus on a central theme that would go on to pervade his other works: the outlaw and his importance to American society, a society that is dredged to the hilt with phonies, gutless wonders, souless greedmongers, hypocrites, cowards, politicians and other scum, capitalisitc, bureacratic, pig-like and otherwise. Hell's Angels is the journalistic calm that precedes the storm of hallucinagenic brilliance that was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. So one way or the other let the Doctor of Gonzo vaccinate your mind from the mindless surge that makes up the money grubbing, TV watching majority of this Great Country of Ours. (...)

From what I know, Hunter Thompson is a great author but this must not have been his best work. He drag's something simple out for what seems to be days and yet he seems to summarize the events that actually lasted for days. The book has alot of references to outside material and it almost seems like he is writing it from an outsiders view sometimes. This book only documents a years time and that leaves alot of the Angel's history left untold. If you've read everything else on the Angel's then go for it otherwise finish the rest first.

As good - and compelling - a writer as HST later proved himself to be, 'Hell's Angels' is a let-down. Far from the hilarious and often insightful candor of 'Fear and Loathing', Thompson serves up a flat and frankly overly-sensationalist treatment in 'Hell's Angels'. Yet 'Hell's Angels' is an important book, not for any light it might shed on the club itself (which is dim at best) but as a glimpse into 1960's counterculture, of which the Hell's Angels were one expression. That 'mainstream' America accepted all of the horrors HST 'reported' with such acceptance is in and of itself telling. Just as telling is his neat sidestepping of any issues which might cloud the story (such as many of the Hell's Angels being veterans and saddled with regular, day-to-day jobs just like the rest of us). The problem with 'Hell's Angels' is that HST never really brings any authority to the tale. In fact, he often comes across as a bit pedantic - and strikes one as being quite out of his league (he is rather vague about how much time he really spent with the men he is assesing). That he elected to put an exclamation point on the story by getting himself beat up at the end is, for lack of a better word, embarrasing. I rated this book at three stars only for its value in any HST collection - for the casual reader, or anyone interested in a reliable account of the Hell's Angels, this is not worth buying (scour your local library for it instead).

Hells angels is the embodiment of all that journalism should be. In todays world of political crrectness it's great to find a documentary that just gives the facts, with a hint of dark humor. It is brutally honest, but not nessicerily judgemental. I would reccomend this book to anyone who wishes to take a step back in time to a simpler America.

Hells Angels by Hunter S. Thompson disects the infamous motorcycle gang. He defines them with a gritty first hand portrait that seems to favor the idea that they are not just unsavory animals but they are simple loosers wanting to go out with a bang. Shows them for what they really were and not their hype ridden reputation. Also Thompson offers up a biting contrast between the Angels and his "Respectable" friends. Though it is not the same twisted Gonzo journalism that we saw in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas it is well worth the time and money.

This is a profound, incisive tome, bound to chain-whip some serious insight across the face of mainstream stupor. Thompson cogently observes, in perhaps the finest capsule summary ever of our festering existential miasma, that America has been breeding mass anomie since the end of World War II. Dead on the money, Doc. Pun intended. Also contains the best short exposition on Linkhorn evolution ever written, and the quintessential explanation for the decline and fall of Lenny Bruce. Oh, and there's no one on the planet who could have captured the Angel ethos as well as the Duke. Read it or lose.

At a literary level I would give this book 5 stars. It's well written in an unusual, yet interesting style. The combination of first and third person accounts within the book keep it from getting too tedious. I also think that Thompson made a valiant (if somewhat ineffective) effort to be objective in his observations and show both sides of most stories. Unfortunately, one could tell this attempt at objectivity was unsuccessful at times as displayed by his apparent friendship with several of the Angels through the course of his research. In his defense, it's probably pretty difficult to live and party with these guys for a sustained period of time without some emotional attachment.

With respect to the content, I guess I expected more detailed personal first hand experiences rather than summaries of historical events so I pulled 1 star away for that. To be fair, Thompson added some notes regarding the Angels' side of the story, but nonetheless I felt a bit deceived as I expected the book to be all first hand knowledge given that he had supposedly ridden with the Angels for a year. I was also disappointed that his version of "riding" with the Angels consisted of riding to their hangouts on a bike, but for longer runs such as Bass Lake he took his car - how lame is that?

