Gabe

If you want some authentic flavor not just of the Hell's Angels, but of California during the Summer of Love. It's HST's best work, before he got so self-adoring and zonked out on all kinds of crazy, crazy things. It's an actual piece of important journalism, and not like "Fear and Loathing" at all.



I look forward to reading Sonny's book, just to compare it to Thompson's.

Pacer

Both books are good in their own way. Thompson is obviously smoother with the dialogue, and the time line. He is also quite entertaining (I also thought "Fear and Loathing" was good.) The thing we need to remember is both authors had their own agenda. Remember they beat the snot out of Thompson, and he never did pay them the beer he promised. The pendulum swings to both the left and the right, but goes right by the truth.



ps

If you like Thompson rent "Where the Buffalo Roam". It is nothing like the "Fear and Loathing" movie.

marc

i have not read sony barger's book yet, it is on the list of things to do. as far as the angel's beint a criminal organization, they are a "bunch of guys that like motorcycles". some angels may have had criminal lifestyles, but that is not the norm. that the angels live outside the norm of society draws criticism & suspicion. i would still rather hang out with angels (or other 1%er clubs) than any of these "harloids" that try to pass themselves off as real motorcycle enthusiasts. imitation is not the most sincere form of flattery- it is the most annoying. ride to live & live to ride is an attitude, not a bumpersticker. those of us that understand this credo don't have (or need) the bumpersticker.

GboroGoose

The only response to this will have to be: "If ya hadta ask, you wouldn't understand". Speaking of high-mindedness, Squid, when did you try to understand their side?

IceWorm

I think I will pass on Sonny's book. Now, I could really get into a biography of Joey Dunlop or "Himself" as his friends called him. Now there is a guy who did something important with motorcycles. I doubt I could stay awake reading a book about Sonny, by Sonny. Yep, I'm waiting for the Joey Dunlop story.

IceWorm

It seems clear there are a more than a few people in here that are a heck of a lot more interested in Danielle than Sonny. Probably because Danielle is a looker and Sonny is a bore.

fr21555

Although the book reads a bit like a school essay, I thought it was interesting to learn Sonny Barger's side of many of the infamous events that defined the Hells Angels club. He downplays their involvement in illegal activities, which I thought was a stretch, to say the least. However, the book does put many things in perspective about the club and what the country was going through at that time as well. Overall, an interesting read.

DoctorMouseboy

Â…only difference between the Angels and some fraternities is the felon records (in other words getting caught).



True. But this reflects badly on the fraternities, not well on the Hell's Angels.

drynan

Enough about the book. Let's see more of Danielle!!!!!!!!!

Abe_Froman

I am surprised that more of the comments here aren't focused on Danielle rather than her book review. Not to say that Danielle isn't eminently worthy of admiration, but I'm glad to see that the focus is on the book.



The book might be an interesting read, and I'm thinking of picking it up. Sonny, though, is a criminal, as are most of the people he associates with. I would think the the Angels have been relegated to some distant corner of America's mental image of motorcycles. The fact that their bike of choice, the Harley, resembles a piece of agricultural equipment (and is about as technologically advanced) doesn't help. The gap between Harley and the rest of motorcycling has only become larger, further distancing "us" from "them". I think most Americans can now distinguish a motorcycle from a Harley.