Book Description
Brazen, incisive, and outrageous as ever, Hunter S. Thompson is back with another astonishing volume of his private correspondence, the highly anticipated follow-up to The Proud Highway. When that first book of letters appeared in 1997, Time pronounced it "deliriously entertaining"; Rolling Stone called it "brilliant beyond description"; and The New York Times celebrated its "wicked humor and bracing political conviction."

Spanning the years between 1968 and 1976, these never-before-published letters show Thompson building his legend: running for sheriff in Aspen, Colorado; creating the seminal road book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; twisting political reporting to new heights for Rolling Stone; and making sense of it all in the landmark Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. To read Thompson's dispatches from these years -- addressed to the author's friends, enemies, editors, and creditors, and such notables as Jimmy Carter, Tom Wolfe, and Kurt Vonnegut -- is to read a raw, revolutionary eyewitness account of one of the most exciting and pivotal eras in American history.

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Customer Reviews (35)

Loathing Hunter S Thompson's Hypocrisy
This is my second attempt at writing a review about that ATAVISTIC GIBBERISH called fear and loathing in america.I guess the review GESTAPO didn't like my totally honest review of HST's schizophrenic prose, in my first review(to their credit) i did say some things about HST that would make even DR.Gonzo, go GONZO, LOL!!!
The MOST DISGUSTING part of this book is on page 199-200 when he offers his writing services for the kennedy's inre: to Mary jo kopechne's SO-CALLED ACCIDENTAL DEATH:-((( Can anyone be more pathetic than that???
I could go on and on about this ATAVISTIC GIBBERISH but my LOATHING will undoubtedly draw more attention from the review gestapo.
Don't get me wrong, there are some funny letters from HST and guest, but the DISGUSTING OUTWAY THE HUMOR by 10 to 1:-(((
Hopefully this review will see the light of day, i truely believe it needs to be read, there's been enough GIBBERISH from his syncophantic minions.

Into the Belly of the Beast
The second installment in HST's selected letters, Fear & Loathing in America has proved to be a fascinating read.Beginning in the 1950's, HST keep carbon copies of all his letters for filing purposes in the belief that one day he would be a famous writer and his correspondence would be published.Like so many other Thompson predictions, this one proved true.The range and scope of the letters contained in this volume is simply amazing.HST had contacts and correspondence across almost every section of American society from Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchan, Gorge McGovern, and Walter Mondale at one end of the spectrum to Ken Kesey, Tom Wolfe, Jann Wenner, and Oscar Acosta at the other end.

The time period covered by these letters have proven to be a crucial period in modern history and nobody should be without a view from HST's side of things.From the 68' Democratic National Convention to the 75' American withdrawal from Vietnam, the Mint 400 in Vegas to his own personal bid to run for Sheriff of Pitkin County (Aspen) on the Mescaline ticket, HST was there and more often than not part of the action.In this regards his letters read like a quasi-autobiography, tracing the twists and turns of his life throughout this turbulent period of American history. For the creator of Gonzo Journalism, this was his defining period.

It is certainly preferable to start with the first volume HST's published letter, if for nothing else it provides a better context for this volume.I have to confess that I enjoyed vol. 2 more than the first, so I guess it really depends on what you are after.I found myself laughing out loud at numerous occasions while at other times rather stunned at the insight and predictive nature of some of the correspondence, specifically the politically orientated ones.Of course there are other times when HST degenerates into pure gibberish, but all the parts add up to give a composite picture of that unique and individual whole we have come to know as Hunter.So read this book when you get the chance or anything else by HST for that matter.For me he is the best US writer of the last 50 years and I do not say that lightly.

Whining for Dollars
If Volume I of the trilogy is "Rebel with a Cause (Writing)," then Volume II (this volume) is "Whining for Dollars."If you are new to Hunter S. Thompson, start with Volume 1 -- it will give you a much better feeling of who this man was, especially with regard to the risks he was willing to take to tell a good story.If you are interested in politics of the 1960's and early 1970's, and want to read about all his problems with getting paid, this is the volume for you.Having said all that, HST was truly incredible:in 1968 HST recognized Bob Dylan as the icon of the 60s; HST was everywhere -- from the Matrix, the womb of The Jefferson Airplane in San Francisco, to Saigon in April 1975, during the evacuation; and as a political junkie, HST could see the impeachment of Richard Nixon coming long before it did, as well as the eventual fall of South Vietnam.The first volume is much wilder, and even more sentimental; by Volume II, HST is starting to settle down.

Crazy Energy.Laugh Out Loud Funny
Ordinarily, I wouldn't think letters would be that interesting. But Thomson's style and sense of humor are so outrageous, I find myself laughing out loud every few pages or so.

But it's much more than humor. The letters overlap the period of Martin Luther King's Assassination, Robert F. Kennedy's Assassination, the Democratic National Convention of 1968 (which he attended), etc.

I was struck at how he tried to convince his younger brother to stay in college for at least another semester, because by then, we would probably be out of Vietnam. It was apparent to him at the time that we would leave. And yet...Saigon didn't fall until April 1975.

He also has a particular revulsion for Nixon, who has always been a fascinating figure for me. And of course,there are letters to his fans. He clearly has fear and loathing for some of them. His letters to and about them are hillarious.

A great read.

HST was IT
This is the middle, and probably the most interesting of the gozno letter trilogy. It is an absolutely must read for any Thonpson fan, or aspiring writer, for that matter. For the casual reader, if you're going to read one of the three volumes, this is it. Thompson's voice is so gripping, even an expense report can be laugh-out-loud funny. He was truely a literary giant. ... Read more

Book Description
"California, Labor Day weekend . . . early, with ocean fog still in the streets, outlaw motorcyclists wearing chains, shades and greasy Levis roll out from damp garages, all-night diners and cast-off one-night pads in Frisco, Hollywood, Berdoo and East Oakland, heading for the Monterey peninsula, north of Big Sur. . . The Menace is loose again."  Thus begins Hunter S. Thompson's vivid account of his experiences with California's most no-torious motorcycle gang, the Hell's Angels.   In the mid-1960s, Thompson spent almost two years living with the controversial An-gels, cycling up and down the coast, reveling in the anarchic spirit of their clan, and, as befits their name, raising hell. His book successfully captures a singular moment in American history, when the biker lifestyle was first defined, and when such countercultural movements were electrifying and horrifying America. Thompson, the creator of Gonzo journalism, writes with his usual bravado, energy, and brutal honesty, and with a nuanced and incisive eye; as The New Yorker pointed out, "For all its uninhibited and sardonic humor, Thompson's book is a thoughtful piece of work." As illuminating now as when originally published in 1967, Hell's Angels is a gripping portrait, and the best account we have of the truth behind an American legend.




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Customer Reviews (108)

Not one of my favorite HST titles but still required reading for all HST fanatics!
I was born in 1962 and was too young to appreciate the special generation that the 60's spawned. The Hell's Angels were definitely NOT to be messed with in that time period. But he hung out with them and wrote a compelling book about the demons on Harleys with deft mastery. They actually almost killed him when they found out they were not getting paid for the information gleaned from HST. The 60's to me were a hazy memory and I remember flower power, Watergate, Nixon, Hippies, etc. But the Hell's Angels were dangerous and belligerent; not to be messed with. They fueled a rage for the tiniest of infractions. Mainstream society in the 60's were definitely shocked and afraid of them with good reason. I sort of saw them as buffoons, but it is a great book. It rocketed HST to fame and fortune.

GREAT SERVICE!!
The book I ordered was in GREAT shape & was shipped out so fast! My son loves it!! Thanks so much!! WILL ORDER THROUGH YOU AGAIN!!