One curiosity was the post script which referred to an event (which I won't divulge out of respect for the readers who haven't yet read the book) which took place after he wrote the book. According to Hunter's account, the event came out of the blue with no provocation at all. I find that somewhat suspicious and would be interested in knowing a little more detail on what precipitated that particular event. Perhaps it is as he described, but I just got the feeling that there was more to it than met the eye.

All in all, if one is truly interested in the subject matter I feel the book is worth the read because it's considered by some a classic, but more importantly because it contains another angle not addressed in other books recounting HAMC history and events. (namely Sonny Barger's Hells Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club, which I am reading now and so far have found to be a bit one sided and self indulgent, but that's another review yet to be written...).

A very high quality production run, hard-bound with illustrated dust jacket etc. of a very hard to find modern classic. Read Thompson as he was before he became a cartoon character like caricature. Succinct and insightful with the acerbic wit front and centre where it belongs. A cracking good read ! Excellent value too in this Modern Libraries edition. Why pay all-kinds of stoopid money on E-bay for a dog-eared paperback when you can have this for little more than the price of lunch for one alone.

Hell's Angels begins: "California, Labor Day weekend . . . early, with ocean fog still in the streets, outlaw motorcyclists wearing chains, shades and greasy Levis roll out from damp garages, all-night diners and cast-off one-night pads in Frisco, Hollywood, Berdoo and East Oakland, heading for the Monterey peninsula, north of Big Sur... The Menace is loose again, the Hell's Angels, the hundred-carat headline..." With a start like that how could you help but be hooked? This is Hunter before Gonzo.

Hunter Thompson's Hell's Angels is a fantastically written profile of the outlaw motorcycle club from their postwar origins to their explosion on the public conscious in '64-'65. It begins with the Angels gaining nation-wide attention via a fumbled rape trial and follows the surreal path that led to their interactions and then clashes with Ken Kesey and the counter-culture movement.

Hunter takes an odd stance here. He seems to oscillate between respecting their rebelliousness and really looking down on them as worthless losers. This sort of Yin-Yang of the Hell's Angels follows through the book. They are both repellent and attractive and Hunter does a very good job of sussing out why this is in writing that is compelling and often brilliant. Liberally sprinkled with quotes of contemporary articles, song lyrics and scraps of poetry that fit into the text without distracting.

Hell's Angels is a gritty, classic slice of reportage that manages to entertain in the way good fiction entertains with a gripping narrative and larger-than-life characters.

started out good, then turned in to a whiny account of author complaing about not being treated right by the Angels.

This was a very informative book. Mixes the historical information of the Hell's Angels (and other motorcycle groups), with enough details of their activities to keep the reader interested. Very descriptive, made you want to take a shower to wash all the grease and testosterone off you after each reading. Captured the attitude of the times very well. Couple parts where it got a little graphic, but rang true. Would have liked to have had more recent information on the subject, but understand this book was written some time ago. Seemed to be a very accurate depiction (balanced) on all sides; the motorcycle gangs, the attitudes of the general public and the authorities and how they interacted and were perceived.

I have always been intrigued with the Hells Angels and this book answered many questions especially the history of the club. I was impressed that the author lived with them for a year.

I was recommended books by Hunter S. Thompson by a few friends and decided to buy a few. "Hell's Angels" is definitely the best book by Thompson I've read so far.

Hell's Angels became really infamous thanks to their image, rumors about things they allegedly did and the way they acted in public places. Their image is so defying that most people seem to think that it reflects the inner side of the Angels. Newspapers did not make it easier and helped to maintain such an image. Hunter S. Thompson could follow this approach or take his own stand. Really good that he decided on the latter.

What we have here is a solid attempt of being as objective as possible despite the author's immersion in the Angels' world. He presents us both with the newspapers' opinions and prejudices and glimpses into the Angels' world. Here we meet "Sonny" Barger, an intelligent and sensible leader of the Angels, Magoo, a simpletone, Frenchy, Tiny and many others. According to the press, they are filthy, wild and bad; in their own opinion, they are free and do what pleases them. Thompson is right in the middle, doing his best to give us information from both sides of the front and let us make our own mind on the issue.

The bigger part of the book is devoted to events that took place in Bass Lake but Thompson didn't forget about history of Hell's Angels, showing us their first years and how they evolved; there's information on social structure of the group and their everyday life which, not that surprisingly, is quite grey and mundane.

