Product Description

'A phalanx of motorcycles cam roaring over the hill from the west ... the noise was like a landslide, or a wing of bombers passing over. Even knowing the Angels I couldn't quite handle what I was seeing.' Huge bikes, filthy denim and an aura of barely contained violence; the Hell's Angels could paralyse whole towns with fear, so terrible was their reputation. But how much of htat reputation was myth and how much was brutal reality? Only one man could discover the truth about these latter-day barbarians; Hunter Stockton Thompson, Dr Gonzo himself, the man who saw the fear and loathing in the heart of the American dream. This counter-culture classic is the hair-raising result.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5680 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
Hunter S. Thompson's research on the Hell's Angels involved more than a year of close association with the outlaws - riding, loafing, plotting and eventually being stomped. A native of Kentucky, he began writing as a sports columnist in Florida. He has worked on newspapers and magazines, becoming South American correspondent for the National Observer. His novels include: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, 1972 and The Great Shark Hunt.

Customer Reviews

Hells Angels - A Must For any Follower of Biker Culture
An interesting historical account of one side of 60's American Society which still remains hidden territory to this day.

Hells Angels is a well written, informative and entertaining book documenting the history of, and the author's involvement with the Hells Angels. It illustrates the conflicting views of the Angels, society, press and authorities of the mid 60's. Though the accuracy of the account is still limited to that of an outside observer, so readers may wish to also read the leader of the Oakland Hells Angels own account : Sonny S. Barger's 'Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club' to get an insider viewpoint. The two books provide an interesting contrast in views.

Never-the-less 'Hells Angels' remains a rich and involving read which, once started, is difficult to put down - a must for all who are even mildly interested in Biker culture.

Superb
HST gives a real insight into the biker culture which really took off in the 1960s, and which eventually spilled over to a degree into the UK. It is an intriguing look behind an often closed and misunderstood brotherhood, and HST does not pull his punches. He neither deifies or demonises the people he meets and parties with, he just tells it like it is, and the result is a compelling and very enlightening view of the the Angels.
I would recommend this to anyone who has preconceived ideas about the bikers and their lifestyle, good or bad, as I am sure that it will open your eyes to a sometimes uncomfortable set of truths.

Origins of Gonzo
I have read most published HST and this is where it all started. This is closer to traditonal reporting than most of the later books but none the worse for it. Hunter is of course the star of the book (as always)but faced with the raw outlaw behaviour of the Angels he appears as the relative straight guy, (which is pretty remarkable if you know Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas). The focus of the book is actually one weekend that HST spent with the Angels and most of the remainder is entertaining analysis of the hysterical "Square" reaction in the press to other events that he did not witness. Throw in an LSD party with Ken Kesey and Allan Ginsberg just before Kesey skipped off to South America and i think you get the picture.