Hell's Angels
1966
- gonzo
- hell's angels
- motorcycle gangs
- california
- organized crime
- social sciences
- criminology
- motorclubs
- criminaliteit
- hell's angels
The story
This is an in depth examination of the notorious motorcycle club and its members. Thompson was allowed extraordinary access to the lives of various members of the Californian Chapter of the Hell's Angels for almost a year during which time he conducted countless interviews and observed their customs and behaviour from a unique vantage point.
What it’s like
Gritty, first-person reportage with the restless energy of a road trip gone sideways: dusty California highways, roadside bars and clubhouse parties lit by bare bulbs and the flicker of a jukebox, the air thick with cigarette smoke and motor oil. Thompson's prose is loud, jittery and funny, full of run-on sentences, sudden jabs of profanity and self-deprecating asides that make the reader feel they are riding pillion beside him. The mood swings between wry amusement and a creeping, unsettled dread, with long stretches of ordinary boredom (hanging around garages, waiting for something to happen) broken by sharp, unexpected scenes of brawling and menace. Violence is present and real, often sudden and bloody in its aftermath, though it is described rather than lingered on in gratuitous detail. Sexual content is frank and occasional. This suits a rainy weekend with a strong coffee, or a restless night when you want something raw and talkative, and it appeals to readers who enjoy immersive, opinionated nonfiction, counterculture history, and writing that refuses to sit still.
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