Even if Thompson had his own opinion about the Angels, he didn't force it on his readers. He gives us subjective truth from both sides and lets us form our own opinions and that's a sign of good journalism. After finishing this book we may be left with the conviction that Hell's Angels are either absolutely evil or totally great; we may think that they are the last knight errants roaming the modern world or just a bunch of losers useless in today's world. You might feel nostalgy for people who live day by day and can't, from various reasons, comfort to the modern lifestyle. Whatever opinion you might have, it's certain that you won't regret reading this book!

After spending time with the notorious bike gang, Hell's Angels, Hunter S. Thompson tells his stories and confrontations. Including factual detail and expressed how the media portrayed them in there stories by setting up a stereotype of all motorcycle riders. Contrary to Thompson's later books, such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, he adopts a more journalistic approach in Hell's Angels.
In a time of drugs, violence, and rock and roll the outlaw motorcycle gang, the hells angels, ruled the streets. With their gang rapes, pimping, drug dealing, and violent tactics they became famous over night with every source of media following their trail. The way the media portrayed them set up a common stereotype that affected all motorcyclists. Thompson actually spent time to get the real story behind these ruthless motorcyclists to really see if the media is correct in their portrayal.
From the first paragraph to the last you would not want to put this book down. Thompson gives a thorough background history behind the gang, which makes you want to learn even more and what they do next. He also includes much detail like how one being associated with the Angles at one point in time effect there lives by getting a job and with the law. This is a true Hunter S. Thompson piece that is more in a journalistic mode that Thompson does best.

Somewhat more staid and conforming to acceptable human regulations than his subsequent howling manifestos, Hell's Angels is nonetheless a rare and wonderful work. From the opening paragraphs, consisting of Thompson's jarring, disjointed, and richly lyrical account of the tableau of the American motorcycle gang, I was hooked. In the later, more conventionally journalistic sections, always present is a perplexed half-pity for the bikers of the title, and a scornful resentment of the frothing media and law enforcement types who've so thoroughly hyped up the shaggy ruffians. Views on crime and social responsibility aside, lovers of true innovation--on the page and elsewhere--will find much to enjoy.

Just finished reading this book and couldn't put it down. If you have a curiosity about the Hell's Angels, this is the book to buy! Hunter S. Thompson rode with the Angels during a promonient time in their history with all the colorful characters that have made a name in Angel's history like Sonny Barger, Terry the Tramp, Mouldy Marvin, Magoo, Mother's Miles and many more. Hunter writes about the infamous Bass Lake Run, the Monterey Rape Incident, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters' parties for the Hell's Angels and the Viet Nam Day Committee confrontation with the Hell's Angels in Berekley. He also takes the opportunity to inject his take on the biased press-media of the time and pretty much tells the stories as they happened that will keep any reader riveted and titallated. Buy this book if you want an adventure with the most infamous motorcycle gang on the scene today and then.

Hell's Angels is a Thompson classic. It is a tale that not only covers the Hell's Angels from the inside, but also an expose on irresponsible reporting that drove America into a frenzy over the outlaw motorcycle group. While the book is dated as a whole, I feel that Thompson's depiction of the American response to the Hell's Angels is very relevant today. It showed me that our society that is seemingly ruled by fear, uncertainty and doubt has indeed been present for quite some time now.

Overall, Hell's Angels is an amusing, funny and at times shocking read. Highly Recommended.

The complete history of the notorious motorcycle gang up to 1965. This is an amazing achievement and in my eyes one of the greatest works of non-fiction in twentieth century english literature.

Thompson (R.I.P.) was one of the greatest journalists of our time, but more than that he deserves the same respect as Ginsberg and Kerouac in regards to his contributing to America's reputation as a home for people with an insatiable hunger for human experience.

Unfortunately, he left us when perhaps we needed him most. As second hand human experience (i.e. the voyeristic tendencies of a culture hypnotized by "reality" T.V.) has become almost more important than the first hand variety.

"Gonzo" journalism was all about becoming involved. It was raw enthusiasm and gusto, not that Hunter didn't do a lot of research as well. This is his ultimate work, though I would never discount "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", but it worked better as a memoir than a piece of journalism.

"Hell's Angels" will always be my favorite by Thompson, it is an amazingly penetrating analysis, where the reporter really get's under the skin of his subject. What makes it so entertaining is the great sympathy Thompson feels for the Angels. I'm sure he had much more respect for their brazen and amoral ways than he ever had for the zombies that inhabit the cozy living rooms of the American comma ward known as the heartland.