Fascinating and Well-Written Journalism
Those who would discredit Hunter S. Thompson's work as decadent nonsense would be well-advised to read this first-person account of time spent with the Hell's Angels club.Thompsons gonzo style, combined with an obviously plentiful knowledge of literature and history give him a magnificent perspective on this seldom seen aspect of American society.This is true jounalism with a remarkably singular and unique style; this book was a pleasure to read from page 1.

not as good as Fear, but still very good
Not as over the top or as wildly entertaining as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but still very well written and highly entertaining.You don't get bland prose from the Doctor, and does it get any better than phrases such as "young blondes with lobotomy eyes"?This book is about 40 years old, and the reader certainly gets a feel for the 1960s, but I wouldn't at all call it, or Fear and Loathing, dated.The book is anecdotally driven, there are a lot of highly amusing stories with the bikers, and the bikers don't come across to me as completely unlikeable.If you like Fear and Loathing, you'll probably like this book too, although it's not as wacky and wild.Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.

FacinatingSub-Culture
I have always loved Hunter S. Thompson's work and he didnot let me down with his look inside the facinating, demented world of an iconic American sub-culture, the Hell's Angels.Thompson emerses himself, both feet first, into the world of outlaw bikers and all that comes with it.This book deatails the escapades of the typical Hell's Angel, or 1%er, from the inside.Thompson lived, partied,and rode with one of the most notorious motorcyle gangs of the 1960's and 70's. He gained their trust,as much as he could, and reported on what he experienced with the Angel's with brutal honesty which is my favorite aspect of this book.He told his story as he saw it, not as a promotion or glorification of a biker gang.In the end he probably got more than he bargained for. An extremely enlightening look into a world that most of us will never get a chance or have the desire to see.It was like driving by a car wreck or walking by the freak shows at the fair, no matter how hard you try you have to stop and stare. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In addition to being a testament to the undeniably beatifying propertiesof American excess--literary, political, chemical, you name it--Hunter Thompson is the high priest of the ad hominem attack. Anyone unlucky enough to get in the way of his satirical sledgehammer will end up with soup for brains. Still, even Thompson needs a good villain to get properly lathered up; that's why he peaked simultaneously with America's 37th president, Richard Milhous Nixon. Tricky Dick was Thompson's dark-jowled, pale-calved Muse, and with his departure Thompson seemed to lose his place a bit. Swatting flies with a baseball bat.

You need look no further for this writer's best: this collection of pieces, first published in 1979, spans all of Thompson's primo era, including short pieces and selections from longer works. The Great Shark Hunt sports a few articles filed by a pre-Gonzo Hunter S. Thompson, which show flickers ofpassion but no real fire; the first experiments with the author's drug-fueled brand of journalism at the Kentucky Derby; and finally the gigs that made him an American institution, in Las Vegas and on the 1972 campaign trail.

Thompson's style is so unique that a reader is tempted to think that he leapt, fully formed, into Gonzohood. However, along with the crazy, careening prose itself, one of the auxiliary pleasures of The Great Shark Hunt is the map that it gives of Thompson's ascent (or descent, if you prefer) from the workaday hyperbole of sports writing to the hell-blast vigor of his later work. The drugs are, by and large, a distraction--lifestyle points that get in the way of the genuinely perceptive journalism that Thompson created. (But they are there, always, and in quantity.) If you're looking for insight into the underbelly of America, Hunter S. Thompson is your best and only guide, and The Great SharkHunt is an excellent place to begin the grim safari. --Michael GerberBook Description
Originally published in 1979, the first volume of the bestselling "Gonzo Papers" is now back in print. The Great Shark Hunt is Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's largest and, arguably, most important work, covering Nixon to napalm, Las Vegas to Watergate, Carter to cocaine. These essays offer brilliant commentary and outrageous humor, in signature Thompson style.

Ranging in date from the National Observer days to the era of Rolling Stone, The Great Shark Hunt offers myriad, highly charged entries, including the first Hunter S. Thompson piece to be dubbed "gonzo" -- "The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved," which appeared in Scanlan's Monthly in 1970. From this essay a new journalistic movement sprang which would change the shape of American letters. Thompson's razor-sharp insight and crystal clarity capture the crazy, hypocritical, degenerate, and redeeming aspects of the explosive and colorful '60s and '70s.

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Customer Reviews (37)

Wow - This guy went about 500 mph at ALL TIMES.
Hunter S. Thompson was a raving lunatic, a mad professor, a crackpot, and a Genius all wrapped up in one. If you're up for a wild ride through the late sixties and early seventies then get this book - nobody else has come close to describing those times so well. I found myself giggling like a Moron at some of the outrageous things that Thompson did and said, and pounding my fist in anger at other things that the Mad Doctor did and said. At certain intervals during this read I vowed to never touch another Thompson book, but there were times that I couldn't put it down, and eagerly anticipated his other books. It is worth the read for it's insight, and for the jaw-dropping affect that Thompson causes so easily and so frequently.

The Essential Hunter Thompson
Much like Sony's "The Essential" series, which collected the greatest songs from the greatest musicians of the past century, "The Great Shark Hunt" is an anthology of the greatest of the Good Doctor's work from his peak period of the 60's and 70's.

Perhaps no other American writer captured the essence of that tumultous era better than Hunter S. Thompson.He was simultaneously of his time and above his time, and invented a new kind of journalism, dubbed "Gonzo."All objectivity was thrown out the window as the author thrust himself into the action of the stories he was reporting.Whether it was dropping acid at a police convention in Las Vegas, sabotaging the presidential bid of Ed Muskie, or running for sheriff of Aspen, Thompson's antics are legendary, and "The Great Shark Hunt" is a great way to get acquainted with the man and the writing for which he is best remembered.

Hilarious and very perceptive
It is a pretty rare experience for me to find an author who can make me feel as though I actually understand the culture the author is describing.Many authors are perfectly capable of explaining a culture or a period in time, but I don't find many who do it simply by describing their experiences, but Hunter S. Thompson does so in this book.

This book covers a lot of American culture in the 20th century.Now, I am not a US citizen, nor have I read much US history, but I found Thompson's stories very perceptive and entertaining.Even his coverage of something that sounds as dull as Richard Nixon's presidential campaign and fall are just brilliant.This is one of those few books that has made me laugh out loud.

What I fundamentally love about this book is that it really makes me feel like I'm standing beside the author, in his stories as he tells them.Thompson has a wicked sense of mischief, which goes very well with his "Gonzo" style of journalism.I think that "Gonzo" journalism helps his stories become so vivid because Thompson makes sure that he is not separated from what's going on.In fact, Thompson is often central to the story and yet that doesn't result in the kind of ego-centric story telling one might expect.

If you have any interest in US culture, from 1960 onward, and a love for very perceptive, though often drug addled lunatics as protagonists, then I imagine that you will love this book.

Should be required reading for all classes of journalism
The Great Shark Hunt: Gonzo Papers vol. 1 is a hysterical and brilliant piece of his mordant wit, this great heir to Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce and H. L. Mencken, the Great Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

The book covers the exciting and gut laugh-filled evolution of Gonzo from about 1963 to 1976; including his infamous article from 1970 in which Gonzo arose from his open shell and, soaring aloft, emitted the primal and insane roar; The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.

This is a very facinating era of Thompson's life and career as he slowly makes a beast of himself and his writing, probably the best social commentary since Voltaire.

Glorious Madness
This is great stuff from a fearless freak. Thompson never fails to both entertain me as a reader and educate me as a writer. He was unhinged and did not hold back. This is a great collection of dazed vignettes, crazed events, and hazed intents. The guy was out there, but it never drowned his talent. A must-read for those who want a deeper sense of the madness of our times, or who simply want a good read. ... Read more

Amazon.com Reviews
Heralded as the "best book on the dope decade" by the New York Times Book Review, Hunter S. Thompson's documented drug orgy through Las Vegas would no doubt leave Nancy Reagan blushing and D.A.R.E. founders rethinking their motto.Under the pseudonym of Raoul Duke, Thompson travels with his Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo, in a souped-up convertible dubbed the "Great Red Shark." In its trunk, they stow "two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half-full of cocaine and a whole galaxy of multicolored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers.... A quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls," which they manage to consume during their short tour.

