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.


"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man."   July 3, 2006
 15 out of 17 found this review helpful

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!



HELL'S JOURNALIST   January 23, 2000
 14 out of 15 found this review helpful

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