Who will fill the shoes of this giant, and those of his mentors?

I know not.

It's not that much about the Hell's Angels, it's about a lot of other motorcycle gangs too. Some good historical California and Oakland stuff. It's for HST fans, for sure, and I'm one. It's a "road story" in a lot of ways, and I like that. HSY at his best? Maybe. But not as gonzo as some. Probably not the best place to start with either HST or the Angels. But good.

The most amazing thing about this book is that it somehow brings the reader right inside the minds and yearnings of the Angels, making their antics seem not only understandable, but almost desirable (i.e., the wrong effects for the right reasons).

Another very appealing aspect of the book is its thorough discussion of Angels "stuff:" the all-important Angels logo or "colors," grease-encrusted denim, nazi helmets, green beard dye, nose-rings, iron crosses, various firearms, coffins, beheading swords, bikes, beer, and leather.

Thompson makes it clear these so-called "scumbags" are not to be emulated, but they do have their code, and it's easy to understand: ride, shock, get loaded, ride, frighten, maim, drink, rape, fight, ride, and drink. And then go out and rape.

This reader could not put the book down.

A fortifying piece of pure American gonzo literature, no doubt about it. In this one year epic of HST's dealings with the vile, wretched, destruction mongers of the world; a consequential admiration seems to develop for the "mutants" that Thompson brings to life. Social degenerates, too legit for extermination yet so malicious that fear itself would never discover the Hell's Angels(Only their unfortunate victims). Blessed with such a cast as Terry "the tramp",Ralph "Sonny" Barger and hundreds upon thousands of willing destructionites the Angels were certainly at the forefront of idealistic individuality by way of sheer brutality. Armed with strength in numbers, a general disregard for societies norms and an unwavering sense of self righteousness the Angels ran roughshod over the meek 99%ers that make up the establishment. The general dicontempt of press held by the Angels scared many an ambitious journalist away but not Thompson. In rechanting this grotesque yet entertaining account of America's most notorious congregation, HST displays his gusto for getting to the heart of the story as well as a true grit in the face of personal injury. In cliche; An insightful look into the habits of an outlaw motorcycle gang's rise to American media fame. Truly, the most recommendable piece of reading material for any of HST's admiring fans and a sick and twisted look into the 1%er way of life{...} "The Hell's Angels...blood, gang rape...glance over at your wife, your children in the back seat, could you protect them against a gang of young toughs gone wild on booze and drugs?...remember those pictures? Big ugly street-fighters not even afraid of police, loving a fight, swinging chains and big wrenches, knives - no mercy at all".

This was HST's first book after doing free lance journalism almost everywhere. It does not have his wit and style of his later works, but still offers insight and his interpretations of everything. How many writers, authors, and journalists would actually hang out with this group of "bikers" for a year? He did and lived to tell about it (barely), but some of it is redundant. It is not a bad book and HST's account of this year of his life makes for good reading and you don't want to put it down, because you want to know what happens next.

I just gave this another read after having first read it in the seventies. It lacks Hunter's usual wit but offers a clear picture of those tumultuos times. This book was written before the fiasco at Altamont.

Hunter takes us on a journey through his year long affiliation with the Angel's originally intended to get their side of the story. We see the human side of one of the most infamous and misunderstood groups of the era.

This book held a few surprises for me such as the internal conflagrations between the Angel's chapters from Frisco, Berdoo, Oakland, et al. The book also describes the "love-hate" relationship between the Angel's and law enforcement, the Angel's and the peace-niks, the Angel's and the Beatniks and the Angel's and the Merry Pranksters.

Hunter doesn't sugar-coat his experiences. In fact this work has an anti-Angel's sentiment for the most part. Perhaps because he winds up on the wrong end of an Angel's stomp-fest.

This is a great book. It maybe paints the Angels in an excessively positive light, yet to condemn the book for this is harsh.The whole piece is fascinating, giving a rare insight into a culture we would all probably like to give a bash (for a few hours at least). Hells Angels is the emergence of a genius.

sure, fear and loathing gets all the hype, but this is where the gonzo ethic was born, when being a journalist was actually a risky and enlightening profession, when America was still shocked and scared of bikers. this book (as well as anything else Thompson has written) reminds me of how regulated and anal-retentive 90's American society ironically is when compared with the outlaw status Hell's Angels enjoyed in the 60's. Thompson reveals alot not only about the bikers and social mores, but how law enforcement deals with those outside society's "normal" realm. Go Gonzo Go!

