The Hell's Angels erupted into 1960s America, paralysing whole towns with fear. Determined to discover the truth behind the terrifying reputation of these marauding biker gangs, Hunter S. Thompson spent a year on the road with the Angels, documenting his hair-raising experiences with Charger Charley, Big Frank, Little Jesus and The Gimp. Hell's Angels was the result: a masterpiece of underground reportage whose free-wheeling, impressionistic style created the legend of Gonzo journalism, and made Thompson's name as the wild man of American writing.
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Modern culture has a fascination with outlaws, whether it is in the past or present we tend to gravitate towards stories of the outsiders of society as a way of gaining some perspective on our own lives. One such group that seems to intrigue us is the outlaw motorcycle club “Hell’s Angels” and in Hunter S. Thompson’s “Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs” we get a unique insider perspective on what makes these outlaws tick.
From 1965 to 1966 Hunter S. Thompson spent a year with the San Francisco and Oakland chapters of the club and their president Ralph “Sonny” Barger. From the beginning Thompson was upfront with the Angels about his role as a journalist, a dangerous decision given Hell’s Angels distrust of the general media. This being said Thompson lived, rode, and even fought with them over the year period. This resulted in Thompson developing an intimate understanding of the outlaw motorcycle club, as they struggle with the love/hate relationship of their self created infamy, and the human longing for acceptance within their circle of brotherhood and while they purposefully reject all outside social structures and laws.
This book is an absolute thrill to read as Thompson paints a vivid warts and all picture of Hell’s Angels life; the book fully encompasses the good, the bad and the ugly of the Hell’s Angels making you feel as though you’ve earned your patch and are cruising down the highway with the rest of the outlaws. - Daniel (QBD)
Guest, 21/03/2017