On assignment from a sports magazine to cover "the fabulous Mint 400"--a free-for-all biker's race in the heart of the Nevada desert--the drug-a-delic duo stumbles through Vegas in hallucinatory hopes of finding the American dream (two truck-stop waitresses tell them it's nearby, but can't remember if it's on the right or the left). They of course never get the story, but they do commit the only sins in Vegas: "burning the locals, abusing the tourists, terrifying the help." For Thompson to remember and pen his experiences with such clarity and wit is nothing short of a miracle; an impressive feat no matter how one feels about the subject matter. A first-rate sensibility twinger, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a pop-culture classic, an icon of an era past, and a nugget of pure comedic genius. --Rebekah WarrenBook Description
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page.  It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.

Now this cult classic of gonzo journalism is a major motion picture from Universal, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro.  Opens everywhere on May 22, 1998. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (402)

BFD an intimate portrait of burnouts on Holiday
So this book is just a 200 page hallucinogenic drug fueled anecdote about going to Vegas to write about the Mint 400.Big deal.There's nothing more to it.If you are vaguely curious about what goes on in the mind of a hallucinogenic drug user, this is for you.It's NOT funny nor is it deeply introspective.It's just two old hippie burnouts getting "freaked out" all over Vegas, irritating everyone around them, the reader included.It got old really fast.

In an encyclopedia under the heading of rebel, you'd see his handsome mug.
A fine introduction to the life and times of Hunter S. Thompson. In addition to the obvious theme of drug abuse, Hunter S. Thompson also channels the counterculture in its search for the 'authentic', complete with the typical anti-authoritarian outlook. With unexpected poise, he pushed the boundaries of deviance and dissent to the point that one might think this guy was a hero for cruising the highway whilst intoxicated on a myriad of substances.

Maniacal, Out-of-Control, Nuts, and Flawless
Hunter S. Thompson and Gonzo Journalism are synonymous, and this read illustrates that fact flawlessly.Maniacal.Out of control.Nuts.Living so close to the edge that "psychotic" would downplay his condition.Written in 1971, Thompson'sFEAR & LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS relays a pungent, caustic look at the drug-crazed, alcoholic, ribald late 60's as seen through the eyes of reporter Raoul Duke (who is Hunter Thompson).Traveling with his equally impious Samoan attorney Dr. Gonzo, Duke sets out for a story about the 4th Annual Mint 400, and drops-in on a convention of Anti-drug Law Enforcement Officials for an alternate story.The frenetic scenes staged by Duke, roiling with contempt for authority and government institutions, are outrageous and hilarious.Cleverly staged in Las Vegas, a town riddled with lost dreams and realities that only exist in the imagination, Thompson makes a skillful argument for break-all-the-rules-live-for-today hedonism. Deeply philosophical within its rabid, demented pages.

Ralph Steadman's lunatic illustrations throughout the text - mostly of bizarre hallucinations and splashes of ink across the pages - serve to intensify the emotion and strengthen the demonic, frenzied mash that Mr. Thompson throws at our feet.

The emperor has no clothes
I read this book while traveling in a small third world country. When you are surrounded by normal people struggeling to get by every day you can see what a self absorbed jackass Hunter Thompson was. This explains why he is so popular with old clapped out hippies.

In the book he is constantly stoned and hassels everybody from maids to hotel clerks. Anybody struggeling to get by is his target. His character never goes after anybody who can do something about it ,only the powerless. Apparently his fans think this is high humor. It takes a low IQ and a lot of self loathing to really appreciate this author.

A Perennial Classic
Thompson's magnus opus is a manic, drug-fueled, drug-infested, drug-induced vision of Vegas and America in 1971. Its content, coupled with its vivid vocabulary and an almost discomforting honesty, makes this novel one of the most compelling of its era. If you've ever wondered what became of the hippie ethos after the 60s- or why we're still fighting a "war on drugs"- "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" provides the answers with large doses of mescaline and humour. ... Read more

Amazon.com
"Disgusting as he usually was," Hunter Thompson writes in this, his 1959 novel, "on rare occasions he showed flashes of a stagnant intelligence. But his brain was so rotted with drink and dissolute living that whenever he put it to work it behaved like an old engine that had gone haywire from being dipped in lard." Surprise! Thompson isn't writing about himself, but one of the other, older, aimlessly carousing newspapermen in Puerto Rico, a guy called Moberg whose chief achievement is the ability to find his car after a night's drinking because it stinks so much. (I can smell it for blocks, he boasts.) The autobiographical hero, Paul Kemp, is 30, trapped in a dead-end job (Thompson wound up writing for a bowling magazine), and feeling as if his big-time writer dreams, soaked in Fitzgerald and Hemingway, are evaporating as rapidly as the rum in his fist.

In fact, Thompson was only 22 when he wrote The Rum Diary, but his fear of winding up like Moberg was well founded. What saved him was the fantastic conflagration of the 1960s, a fiery wind on which the reptilian wings of his prose style could catch and soar to the cackling heights of Fear and Loathing in LasVegas. Puerto Rico in 1959 doesn't have bad craziness enough to offer Thompson--just a routine drunken-reporter stomping by local cops and a riot over Kemp's friend's temptress girlfriend, a scantily imagined Smith College alumna who likes to strip nude on beaches and in nightclubs to taunt men.

Thompson's prose style only intermittently takes tentative flight--compare the stomping scenes in this book with his breakthrough, Hell's Angels--but it'sinteresting to see him so nakedly reveal his sensitive innards, before the celebrated clownish carapace grew in. It's also interesting to see how he improved this full version of the novel from the more raw (and racist) excerpts found in the 1990 collection Songs of the Doomed (available on audiocassette, partly narrated byThompson). --Tim AppeloBook Description
Begun in 1959 by a then-twenty-two-year-old Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary is a brilliantly tangled love story of jealousy, treachery and violent alcoholic lust in the Caribbean boomtown that was San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the late 1950s. Exuberant and mad, youthful and energetic, The Rum Diary is an outrageous, drunken romp in the spirit of Thompson's bestselling Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Hell's Angels.

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Customer Reviews (121)

Marvelous
If you like Hunter Thompson and his crazy advntures this is the start. It shows you the side of peurto rico when it was first beggining and funny, crazy, and really well described in ways that is weird and beautiful.
Id get it

Powerful and Unexpected
As everyone adds, this is the 'long-lost' first novel of the late Gonzo extraordinaire Hunter S. Thompson.

It is a period-piece. With a little back-story (Hunter is briefly into his 20s writing this) once easily imagines Thompson building situations that parallel real-life dilemmas and sorting through his thoughts via the main character. In this sense it is very memoir-like, in a desirable way.

The world of San Juan is corrupt and dangerous, but so are the people in it. Not least of all the supplanted Americans writing for the failing newspaper of the novel. How might a sane person of ability survive? What should he aspire to? Which 'traps' are real, and which are imagined? These questions surround the novel, which itself is unexpectedly endowed with gorgeous prose. If you are a 20-something with the inevitable questions, I recommend this novel as highly as possible. The author's struggles are yours. For anyone else, this can be a great portrait of youth, but the tinge of corruption and regret and priorities mistaken is bound to ring a more depressing tone than intended.

A valuable precursor to Thompson's Gonzo style
In 1959, Hunter S. Thompson began this first novel, THE RUM DIARY, a precursor to the manic Gonzo style of writing he would develop in later years.It was not published until 1998, long after he had established himself as an icon in the world of print.On the cover is a photograph of the young Hunter Thompson on the beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico, circa 1960.