This book is great, a look inside a secret society few really know of, except for rumors and myths. HST gets inside this organization and lives a life few do, on the edge of society and lives to bring us the story. The misadventures of these bikers are intense and enlightening for those interested in what really goes on in such a world. Filled with drugs, partying, fights and travels of the most notorious biker gang back in their hayday. HST was a bold man for such an excursion and we thank him for risking life and limb by delivering us this masterpiece of Gonzo writing.

Thompson's Hell's Angels is a masterpiece of American Journalism...Not only does he teach us about the most known--and maybe the most notorious--outlaw biker gang in the world, he also teaches us what it means to be a journalist. He shows he has guts just by spending so much time with the gang most people feared back in the 60s, and by not being afraid to show he had what so many other writers and reporters lacked. I can only hope journalists in the 90s--including myself--can follow his bright example.

Thompson produces classic, madcap romps through the American psyche. HELL'S ANGELS is a great example... Vibrant and hilarious.

What do these guys do all day? Why do they behave like they do? This book takes you to their rallies, parties and homes (when they have them). Next time you see one of those guys ride by, you'll understand where he is coming from! Definitely better and different than your average book. A quick read, too

My book was delivered as promised and on time. I will definitely order again in the future.

"Hell's Angels" lacks some of the personal edge and Gonzo reporting style that I expect from Thompson. It is fun in parts, but overall it's too objective. After a few chapters, I found myself thinking, "I get it, these guys are burnouts and misfits, and I don't need be told any more minor stories about their antics." I can't be satisfied with this book as a piece of historical journalism either because there is so much post-1966 Hell's Angels history. Altamont and other important events occurred after the book was written, so I feel like I still don't have a good handle on the Hell's Angels' full significance in American culture. The thing I will remember the most from the book is the quote by Samuel Johnson, "He who makes himself a beast gets rid of the pain of being a man." This quote succinctly describes a core motivation of the Hell's Angels and others who know the pleasure of fringe lifestyles and behavior.

I highly reccommend this gritty book. It is a very real feeling honest expose of the cult of the outlaw bikers, how the American media reacts to and manufactures disinfomaiton. It is a story of the sorry truth of the patholoy of the underclass of American society. One of Thompson's best.

This is a wonderful republishing effort in hardback with a great photo of Hunter on its cover - a tribute to Thompson's literary accomplishment and treatment of the Hells Angels when they were truly a cultural attraction.

Hunter's writing is clear, fast-paced, insightful, hysterial, and damning with just a bit of the Thompson humor to get the real point across. There's not be a book on the Times and the Angels since to match it.

Great addition to the library - thanks, Dr. Thompson - RIP

I fear many young readers don't read Hunter because their sole perception of him stems from the Fear and Loathing movie. Perhaps it makes them overlook him, falsely believing they could only take something away from his genius if they themselves were acid freaks or outlaw motorcyclists. What they don't understand is story development is only part of the delicious masterpieces Hunter serves up. He could make a sentence, one short, lonely sentence brilliant. He could read the inner workings of his non-fictional subjects' minds, both good and bad, as though he held some secret intercom to their brain. Regardless of the story, whether it was some drug binging adventure in Vegas or hot presidential campaign, Hunter's details lacked in nothing. If he wrote it, the reader can close their eyes and be in that distant place in that distant time. I wasn't yet born in the 60s and 70s, but I can see that the residue from that era still heavily molds our society and our government. To move forward, it is important to understand our past. And, Hunter's work serve as an ambassador or a time machine for us to go back and reconcile and comprehend such an unbelievable time.
So, read the book. Read all his books.

In depth report of the infamous motorcycle gang by the only person with enough gall and wit to pull it off; Hunter S. Thompson. Excellent correspondence of what the Hell's Angels stood for in their prime. If you enjoy learning about the brutality humans are capable of then this is a book for you.

It is really astounding how many definitions of "Gonzo Journalism" there is floating around out there...What really is Gonzo Journalism?

According to many sources, Gonzo Journalism is a "hands on approach."; what the journalist is writing about 'becomes' his subject matter. Compared to Method Acting, this is NOT acting but BEING the subject matter making the representation "real".

(Thompson, in his mind, stoned and alcohol affected, became one of them. (Angels)) But after reading the text again, there is that "objectivism", a couragous journalist, (who loved: writing, drugs, guns, whisky, politics and rock and roll) writing about a topical situation in America at the time - he was in his element.

