interesting enough, and i like what the author ended up doing for writing. funny to see this contrasted now with our clear view of the angels as a drug smuggling group. some of the stuff (particularly on sexual assault) has definitely not aged as well

April monthly reading theme for (counter culture/drugs) read #1

Great book, unsurprisingly, from the great Hunter S. Thompson. HTS's Gonzo style of journalism is superb, and beautifully mixes journalistic exposition with evocative and thrilling narrative. It really allows you to get absorbed into the scene that HTS is writing about.

The Hell's Angels have an extremely complex culture and morals. HTS's portrayal of them is extremely interesting, and feels very honest. Very curious to read other sides of it, to see how accurate Thompson was. ( )

It was good, but his writing jarring.

The subject matter is what made it writing, and after hearing so much from this legendary gonzo journalist, I was a bit disappointed.

His story of what he was involved in was very interesting, but seemed downplayed from other sources I have read about this guy. The hell's angels were portrayed as very neutral and misunderstood, a far cry from what we understand about this band of outlaws today.

Things may have changed, so my views may be skewed, but luckily it was a short read. His other stuff is better. ( )

This was, through and through, a great piece of writing and an amazing chronicle of non-fiction by Hunter S. Thompson. The writing was vivid, descriptive, electrifying, and insightful and provided entertainment and knowledge on multiple levels- providing an optimal reading experience that resounded with force and keen insight on the topic that Thompson wrote so expertly about. This is a great book, for American literary enthusiasts and non-fiction admirers alike, and I recommend that all interested read it. You will not waste your time- not one bit.

4.75 stars! ( )

Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga by Hunter S. Thompson is the author's account of several months with the world's most recognized motorcycle club. Thompson was an American journalist and author, and the founder of the gonzo journalism movement.

The Hells Angels* are caught in their infancy in Hunter's book. What made the Hells Angels different than the other motorcycle clubs of the times and region is also examined. There were plenty of organizations at the time. Perhaps first was the media's love of fear-mongering. Scary things keep people up at night, communists, bikers, serial killers, and that sort of thing. Events like the fictional portrayal of Hollister in 1947, Brando and Marvin in The Wild One, and the 1965 Lynch Report helped created a menace to society. The Hells Angels were singled out by the Lynch Report as a threat. This took a local club and pushed it to national attention. Suddenly the Hells Angels were "the motorcycle club" everyone wanted to know about, avoid, have law enforcement stamp out, join, or simply watch from a safe distance.

Thompson tells the story from his personal experience with the club and finding his way to friendship as a reporter was no easy task. The Hells Angels realized everyone was getting rich off of them, except for them. Reporters, they said, twisted stories to sell more papers. The bigger the story, the better. Bigger misleading stories led to more police interest in the club. Thompson tells of the many times members were accused of crimes rape, assault, and murder, but convicted of very few crimes. One has to remember too that at this time, the Hells Angels had no treasury or army of lawyers. They struggled to make bail for disorderly conduct charges. So it was not expert legal teams clearing their names. Many victims recanted their stories; was it because the events did not happen as described or fear? Thompson leans toward the "that was not the way it happened." The parties got wild, and sometimes people do things they later regretted and look for a way out.

Granted, the Hells Angels were not innocent and definitely not part of the "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" crowd. They were different, did not want to fit in, and made their own decisions. They hated war protesters but also had a strong dislike for law enforcement and embraced drug use. They were outside of every group. Thompson, throughout his life, proved not to be the world's most reliable narrator, but he seems to have taken notes when writing this book to include documenting what drugs he used. All in all, an exciting tale younger years of the world's most recognized motorcycle club.

*Unlike the book title, the club does not use an apostrophe in its name. ( )