Paul Kemp (Thompson's alter ego) - young, egotistical, brash, arrogant, and bright, with shades of idealism and ethics underneath it all - seizes opportunity as a journalist at a declining English-speaking newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the 1950's.Within this ludicrous, and sometimes precarious, world of print media, he chronicles San Juan as it existed in its virgin state, a tropical paradise at the beginning of commercial development, with all its corruption, awash in an ocean of rum, cigars, boredom and debauchery.

Although THE RUM DIARY pales by comparison to Thompson's later works, the patterns that would become his trademark are developing:Characters who are too visual to ignore, wrapped in their own lassitude, amoralistic attitudes, self-deprecation and failure;encounters with foreign law enforcement agents; drugs and rum and excess - all waiting to ripen into the Thompson of later years.In that respect, THE RUM DIARY is a valuable piece of work.

Buy this book
This is one of the best books I have ever read. If you like Hunter you will love this book...

A must have for a HST aficionado...but...
I own all of Thompson's books...and several others about him. Although this is a pleasurable read, it fails in the true sense of a novel: there is little to no inner conflict, sketchy characters, no plot...lots of rambling...no climax worthy of a true novel. If any one but Hunter had written it, I doubt it would ever had seen much media attention.

However, it is Hunter, and he has a way to keep you interested in his scribes, that is the nut of thing, isn't it? And in true HST fashion, we are shotgunned with lots of drugs, drink, and humor.

Like I said, you need this in your library if you are a Thompson follower.
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Book Description
Hunter S. Thompson's legions of fans have waited a decade for this book.

They will not be disappointed. His notorious Screwjack is as salacious, unsettling, and brutally lyrical as it has been rumored to be since the private printing in 1991 of three hundred fine collectors' copies and twenty-six leather-bound presentation copies. Only the first of the three pieces included here -- "Mescalito," published in Thompson's 1990 collection Songs of the Doomed -- has been available to the public, making the trade edition of Screwjack a major publishing event.

"We live in a jungle of pending disasters," Thompson warns in "Mescalito," a chronicle of his first mescaline experience and what it sparked in him while he was alone in an L.A. hotel room in February 1969 -- including a bout of paranoia that would have made most people just scream no, once and for all. But for Thompson, along with the downside came a burst of creativity too powerful to ignore. The result is a poetic, perceptive, and wildly funny stream-of-consciousness take on 1969 America as only Hunter S. Thompson could see it.

Screwjack just gets weirder with its second offering, "Death of a Poet." As Thompson describes this trailer-park confrontation with the dark side of a deservingly doomed friend: "Whoops, I thought. Welcome to the night train."

The heart of the collection lies in its final, title piece, an unnaturally poignant love story. What makes the romantic tale "Screwjack" so touching, for all its queerness, is the aching melancholy in its depiction of the modern man's burden: that "we are doomed. Mama has gone off to Real Estate School

...and after that maybe even to Law School. We will never see her again."

Ostensibly written by Raoul Duke, "Screwjack" begins with an editor's note explaining of Thompson's alter ego that "the first few lines contain no warning of the madness and fear and lust that came more and more to plague him and dominate his life...." "I am guilty, Lord," Thompson writes, "but I am also a lover -- and I am one of your best people, as you know; and yea tho I have walked in many strange shadows and acted crazy from time to time and even drooled on many High Priests, I have not been an embarrassment to you...."

Nor has Hunter S. Thompson been to American literature. Quite the contrary: What the legendary Gonzo journalist proves with Screwjack is just how brilliant a prose stylist he really is, amid all the hilarity. As Thompson puts it in his introduction, the three stories here "build like Bolero to a faster & wilder climax that will drag the reader relentlessly up a hill, & then drop him off a cliff....That is the Desired Effect".

Download Description
In 1991, Hunter S. Thompson published, numbered, and signed just three hundred and twenty-six copies of Screwjack, a slim, thirty-eight-page volume featuring three screwball stories. The books, particularly the twenty-six leather-bound copies (one for each letter of the alphabet), became instant collector's items, and before long, used editions were selling for up to one thousand dollars. Now, with this innovatively designed trade edition, fans can enjoy these much sought-after stories -- and more -- without breaking the bank.A compilation of quintessentially outrageous and extravagant Thompson tales, Screwjack and Other Stories makes for a truly amazing read. "Mesolito", previously published in Songs of the Doomed, is a trippy account of a long wait in a Los Angeles hotel while high on speed and mescaline. "Death of a Poet" relates a visit to a friend's trailer home that takes a number of bizarre twists before ending in violence. "Screwjack", the third and final tale in the collector's edition, shares the gritty details of a sexual escapade between Thompson and his black tomcar.Featuring, as an additional bonus, two new stories that Thompson fans will rush to get their hands on, and published simultaneously with Fear and Loathing in America: The Gonzo Letters Collection, Volume II, Screwjack and Other Stories is a highly anticipated publishing event. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

"Mescalito" is the gem here
The gonzo journalist himself, also known as Raoul Duke, Thompson sees his 1991 collector copy pressing of three short pieces released into the mainstream by Simon & Schuster for 2000.Made up of a whacked-out introduction, the journalistic, stream-of-consciousness-heavy "Mescalito" from 1969, and two 90s-era short fiction stories -- "Death of A Poet" & "Screwjack" -- this slim volume is packed full of outrageous lunacy and demented wordplay.

The first selection is by far the best, capturing the rat-a-tat approach that Thompson made famous in his "Fear and Loathing" books and in magazine pieces like "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved."Checked into an eleventh-floor room at the Continental Hotel on the Sunset Strip, Thompson strolls out onto the balcony to chit-chat with hippies, witness police brutality and listen to the cacophonous street sounds of L.A. in the late 60s.And then things get interesting, when he runs out of time, money and dexedrine and decides to reject the Ritalin in favor of mescaline mixed with speed.The wild drug trip that follows, faithfully recorded by the madman himself on a stolen typewriter, is mesmerizing, terrifying and exhilarating.A moment in time, an experience seen firsthand in a stream-of-consciousness, second-by-second blow that has much of the same power of prose that Tom Wolfe displayed in "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" and that Ken Kesey channeled for The Chief's opening narrative rant in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

The other two pieces are both fictional and lack the immediacy and brazen truth that his journalistic work overflows with."Screwjack" is particularly disturbing, but for all the wrong reasons.The whole book is a fun ride, though, despite the clunky second half.

The Gonzo flavor
The uttering of a madman. For one that has not read any of Hunter's work. Screwjack is a good start. It picks the brain of the legend giving you his exact characteristics and intermost workings of his brainhouse. On the surface these three short stories seem like random quips, but actually expose a far more deaper intellect on unrecognizable views (Jamais Vu). The love with his cat and the overall understanding of the Los Angeles street life situation are all examples of this. There were alot of harsh reviews for this book. Its not a book at all. It is what it is and dont take it the wrong way.

Thompson Lyricism and Bad Craziness
This is by no means Thompson's best piece; it is exceedinly short and disjointed, though in my opinion this is part of its charm.I enjoyed this book (can 59 tiny pages, of which only 11-59 are actual story, divided into 3 distinct and debatably unrelated sections, really be considered a book?) through an overriding enjoyment and awe of Thompson's style of writing, which has forever been a source of inspiration and joy.

I feel it neccessary to qualify my review at this point that I am by no means a Thompson expert though I plan to read everything he has ever written.To date I have only read, in addition to Screwjack, Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72.Still I feel that the experience of these two classic works of Gozo Journalism give a true insight into the free-spirited and honest heart of Thompson's work.

This "book" is, as I have mentioned, a compilation of three parts entitled "Mescalito," "Death of a Poet," and "Screwjack."The first is a look into the experience of a Mescaline high, which is rather hilarious, and must be read to be fully appreciated.This portion is also included in Thompson's Songs of the Doomed.

