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A review of Hell's Angels (A Strange & Terrible Saga)

by Hunter S. Thompson

Crack open that beer, light up that smoke, and hop on the back of a gonzo-propelled ride.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Muzinic
About Jennifer Muzinic

Hell's Angels (A Strange & Terrible Saga) Shake up a martini, fire up that smoke, crack open "Hell's Angels" and hop on the back of a gonzo-propelled ride. If you want to REALLY get down and dirty, there are no martinis, just beer on tap or from cans, and you'll end up wearing the same filthy clothes for longer than you thought possible. But we aren't--really--made up of all that oil and hedonism, are we? It's much nicer to watch Hunter get pummeled from a cozy, drunken haze and pretend, isn't it?

Don't feel bad, even the wild and incorrigible Hunter S. Thompson can't keep up with the truth of the Hell's Angels. But he captures the core of this band of cyclists--at least up until the sixties, when he wrote this--to a point that you and I just don't have the balls to experience first hand.

I am nowhere near the type of writer that can capture the excitement, the sexuality, the freedom, and raw brutality of this band of outlaws. But Hunter can. The first chapter ALONE revs your engine to the point of a high-speed car chase on crack! How can I compare to the unmistakably genuine, first hand experiences of a man who also knows no societal boundaries? (Plus, he's a doctor, so you know it's all very serious and legitimate.)

Okay, enough of the worship of a literary genius among men (you should definitely read at least one of his books before you consider your education complete), and onto the reason--insert game show cutie turning a board to audience applause and streaming confetti--I LOVE THIS BOOK!

The Hell's Angels have played an enormous role in our culture--the "Rebel Without a Cause" candy-striped version, the Merry Pranksters welcome sign, Harley Davidson, The Rolling Stones--sound familiar? We idealize, sugar coat, fantasize about this group of rebels that take no crap from nobody. But we don't know them--not their history, or rituals, or casual acceptance of a lifestyle so far from the norm that even most deviants would question their values. But Hunter does. And he's sharing.

Hunter infiltrates, imitates, tries valiantly to live by the laws of a people that don't recognize laws. He clarifies and corrects popular misconceptions, he quotes from the mouths of the people that belong--to the clubhouse that only allows you if you don't quite belong. It's a freaking train wreck, but it makes sense, in a way that you and I can almost relate to--you'll learn history and meet icons (Sonny, Tiny, Terry the Tramp). And maybe it'll teach you to keep your damn mouth shut--cuz you don't know crap when it comes to the Angels. These are real men--men that have fought in wars, raised families, worked hard--that have chosen to live a life that's dirty, hard, dangerous, free. They have laws, codes, that they'll live and die by--and ignore the laws we religiously adhere to. Just don't trust them around your women, children, morality. Like I said, their laws are different. Pay attention.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Hell's Angels (A Strange & Terrible Saga)

Copyright © by Jennifer Muzinic, 2002

Reviewed by Jennifer Muzinic:
-- Hell's Angels (A Strange & Terrible Saga) - by Hunter S. Thompson
-- Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats - by Pitcairn & Pitcairn
-- White Oleander - by Janet Fitch
-- notes of a dirty old man - by Charles Bukowski
-- The Jungle Book - by Rudyard Kipling
-- Many Lives, Many Masters - by Brian L. Weiss, M.D.
-- Jitterbug Perfume - by Tom Robbins
-- The Sun Also Rises - by Ernest Hemingway









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