The story was interesting and enlightening. The narrative wasn't very smooth at times as it moved from I did this and then I did that. I was also left with the feeling that I wanted to know more about the other people in his life, from his cousins to his fellow skinheads and his friends in prison. They were very two dimensional.

If you have seen American History X, you will find it hard not to reference that during the first half of the book. But it almost feels like a companion piece. It is amazing how little it takes to push someone into extreme and focused hate when they feel so much rage. Growing up in those circumstances, it only took someone to tell him who to hate and who was at fault.

It also seems like Frank still has a little pride about what he had "accomplished" his years in the movement. I think it is important, as that reflects how he felt at the time, but it was still unsettling at times. I also lost track of all the different groups at different times that were the toughest. He seemed to be always talking about some group or guy being total badasses, then there would be another group that made them look like sissies.

All in all, enlightening and worth the read.

(and I am pulling for him to keep his life together) ( )

This memoir is by no means a great work of literature but I give it 5 stars for the unique insider perspective it offers on the neo-Nazi movement and white supremacist ideologies. Meeink was recruited into the movement at the age of fourteen. He fits the classic profile of the youth that hate groups target for recruitment--abused from an early age, angry, disaffected. The hate groups offer kids like Meeink a sense of belonging and empowerment. The memoir is particularly insightful about how addictive these hate ideologies become and difficult they are to overcome. After breaking with neo-Nazi movement, Meeink unfortunatley traded that addiction with drugs, another long, harrowing battle he eventually wins. This memoir is published for adults, but I would recommend it to high school readers. It's raw, quite grim, insightful, moving, and powerful. ( )

Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead is the story of Frank Meeink's violent childhood filled with abuse and neglect and his descent into America's Nazi underground. The book chronicles his years as a Skinhead in South Philly and his scary rise to leadership of his own group called "Strike Force". He tells us about his years on the streets, his years in prison, his years of trying to turn his life around, and his years of battling drug addiction.

Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead has taught me many thing, such as the true definition of a Skinhead, how one becomes a Skinhead, the difference between a Skinhead, the KKK, and other white supremacist associations. Frank's words have introduced me to all kinds of new terminology, people, and groups, such as SHARPs (Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice).

Frank's story has taught me the true meaning of the phrase "there is a thin line between love and hate" and most importantly, the power of self-worth and forgiveness.

I wanted this post to be more of a recommendation than a review because I truly feel that reading this book is an experience one should explore and come to terms with on their own. I don't want to sit here and analyze, dissect, or JUDGE. I just want to make people aware that this book exists and despite how I feel about Frank Meeink himself, it needs to be read.

The book is vulgar, raw, and makes no apologies in its brutal honesty and that is why somehow, some way kids need to be exposed to it. Despite the profanity, the violence, and other sometimes offensive comments, Frank's story will not only benefit the ignorant adult but may save the lives of teens going down a very bad path. ( )

This book seemed intriguing to me and I noticed that many of my male students were interested in reading it when they saw it sitting on my desk at school, but I just couldn't get into it. The writing style doesn't seem to flow and I found a lot of the violence revolting, which one might expect form this group of people. I wish I could have made it through far enough to understand why and how he began to turn his life around. ( )

Growing up in South Philadelphia in the 1970's probably wasn't easy for anyone, but especially if your parents divorced when you were little, and neither really wanted to raise you--and if in fact, your mother stood by while your step-father beat you, and didn't say a word to stop him.

Young Frankie Meeink found his family on the streets of South Philly. A gang of young punks who called themselves neo-Nazis, were willing to let Frankie join them. He soon realized that these guys were way more interested in scoring beer and scaring folks than in any ideological form of neo-Nazism. Soon Frankie's natural leadership abilities rose to the surface. He learned the real beliefs of skinheads and by the time he was 14, was the leader of the South Philly gang.

Now, here is what this reader REALLY thought: What an absolutely amazing book! Not that it was fun to read. In fact, parts of it were so repetitive as to be boring--just how many times can you read about a falling-down drunk gang of teen-aged bullies kicking the shit out of someone out on the street--who happened to look at them wrong? Or be the wrong color? Or the wrong age? Or the wrong sexual persuasion? Or???

Not fun, then, a little boring in places, and yet so compelling! Once I hit the halfway point, I pretty much couldn't stop reading. Alcohol, drugs, violence, prison--could Frankie's life get any worse? Is he going to make it this time? Stay tuned for updates!

Highly recommended as a realistic and seldom published look at the neo-Nazi or skinhead phenomenon. Be prepared for horrifyingly graphic descriptions of what it was like to grow up being Frankie Meeink. ( )