The rest is bad craziness.I enjoyed it, in an uncomfortable sort of way, though Mescalito is by far my favorite.It deals with the essentailly tragic and incredibly disturbing subjects of beastiality and suicide and should be read by those who can appreciate the artistic rendering of these stories, lacking either advocation or disaproval, in an attempt to simply examine these issues.Otherwise, I would advise readers to steer clear of these portions.It requires a non-judgmental and open world view that many people are incapable or unwilling to adopt.

As to the price issue: this is an excessively expensive and hard to come by volume.I would recomend checking it out from a library (my own solution).You wouldn't even need to check it out.I read it in just under an hour, and I would consider myself a reader of average speed.

I would definitely recomend it as I would the two Fear and Loathing's already mentioned.Thompson's blunt and humorous style is one of the joys that keeps me coming back for more, and it is at the heart of this small, yeat dense, piece.

ScrewJack weird
Thompson attempts to write fiction, in this short novel. Unfortunately, minus a homoerotic story interlude, his tone and narative are powerfully reminicient of his journalism.
I think Thompson is a writer that requires observable content on which to base his writings, and while I doubt that Screwjack was based exclusively in fiction the book lacked what is most enjoyable about his writings; his jangled view of reality.
Don't get me wrong, Thompson is one of my favorite authros, but the only reason to be this book is to make his other works more vibrant.

Quick And Dirty Gonzo
I love this little book. People who measure their literature by the pound may complain about this one, but fans of Thompson will whip right through it. SCREWJACK was first published privately in 1991, and has been spawning rumors ever since. Only one of its essays, a 1969 account of Thompson's first mescaline trip written in real time, was previously published elsewhere. As well as being an incredible piece in that you can actually see him writing himself through the freakout and emerging on top, "Mescalito" perfectly crystallizes the life of a freelance writer (some of us, anyway): " ... [H]alf drunk full of pills and grass with deadlines past and people howling in New York ... the pressure piles up like a hang-fire lightning ball in the brain. Tired and wiggy from no sleep or at least not enough. Living on pills, phone calls unmade, people unseen, pages unwritten, money unmade, pressure piling up all around to make some kind of breakthrough and get moving again."

SCREWJACK also includes the tale of a psychotic friend who killed himself in front of the author after making a disastrous bet on a football game, and the title story, a demented love scene between Thompson's crazier alter-ego Raoul Duke and a huge black tomcat, reminiscent of some mad cross between Mikhail Bulgakov and Dennis Cooper.

(A version of this review was originally published in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.) ... Read more

Amazon.com
With the same drug-addled alacrity and jaundiced wit that made Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas a hilarious hit, Hunter S. Thompson turns his savage eye and gonzo heart to the repellent and seductive race for President.He deconstructs the 1972 campaigns of idealist George McGovern and political hack Richard Nixon, ending up with a political vision that is eerily prophetic.A classic!Book Description
With the same drug-addled alacrity and jaundiced wit that made Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas a hilarious hit, Hunter S. Thompson turns his savage eye and gonzo heart to the repellent and seductive race for President.He deconstructs the 1972 campaigns of idealist George McGovern and political hack Richard Nixon, ending up with a political vision that is eerily prophetic.A classic! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (67)

A Master Work in Political Campaign
Another classic from HST, in fact maybe my favorite work of his.The setting for the book is the presidential campaign of 1972 pitting Gorge McGovern against Richard Millhouse Nixon.It begins with Thompson being sent by Rolling Stone to be the Washington D.C. correspondent for the magazine.From there the rollercoaster ride begins.HST chronicles the campaign from first, covering the Democratic primaries and running to the nomination of McGovern at the Democratic National Convention, and finally the Presidential election itself.
HST pioneered his own unique style of gonzo journalism and this book, along with the classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, defined him and his craft.Stark in its style and approach, the prospective provided by HST of what it is like to be out there on the campaign trail is unique to my knowledge.A dramatic inside story of the battles of the campaign trail emerges and fills in significant gaps in other press coverage of the time.HST's quest for truth, politics, and the eternal buzz paint a picture that the straight press never could because of restrictions like `objectivity' and the like.The result is perhaps the best account to date on what is really going on behind the scenes of a campaign for the highest office in the land.
The only drawback about reading HST is that it always gives me an incredible urge to drink and act in a semi-crazed style.It is says something about the infectious nature of his work and one often finds oneself wishing there were more gonzo journalists writing today.
This book is essential reading for anyone interested in politics and the machinery behind it.Even if politics aren't your cup up tea, HST brings a new dimension to any subject that he writes about, one that can be appreciated for its raw truth as well as its unconventional delivery.Although HST only provides one way of looking at politics out many possible, readers would be doing a disservice to themselves by passing over this book.Other views are widely espoused by many journalists and pundits, but to my knowledge no one else has tread where HST has dared to go.
This one gets 5 stars for being original, highly entertaining, and remaining relevant to this day.

here and now...and later
As I write this review, a dozen and a half presidential candidates are revved up to fly around the US, spending (all told) billions of dollars of Other People's Money, talking out of several sides of their mouth, slinging more mud than a construction crew, and falling over each other to get into the TV and newspaper spotlight.

It is astounding how much this book, written 35 years ago, can teach us about what is going on today.I have vowed to read this book again in 4-5 years.

Insight into America's lost innocence
For me this is Hunter's masterpiece - Its what crystallises all of his skill and insights as a writer.Fear and Loathing is an excellent book but its also a head trip which gives first time readers the wrong impression of Thomphson but its Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail that will show you the real Hunter in all his savage intelligence and wry observational skill - its a tour de force which shows so often the sharp mind behind the stories of drugs and debauchery - if you've only read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas then you don't know Hunter at all - this is a good starting point.

Its a picture of an America which has torn itself to pieces - the 1972 elections were a watershed in American politics, the death of Bobby Kennedy at the hands of Sirhan Sirhan in 1968 tore the heart of out the Democratic faithfull and was the major hinge of a series of events that led to the election of Richard Nixon in 68 when a country burned out on the divisive LBJ presidency voted Republican.The failure of the Democratic party to present a strong candidate in '68 led to the McGovern collapse in '72 as the party tore itself to pieces internally, consumed in infighting and political infighting that left it weakened and damaged.

Thompson's insights into the system go beyond mer reportage, he has an ability to get inside the process and lay it bare and clear and at the same time present a picture of the US on the eve of a recession and worn out from a long and divisive war.Oh and somebody mentioned how Hunter seemed unfair on Humphrey in the book - On the contrary he more than explains his reasons why he dislikes the candidate and some reading on Humphrey and history would enlighten - for one thing he won the Presidential Nomination in '68 without winning a single primary - Thompson and other democrats were quite justified in seeing him as the a political hack controlled by the likes of Chicago's power broker Mayor Daley.

Seriously.Read it.Distilled Hunter in so many ways and if youre expecting some sort of balance then youre in the wrong place - Hunter is here as always un comprimising - bitching about bias is missing the point - he never sets out to be balanced.

Lively & Exciting, if Biased
Journalist Hunter M. Thompson applies his gonzo style to the 1972 Presidential campaign, and makes us feel as if alongside the contenders as they move from rallies, to bus rides, to hotel rooms.The book focuses heavily on the Democratic primary campaign of Senator George McGovern, as he battled Hubert Humphrey, Ed Muskie, and several others for the Party's nomination.I enjoyed the author's fast-moving style and didn't mind his pro-McGovern bias, but saw no reason for his relentless slurs against Humprhey as a shameless phony - charges he never substantiates.McGovern won the nomination, but Thompson fails to see how the man's too-liberal positions and questionable competence (i.e. The Eagleton affair) doomed his chances.The author describes incumbent President Richard Nixon as devious and dangerous, but also sees him as rather human.Nixon wouldn't speak to Thompson, except for one brief interview granted on the condition that they only discuss one subject - football.It actually made interesting reading.This is a lively book, even if Thompson's kindly but bumbling candidate lost to the devious but skilled Nixon by a 61-38% landslide.

