Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga [VINTAGE] (Hunter S. Thompson)

A book that may have inspired a new generation of journalists who embed themselves, in search of the truth...

• Vintage Hardcover. (No dust jacket.)
• Copyright 1966 by Hunter S. Thompson.
• 1999 Modern Library Edition by Random House, Inc.
• Printed by The Modern Library in New York, USA.
• Excellent condition, like new. Slight wear on the spine. Immaculate inside.

Just when you thought you heard it all.

This was the book that launched Thompson's career as a "Gonzo" journalist, & not without good reason: it's not a happy narrative, but rather an intensely real exposé. In Thompson's now-legendary first book, he documented his experiences, observations, & research gathered while he spent a year living with the Hells Angels in 1960s California... Through his personal lens & unique journalistic style of writing, this book is perhaps a cautionary examination of one of the most glorified cult movements of the 20th century. Thompson's relationship with the Hells Angels did not end well, but he lived to tell the story in a gritty blow-by-blow style. Included are behind-the-scenes details of many events that occurred amidst the rise of the "one percenters," as official chapters of the Hells Angels were founded by nomadic members traveling from town to town. 

For those of you who might not know, the Hells Angels are a self-proclaimed "outlaw" motorcycle club whose origins go back to the 1940s in Southern California's San Bernardino County. The motorcycle club went on to become known across the 1960s counterculture movement in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District, participating in many of the movement's seminal events to include the Monterey Pop Festival & the Altamont Free Concert-- an event that, combined with Charles Manson's killing spree, is widely regarded as the downfall of 1969's status as the Summer of Love. Unfortunately, the Hells Angels have historically been involved in criminal activity, which Thompson documents in detail. Today, the Hells Angels have influenced many other motorcycle clubs to come after them, & their presence has grown to a worldwide community with 592 charter clubs in 66 countries.