Timing is everyrthing.

One particular scene in the book is a bit frightening, (this one is a minor one.)

The Angel's, in the 100's are headed for a small town of a population of twenty-thousand - 12 cops and one Chief...

"Consider the alternatives available to a chief of police in a remote town of twenty thousand?...the motorcycle outlaws are due to converge on him in a matter of hours...nothing in his experience has prepared him to face an army of half -human hoodlums, a modern day James Gang...infamous thugs who would just as soon stomp on a cop as they would on a toad, and once they get out of hand, the only way to handle them is with brute force." (P.113)

What does the chief do, but hope for the best...contain them and eventually move them on...well easier said than done.

There is something Romantic about Thompson: a 30's style journalist, cigarette in mouth, punching out the stories on an old Remington between swigs of Irish whisky.

After reading his collection of political stories from various publications from Rolling Stone to the New York Times, one gets the feeling that he was, paradoxically, on the pulse of the Present but writing from another Time.

This in-your-face style of journalism has an aura of honesty...something we have not read in quite sometime.

The "Hunter" was from a generation that now is gone.

In terms of "historical-realistic" texts, Hell's Angels, is a Thompson Classic & the beginning of Gonzo Journalism.

I was born in 1962 and was too young to appreciate the special generation that the 60's spawned. The Hell's Angels were definitely NOT to be messed with in that time period. But he hung out with them and wrote a compelling book about the demons on Harleys with deft mastery. They actually almost killed him when they found out they were not getting paid for the information gleaned from HST. The 60's to me were a hazy memory and I remember flower power, Watergate, Nixon, Hippies, etc. But the Hell's Angels were dangerous and belligerent; not to be messed with. They fueled a rage for the tiniest of infractions. Mainstream society in the 60's were definitely shocked and afraid of them with good reason. I sort of saw them as buffoons, but it is a great book. It rocketed HST to fame and fortune.

The book I ordered was in GREAT shape & was shipped out so fast! My son loves it!! Thanks so much!! WILL ORDER THROUGH YOU AGAIN!!

Those who would discredit Hunter S. Thompson's work as decadent nonsense would be well-advised to read this first-person account of time spent with the Hell's Angels club. Thompsons gonzo style, combined with an obviously plentiful knowledge of literature and history give him a magnificent perspective on this seldom seen aspect of American society. This is true jounalism with a remarkably singular and unique style; this book was a pleasure to read from page 1.

Not as over the top or as wildly entertaining as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but still very well written and highly entertaining. You don't get bland prose from the Doctor, and does it get any better than phrases such as "young blondes with lobotomy eyes"? This book is about 40 years old, and the reader certainly gets a feel for the 1960s, but I wouldn't at all call it, or Fear and Loathing, dated. The book is anecdotally driven, there are a lot of highly amusing stories with the bikers, and the bikers don't come across to me as completely unlikeable. If you like Fear and Loathing, you'll probably like this book too, although it's not as wacky and wild. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

I have always loved Hunter S. Thompson's work and he did not let me down with his look inside the facinating, demented world of an iconic American sub-culture, the Hell's Angels. Thompson emerses himself, both feet first, into the world of outlaw bikers and all that comes with it. This book deatails the escapades of the typical Hell's Angel, or 1%er, from the inside. Thompson lived, partied,and rode with one of the most notorious motorcyle gangs of the 1960's and 70's. He gained their trust,as much as he could, and reported on what he experienced with the Angel's with brutal honesty which is my favorite aspect of this book. He told his story as he saw it, not as a promotion or glorification of a biker gang. In the end he probably got more than he bargained for. An extremely enlightening look into a world that most of us will never get a chance or have the desire to see. It was like driving by a car wreck or walking by the freak shows at the fair, no matter how hard you try you have to stop and stare.

As a ripe young 16 year old, discovering the post beatnik era that was blossoming into the hippie era, this account of life with the Angels was hypnotic, gripping, and even influencial on my impressionable mind. As boorish, surly, dangerous and unpredictable as they were the Angels Thompson portrays were perversely attractive to many 60's youth who wondered what kind of life they might want to persue if they, in fact, failed in straight society.

This is a classic account of the Angel's during their classic period when they came of age in the mind of the world. Thompson's chapter "The Making of the Menace" could more aptly be called today 'The Making of the Legend"

An absolute must read.