Many progressives loved Thompson's anti-establishment writing and didn't mind his lack of objectivity.Whatever your view, this book has a lively informative style that makes for fun, informative reading.

A Raw and Hilarious Account of U.S. Politics
'Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72' is a fantastic journey through a spectacle which grips the U.S. every four years. It is a journey which in the hands of other authors would be thoroughly boring. But Hunter S. Thompson (HST) succeeds in combining great intelligence and insightful commentary with shocking hilarity and the result is a great book.

'Campaign Trail '72' doesn't have the same constant flow of wacky, laugh-out-loud humour and outrageous anecdotes as some of HST's other works, but then HST wrote this book as part of a year-long assignment to cover the Presidential campaign, not a week-long bender at the Kentucky Derby. In some respects, the length of time over which Thompson was reporting helps reveal a more 'everyday' side to an author who at other times appears to lead a wholly surreal lifestyle. Even the Doctor of Gonzo has down-time and boring days.

HST undoubtedly achieves what he set out to do in December '71. He gives his readers an insider's account of what it's like to cover a Presidential campaign. He reveals some of the underhand and downright corrupt tactics of the candidates and their entourages, the fickle nature of the electorate's support, the decisive role of the media in an election, and the importance of 'perception'. Thompson reports in a way that no one else is capable of reporting. He goes with gut instinct and from page 1 refuses to write from within the journalistic confines of objectivity. He openly supports Democratic candidate George McGovern, and sees Richard Nixon as a great threat to the U.S.A. and the rest of the world. Indeed, on a few occasions, he openly likens Nixon to Hitler; something which no other journalist would dare write, no matter how strongly they felt it.

Rick Steadman's sketches provide another interesting angle on the campaign and complement HST's writing excellently. The author also offers up a few timeless maxims on the nature of politics, which will strike a chord with anyone who lives in a Western 'Democracy'. In all, despite the fact that some of the detail in this book may seem mundane and dated to a present-day reader, most of HST's writing is timeless and one gets an overall sense that U.S. politics don't appear to have changed much since '72. Post-election, Thompson considers running for the office of Senator in Colorado; after reading this book, he certainly would have had my vote. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Kingdom of Fear is billed as a memoir, but in essence, all of Hunter S. Thompson's books could fit into this category since his life and work have always been tightly bound together by a mythology largely of his own making. (After all, this is the man who, before earning a single dollar as a writer, began meticulously saving a copy of every letter he ever sent.) Still, this is certainly an unconventional memoir, but then what would you expect from the father of gonzo journalism? In these pages Thompson manages to dig deep and reveal a few "loathsome secrets" without offering the kind of personal details he has always avoided. His childhood, for instance, is basically summed up in a sentence: "I look back on my youth with great fondness, but I would not recommend it as a working model to others." He does, however, reflect upon his considerable legacy, including his well-known, and admittedly exaggerated, use of controlled substances ("The brutal reality of politics alone would probably be intolerable without drugs"), as well as offer assessments of his own work, such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ("It's as good as The Great Gatsby and better than The Sun Also Rises").

In this collection of twisted parables and outlaw adventures, Thompson writes about his early run-ins with agents of authority and the lessons learned; his stint in the Air Force and the beginning of his journalism career; his unsuccessful, though illuminating, bid for Sheriff of Aspen, Colorado in 1970 as the Freak Power candidate; the casualties and unintended consequences thus far in the War on Terror; and numerous examples of present-day injustice and hypocrisy--all with his characteristic mix of brutal frankness laced with humor. He also offers his own take on state of the Union: "The prevailing quality of life in America--by any accepted methods of measuring--was inarguably freer and more politically open under Nixon than it is today in this evil year of Our Lord 2002." Thompson continues to make even the most deadly serious subject matter endlessly entertaining. --Shawn CarkonenBook Description
Brilliant, provocative, outrageous, and brazen, Hunter S. Thompson's infamous rule breaking -- in his journalism, in his life, and of the law -- changed the shape of American letters and the face of American icons. Kingdom of Fear traces the course of Thompson's life as a rebel -- from a smart-mouthed Kentucky kid flouting all authority to a convention-defying journalist who came to personify a wild fusion of fact, fiction, and mind-altering substances.

Call it the evolution of an outlaw. Here are the formative experiences that comprise Thompson's legendary trajectory alongside the weird and the ugly. Whether detailing his exploits as a foreign correspondent in Rio, his job as night manager of the notorious O'Farrell Theatre in San Francisco, his epic run for sheriff of Aspen on the Freak Power ticket, or the sensational legal maneuvering that led to his full acquittal in the famous 99 Days trial, Thompson is at the peak of his narrative powers in Kingdom of Fear. And this boisterous, blistering ride illuminates as never before the professional and ideological risk taking of a literary genius and transgressive icon.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

The "Gonzo" King Near the End
Make no mistake the late, lamented Hunter Thompson was always something of a muse for me going way back to the early 1970's when I first read his seminal work on the outlaw bikers, The Hell's Angels. Since then I have devoured, and re-devoured virtually everything that he has written. I have reviewed many of those efforts elsewhere in this space. As I noted recently in reviewing his 2004 work Hey, Rube not all his efforts have been equally compelling. That was the case in panning Hey, Rube but here we are on much more solid traditional `gonzo' style from the old days. Maybe it is because this work is in the form of a memoir and thus intentionally places the good Doc's actions in the center of the writing that makes this more in the mold of his better compilations like the Great Shark Hunt and Songs of the Doomed.

Thompson uses a stream of consciousness trope going from the present (early 2000's) and his then current doings and splices them together, in some segments randomly, to events as far back as his childhood in Louisville, Kentucky. Along the way we find him at age nine in trouble with the FBI. Down and dirty in Rio with the crazies. Incessantly testing his beloved guns and various hot motorcycles at various and sundry appropriate and inappropriate times. Taking trips to places like Vietnam just before the fall, Cuba, Grenada just after the invasion and elsewhere whereever the journalistic action might be and a story, in the Thompson style, might develop. Needless to say there is plenty of ink about sex, drug and rock and rock including his deeply affecting and traumatic tangle with the law in the early 1990's. That, my friends, was a close call. And throughout, as usual, there are pithy political comments about the various idiots-in-chiefs and their henchman that he spent his life hammering. Maybe not your way, definitely not my way but his way. His fateful run for Sheriff of Aspen on the Freak Power ticket in 1970 probably set the tone of his politics accurately. For those who have read other works by Thompson some of the signature language may be old hat as he meanders along in this volume. For others it is a chance to learn the lingo. Enough said.

Not his best
Mr Thompsons autobiography is somewhat lacking compared to his other works. It seems, that he in his later years didn't have that much new to say, and this volume shows it very clearly. It deals with the legend of HST, not the man Hunter Stockton Thompson, and only plays the same tune that we've been hearing since F&L in Las Vegas, only in a strongly diluded form.

A great drawback is that he recycles a lot of stuff from his earlier work, which if you're a fan/reader of his you can't help but feel a bit cheated about. The book isn't that long as it is, but when half the material already has been printed before, and therefore probably, for fans at least, is on your shelf already, it gives the feeling of the good Mr Thompson not really making an effort writing this volume.

It's not all bad though. There are highlights in the book. His description of his childhood is enjoyable and very biographical. The last chapter is also very enjoyable, although not that good as biographical material, it does for a good reading.

It starts out legitimate enough, but quickly turns to his rambling and at times incoherent style of writing. Worth reading if you're a completist. I would recommend the compilations of his letters "The Proud Highway" and "F&L in America" as biography instead. They are much better.

Significantly Better Than "Hey Rube"
This book (2003) and "Hey Rube" (2004) appear to be the last of HST's books. While "Hey Rube" contains lengthy discussions of gambling on professional football and basketball (including "March Madness"), this book is more far-ranging, containing everything from Thompson's reminiscences of his youth to his (highly negative) thoughts on George W. Bush. There's even a chapter from "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972," one of the finest political books ever written.

The quality of the writing on the recent pieces is not quite up to that of his best from the past, but is still infinitely better than the mindless slop produced by other contemporary "writers." The man was an artist.

As always, one of the disturbing things about Thompson is his ability to assess politics correctly in real time. Reading back, you think "Why didn't people take this man seriously at the time?"

"Indeed," as Doc would say.

The best collection
It's true, there are lots of parts of this book that can be found in other books, but this is still the best HST book I've read. It's sort of like a greatest hits. The new parts however, are the best part of this book.

Some of his best work ever!
By far simply one of his best collections.It seems the good doctor saw what was on the horizon and unforunately he was right.The world is a lesser place without him and we should all cherish every word.His insight was frightening an accurate.BUY THIS BOOK! ... Read more

Book Description
First published in 1990, Songs of the Doomed is back in print -- by popular demand!In this third and most extraordinary volume of the Gonzo Papers, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson recalls high and hideous moments in his thirty years in the Passing Lane -- and no one is safe from his hilarious, remarkably astute social commentary.

With Thompson's trademark insight and passion about the state of American politics and culture, Songs of the Doomed charts the long, strange trip from Kennedy to Quayle in Thompson's freewheeling, inimitable style. Spanning four decades -- 1950 to 1990 -- Thompson is at the top of his form while fleeing New York for Puerto Rico, riding with the Hell's Angels, investigating Las Vegas sleaze, grappling with the "Dukakis problem," and finally, detailing his infamous lifestyle bust, trial documents, and Fourth Amendment battle with the Law. These tales -- often sleazy, brutal, and crude -- are only the tip of what Jack Nicholson called "the most baffling human iceberg of our time."

Songs of the Doomed is vintage Thompson -- a brilliant, brazen, bawdy compilation of the greatest sound bites of Gonzo journalism from the past thirty years.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Search for the Brown Buffalo
Generally the most the trenchant social criticism, commentary and analysis complete with a prescriptive social program ripe for implementation has been done by thinkers and writers who work outside the realm of bourgeois society, notably socialists and other progressive thinkers. Bourgeois society rarely allows itself, in self defense, to be skewered by trenchant criticism from within. This is particularly true when it comes from a known dope fiend, gun freak and all-around lifestyle addict like the late, lamented Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Nevertheless, although he was far from any thought of a socialist solution and would reject such a designation we could travel part of the way with him. We saw him as a kindred spirit. He was not one of us- but he was one of us. All honor to him for pushing the envelope of journalism in new directions and for his pinpricks at the hypocrisy of bourgeois society. Such men are dangerous.

I am not sure whether at the end of the day Hunter Thompson saw himself or wanted to been seen as a voice, or the voice, of his generation but he would not be an unworthy candidate.In any case, his was not the voice of the generation of 1968 being just enough older to have been formed by an earlier, less forgiving milieu of the 1950's.His earlier writings shows that effect. Nevertheless, only a few, and with time it seems fewer in each generation, allow themselves to search for some kind of truth even if they cannot go the whole distance. This compilation under review is a hodgepodge of articles over the best part of Thompson's career. As with all journalists, as indeed with all writers especially those who are writing under the gun and for mass circulation media these works show an uneven quality. However the total effect is to blast old bourgeois society almost to its foundations. Others will have to push on further.

One should note that `gonzo' journalism is quite compatible with socialist materialism. That is, the writer is not precluded from interpreting the events described within himself/herself as an actor in the story. The worst swindle in journalism, fostered by the formal journalism schools, as well as in other disciplines like history and political science is that somehow one must be `objective'. Reality is better served if the writer puts his/her analysis correctly and then gets out of the way. In his best work that was Hunter's way.

As a member of the generation of 1968 I would note that this was a period of particular importance which won Hunter his spurs as a journalist. Hunter, like many of us, cut his political teeth on one Richard Milhous Nixon, at one time President of the United States and all- around political chameleon. Thompson went way out of his way, and with pleasure, skewering that man when he was riding high. He was moreover just as happy to kick him when he was down, just for good measure. Nixon represented the `dark side' of the American spirit- the side that appears today as the bully boy of the world and as craven brute. Sound familar? If for nothing else Brother Thompson deserves a place in the pantheon of journalistic heroes for this exercise in elementary hygiene. Anyone who wants to rehabilitate THAT man before history please consult Thompson's work. Hunter, I hope you find the Brown Buffalo wherever you are. Read this book. Read all his books.

Excellent Sampler
This is an excellent introduction to the range of Thompson's writings though the early 1990's. It includes samples of his two early novels (Prince Jellyfish, The Rum Diary) and articles and excerpts from his later journalism and fiction ("Let The Trials Begin" is worth the price of the book).No duplication of material fromThe Great Shark Hunt, his earlier collection. An excellent audio version was realeased when the book was first published.
This book gives you some idea of what he was up to during the time covered by the two volumes of letters he's published and shows that his humor and sense of outrage have matured better than, say, Mark Twain's during a comparable stretch of his writing career. ... Read more

Book Description
Few American lives are stranger, more action-packed, or wilder than that of Hunter S. Thompson. Born a rebel in Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson spent a lifetime channeling his energy and insight into such landmark works as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - and his singular and provocative style challenged and revolutionized writing.Now, for the first time ever, Jann Wenner and Corey Seymour have interviewed the Good Doctor's friends, family, acquaintances and colleagues and woven their memories into a brilliant oral biography. From Hell's Angels leader Sonny Barger to Ralph Steadman to Jack Nicholson to Jimmy Buffett to Pat Buchanan to Marilyn Manson and Thompson's two wives, son, and longtime personal assistant, more than 100 members of Thompson's inner circle bring into vivid focus the life of a man who was even more complicated, tormented, and talented than any previous portrait has shown. It's all here in its uncensored glory: the creative frenzies, the love affairs, the drugs and booze and guns and explosives and, ultimately, the tragic suicide. As Thompson was fond of saying, "Buy the ticket, take the ride." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

You get what you give...
If you come to this book with a head full of 'The Vegas Book' and all the myth-hero hype lumped on Thompson as an 'icon' over the years,then I think you will be disappointed because your hero has been rendered mortal by his contemporaries.

Wenner could have taken the easy path of selecting stories that amplified the hype or conversely could have taken a straight razor to it, but in my opinion he and Seymore opted for a much more balance and frankly honest approach via the 'oral narrative'.There are stories in here that will make you laugh out loud and a few that will make you cringe; here again what stories sparks this type of reaction is based on what your head is filled with when you approach the book. Ralph Steadman's retelling of 'the boat story' with a head full of dope causing him to see red and feel like, "I was Hitler" as he put it had me cracking up.

All in all, their decision to tell the tale of HST as recounted by the memories of his peers was a great approach to trying to convey the story of the man rather than the myth.

Fear & Loathing
This is a great read for any HST fan. It is interesting to see how much his life affected everyone he ever came into to contact with. From his wives all the way to Marilyn Manson.

This could have been a really good book.But it isn't.
This is a book I wanted to like: a view of Hunter Thompson from the people who knew him.Unfortunately, this was edited by a man who apparently still holds deep resentments against Thompson and has no problem venting (and cashing in on) them now that HST cannot defend himself.Some nice moments can be found, but in general this book is, as HST once put it, a real hamburger job.