I just purchased my 3rd copy of this book...I've given two copies away.

Very intersting reading!!!

There's a reason Thompson is such a respected writer. This is gonzo at its finest. Thompson takes us to the very heart of an exclusive crew and gives us a reasonably objective and interesting view. 5/5.

vintage HST - great background to the workings of this genius

Hunter S. Thompson pulls no punches as usual with this candid reflection of the Hell's Angels phenomenon at the peak of its menacing popularity.

great book.It changed my view about Hells Angels.I didn't know much about them nor did I had any interst in geting to know them.But after I read it I was glad I did.I have more respect about for them they had some fun time back then and Hunter tells u all about it.

Oh yeah! One of my favorite books, and one of the very few that I have read more than once. A great luxury of reading . . . live a little of the wild life from the comfort of your Barkolounger. In more of a documentary style than the usual fare from the gonzomaniac. A very nice piece of investigative reporting AND adventure writing. Made such an impression on me 20 years ago that I took my Sportster up Highway 1 out of Santa Cruz late one Friday night, just to "re-live" the last page of the book (I won't ruin it for you . . . buy your own copy).

How the great Hunter Thompson survived the numerous tribal romps detailed in this novel is an astounding attestment to the author's adaptability despite his masculine and gonzo-eyed presence. While there is sure to be a hint of exagerration due to Thompson's Dali-like warped view of the content in front of his eyes, what he captures is sure entertaining and really transports the reader to that moment in time.

While not as saucy and subserviently humorous as some of his better tales, this two year existence on the road with one of the most dangerous sub-cultures to existent in 20th century Western Culture, is a delightful study. The character's images, personality, excursions, and lifestyle are greatly conveyed through the colorful descriptions of Thompson. In addition, the confusing disorganization and initial fragementation of each Angels group is described, with future recklessness and dissolution portended (i.e. Altamount). Cheers Hunter

As a fan of Hunter S Thompson's later works, I found myself to be suitably surprised by Hells Angels. Compared to some of his later Drug and Anger fueled tales such as the Fear and Loathing tales and the Great Shark Hunt, Hell's Angels is Hunter in a more thoughtful journalistic mode.

In a time when the Angels were the terror of middle America and the mainstream press were regularly running tales of pack of thousands of bikers riding the road and entire towns being terrorized, Hunter was willing to do the hard yards to spend the time getting to know his subjects so that he could speak and write with authority. What he found was another pack of "one percenters" those guys who do not fit into society, who will always be the outsiders looking in amazed that we can live the life that we do.

Hunter also provides an interesting example of perception and reality and how one can create the other, which is still highly relevant in our times. When the tales of the Angels first broke in the press, the reports spoke of thousands of Angels operating on the west coast, yet Hunter found the total active Angel population to be about 160. Yet after a year of sensational press coverage their were significant chapters of Angels across America driven largely by the prestige which the press the press endowed them with.

Hunter S. Thompson bravely partied with the notorious gang for some time, presumably in an effort to humanize, demystify and, I guess, understand this bunch. He finds the humanity but also is witness to the raw, booze-fueled aggression so inherent in an organization of self-described outlaws. The vignettes satisfy, but the book has a sarcastic, braggadocios edge to it that distracts. He adopts a nauseating You-Had-To-Be-There voice early on that cheats the book of authenticity. A bright point was that Thompson is ultimately circumspect about his experience with the bikers, tossing off a well-reasoned psychological profile of his subjects' outcast leanings.

You have to appreciate a writer that takes care of his characters the way a good and talented actor takes care of his character. This is one of few writers that understands that to write about a certain thing, you have to research and become that thing that your writing about. Hunter S. Thompson is one of the best writers around because of his care for the craft. The work slides off the page and mesmerizes the mind. If you don't have this, pick up a copy of it as soon as you can. Also, I'm not one to promote but I ran into a couple of books as of lately that need to be read by anyone with eyes. As completely unrelated, pick up a copy of Berserk (manga) the story alone is worth the time to read, while it's long, you will completely appreciate this work. Also, pick up a copy Dope by: Robert J. Escandon, the work is a derivative of Thompson's own exploits. It's truly worth the 15 bucks and the time. Trust me on this guys, it's awesome.

I love his style, its different, unique, I think its wonderful, this is a very enjoyable book.

Regarding that tagline: "A strange and terrible saga". For what it's worth (not much, admittedly, but feel free to congratulate me nevertheless), I just discovered that the phrase "strange and terrible" didn't originate with Thompson. But rather with one of Thompson's favorite writers.

From THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED by F. Scott Fitzgerald: "His memories of the Boston Society Contralto were nebulous and musical. She was a lady who sang, sang, sang, in the music room of their house on Washington Square---sometimes with guests scattered all about her, the men with their arms folded, balanced breathlessly on the edges of sofas, the women with their hands in their laps, occasionally making little whispers to the men and always clapping very briskly and uttering cooing cries after each song---and often she sang to Anthony alone, in Italian or French or in a strange and terrible dialect which she imagined to be the speech of the Southern negro."

Hunter gets inside the mind set of not only a biker gang mentality, but the mentality of the rabid news media and the hyped up public it panders to. Great documentary on the country shortly before Hollywood got addicted to the biker craze (when Easy Rider would hit the big time.) More straightforward and less deranged than Thompson's later classix, this is a nice place to begin before he went truly gonzo insane.

Hunter Thompson brings us underground journalism. Hunter Thompson brings us gonzo journalism. But he can be serious, while not losing that 'underground' quality. No, Hell's Angels isn't the wild ride Fear and Loathing was, but a more serious study of the Hell's Angels, and who and what, and more importantly, why they are. There is plenty of drugs and alcohol in the book, but not is the style of writing. Thompson writes very straightforward, very serious (and very entertainingly). You can tell he took his topic seriously, and wants us to do so as well. All the way through his 'ending': the beating he took that ended his time with the Hell's Angels. If you are interested in outlaws, or if you are interested in Thompson's work, or if you liked Tom Wolfe's The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Tests, then you'll love this book. I highly recommend it.

Anyone looking for the same trippy magic carpet ride found in 'Fear and Loathing...' beware: Hunter S. gets a lil' bit serious in this socio-historical ride with the bad boys. Although much of the information contained in this book is relatively interesting, it somehow lacks that 'oomph' that made 'Fear and Loathing; such a great read

If you are interested in HST and/or the outlaw biker movement of the 2nd half of the 20th century than this is for you. A very candid tale is told by Thompson as he submerges himself in the Hell's Angels' society for a year. This is his take ...warts and all.

tragicomedy about America's best known motorcycle gang. Thompson dissects the Angel phenomenon and its effect on America with dazzling sociological precision. His first, and not his best, but I thoroughly enjoyed it anyway. Far from glorifying the excess and flamboyance of the Angels in the 60's, he instead writes them into history as heavy handed, naive outsiders with little to believe in except their own hedonism and terrfying image. All the gory details are here, drug use, sex lives, media exposure, cops,bikes, dope, booze, costumes...interesting insights into the ugly underbelly of the postwar reality.

The book starts out slow with basically an overview and history of the Angels and well motorcycle gangs. But it picks up the pace and doesn't let you go. We enter the brutal and vicious world of the Hells Angels. We see this slice of life through the weird and off beat eyes of HST. Even while he gets closer and closer to certain Angels there is always an air of uneasiness around him and we found out the hard way.

A great read if you're into the Anegls, HST, or the 60's. The culture of the time is on display and presents a backdrop for the rise, fall and resurrection of the Angels.

The book had some exiting parts in it ,but he always seemed to not be there for the real deal.Read bargers book for the indepth stuff to bad barger and thompson could not of got together and wrote a book,bargers storys and thompsons writing skills would have been a killer book.RIDE ON BRO'S Bradski

the summery of this story says its about the year hunter s. thompson spent with the hells angels, which anyone who read any of his later works would definatly want to read. unfortunatly this was written before hunter started using his sort of insane, chaotic style of journalism. its a pretty serious piece, and pretty dry i thought. Thompson seems to go over the same material over and over again (probably because he had to meet some sort of deadline but didnt have enough material). theres only a handfull of parts in the book where Thompson actually describes, in detail, his actuall experiences with the hells angels. The first half of the book is him just describing events that happend to the hells angels, without much of him in it. In the end it does pick up with him writing about actual parties and such that he was at. But overall id say this book is rather dry, and redundant. But if your not a thompson fan at all and just want to learn something about the angels, go ahead and read it.

I have read many a book...but so far this one takes the cake, and the birthday candles! Turned on to Hunter S. Thompson, after renting, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", I bought the book, only to further my relationship with this brave and eloquent man. As most college kids would love his work only for the humorous style in which