The best way to experience Hunter Thompson is his own writing in his own books.Wenner's book is just another shovel in the great and terrible onslaught of graverobbing and greedheaded necrosodomy that has followed Thompson's death.

Jann, rather than take cheap shots at your former writers, you really should pay more attention to making Rolling Stone edgy again, as it was when Hunter wrote for you.RS is now nothing but creampuff articles and tons of glossy corporate advertising, the direct intellectual equivalent of Tiger Beat.Rolling Stone is to journalism what the Ho-Ho is to cuisine, and it doesn't have to be that way.

Great stories...
This book is jam packed with great stories about the doctor. If you liked the commemorative Rolling Stone issue, you'll like this book.

All the Jann arguments for hating this book are lame. Ever worked for a family member? You can care about someone and still tell them to shove their job where the sun don't shine... the bitterness goes away.

Putting Anita on a pedestal is even more lame. If she is so much better than everyone else that was a part of Hunter's life, why is she delaying all the TRUE gonzo books in the works?

The book is a good read. It is petty to base the merit of a book on hearsay.

Jann Wenner Still Feasting on Hunter's Talent
Rolling Stone editor slays king of Gonzo
By Charles Memminger
Honolulu Star-Bulletin Jan. 24, 2008

Knowing I had met and interviewed one of my favorite authors, Hunter S. Thompson, at the Kahala Mandarin in 2002, three years before he killed himself, my daughter Sarah gave me for Christmas a new book out on the great man. I sent this e-mail to her at college in Oregon:

Dear Sarah,

I finished "Gonzo," the "oral history" hatchet job on Hunter Thompson that apparently all of his ex-wives, girlfriends and anyone else he ever p--ed off decided to publish. What a brutal tome. Man, this was like the entire Roman senate turning on Julius Caesar.

Et tu, Jann Wenner? Wenner is the publisher of Rolling Stone magazine who masterminded this posthumous character assassination. He also encouraged Hunter's extreme behavior in return for putting Rolling Stone on the political and pop-culture map. Wenner whined all the way to the circulation bank about how hard it was to get Hunter to finish a story, but then would drop acid with him at Hunter's Colorado compound and basically attach himself like a rented remora to Hunter so he could bask in the residual glory and coolness that surrounded the country's King of Weird.

Wenner wrung the last bit of creative juice out of Hunter, finally discarding him like a used grapefruit, leaving him a pathetic, drunken, drug-addled, hobbled (and essentially impoverished) shell. Probably to protect his literary legacy from further degenerating into parody and pathos, Hunter took the .45-caliber express to Shambhala. And how lucky for Wenner. Wenner had a winner of an ending for his alleged biography of Hunter.

With all the whining Wenner did about how hard it was to get Hunter to finish a writing project, it's ironic -- nauseating, really -- that Wenner didn't take the time to actually write this book himself. Like one of those annoying wedding videographers roaming around gathering reflections from guests on the happy couple for posterity, Wenner passed around a tape recorder to a chilling rabble of Hunter's ex-wives, bed partners, political hired guns and celebrities, and allowed them to gnaw and tear chunks from Hunter's carefully crafted public persona. The result of Wenner's cashing in, postmortem, on Hunter's talent?

"Gonzo" is autopsy-by-bacchanalia, pitifully masquerading as objective, historic truth. The few contributors to this heartless enterprise to come off well are Jack Nicholson, Jimmy Buffett, Johnny Depp and Hunter's amazingly resilient son, Juan. (Depp wrote the introduction, a funny, moving and brilliant homage to his close friend. Too bad it had to be published in this book.)

Wenner likely has sold the movie rights to this LIED (literary improvised explosive device) and so continues to feed on Hunter's celebrated carcass.

Little did Hunter know when the Hells Angels were kicking the cr-p out of him while he was writing the book that made him famous, that compared with what Wenner et al. has done to him in "Gonzo," the Hells Angels incident was like a big group hug.

There's an old saying: You get the biographer you deserve. But despite his notorious excesses, Hunter S. Thompson didn't deserve Jann Wenner.

Love, Dad

... Read more

Book Description
Gonzo is a tour de force that will take you into the world of American writer and iconoclast Hunter S. Thompson. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Stunning and GORGEOUS book!
"Gonzo" is almost a coffee table book. It's worth EVERY penny! Beautiful pictures of HST and his first wife, Sandy and their son Juan. The images are glorious and creative. Don't be distracted by the price. BUY IT! (HST would approve :o)

Perfect/unique gift for Hunter Thompson fans!
Purchased this book as a Christmas gift for my boss and he LOVED it! He's a huge Hunter Thompson fan but hadn't seen the book yet since it was only out a couple months. The book is filled with an incredible collection ofThompson's personal photographs and excerpts from his books that take the reader on an emotional journey of his life. Thompson fans will not be disappointed!

Gonza
My son is a Hunter Thompson fan and was not happy with this book, we thought it was going to be a written book not just pictures.

great
Shipped in a timely fashion. well packaged. Full of fantastic pictures for all you Thompson fans.

Beautifully presented art worthy of HST!
This HUGE, breathtakingly beautiful collectors piece was SO much more than I expected or even hoped for!If you just want to add another HST book to your collection, buy the $40.00 reprint. It's the same book, just smaller, mass produced, and without the fancy package.But if you are a die-hard Thompson fan, spend the 400 bucks and treat yourself to the limited edition box set.You will not be disappointed. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Since his1972 trailblazing opus,Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, Hunter S. Thompson has reported the election story in his truly inimitable, just-short-of-libel style.In Better Than Sex, Thompson hits the dusty trail again - without leaving home - yet manages to deliver a mind-bending view of the 1992 presidential campaign, in all its horror, sacrifice, lust, and dubious glory. Complete with faxes sent to and received from candidate Clinton's top aides, and 100 percent pure gonzo screeds on Richard Nixon, George Bush, and Oliver North, here is the most true-blue campaign tell-all ever penned by man, beast, or Thompson.Book Description
"Hunter S. Thompson is to drug-addled, stream-of-consciousness, psycho-political black humor what Forrest Gump is to idiot savants."
--The Philadelphia Inquirer
Since his 1972 trailblazing opus, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, Hunter S. Thompson has reported the election story in his truly inimitable, just-short-of-libel style. In Better than Sex, Thompson hits the dusty trail again--without leaving home--yet manages to deliver a mind-bending view of the 1992 presidential campaign--in all of its horror, sacrifice, lust, and dubious glory. Complete with faxes sent to and received by candidate Clinton's top aides, and 100 percent pure gonzo screeds on Richard Nixon, George Bush, and Oliver North, here is the most true-blue campaign tell-all ever penned by man or beast.
"[Thompson] delivers yet another of his trademark cocktail mixes of unbelievable tales and dark observations about the sausage grind that is the U.S. presidential sweepstakes. Packed with egocentric anecdotes, musings and reprints of memos, faxes and scrawled handwritten notes (Memorable."
--Los Angeles Daily News
"What endears Hunter Thompson to anyone who reads him is that he will say what others are afraid to (.[He] is a master at the unlikely but invariably telling line that sums up a political figure (.In a year when all politics is--to much of the public--a tendentious and pompous bore, it is time to read Hunter Thompson."
--Richmond Times-Dispatch
"While Tom Wolfe mastered the technique of being a fly on the wall, Thompson mastered the art of being a fly in the ointment. He made himself a part of every story, made no apologies for it and thus produced far more honest reporting than any crusading member of the Fourth Estate (. Thompson isn't afraid to take the hard medicine, nor is he bashful about dishing it out (.He is still king of beasts, and his apocalyptic prophecies seldom miss their target."
--Tulsa World
"This is a very, very funny book. No one can ever match Thompson in the vitriol department, and virtually nobody escapes his wrath."
--The Flint Journal ... Read more