Ναι Χάντερ κι εγώ μισώ τα μίντια.

We both have a strong dislike for mint.

It might be because of its overpowering taste or its distinct smell.

Whenever we encounter something with mint in it, whether it's food, drinks, or even personal care products, we cringe.

The sharp and cooling sensation that mint provides just doesn't sit well with us.

We much prefer other flavors and scents that are more温和 and pleasant.

It's interesting how different people have such diverse preferences when it comes to taste and smell.

While some might love the refreshing qualities of mint, for Να Χάντερ and me, it's a flavor to avoid.

We'll continue to seek out other options that suit our palates better.

Maybe one day, we'll discover a new flavor that becomes our favorite and makes us forget all about our aversion to mint.

Until then, we'll stick to what we know and enjoy.

I feel cooler for having read this book.

This book has truly had a profound impact on me. It is not just a regular read, but rather a journey that takes you to different worlds and makes you experience a plethora of emotions.

The author's writing style is engaging and captivating, making it impossible to put the book down. As I delved deeper into the story, I found myself completely immersed in it, forgetting about the outside world.

The characters in the book are well-developed and relatable, which adds to the overall charm of the story. Their struggles, joys, and sorrows made me feel as if I was a part of their lives.

Reading this book has not only entertained me but also broadened my perspective and made me think about things in a different way. It has given me a newfound appreciation for the power of literature and the ability of a good book to transport you to another place and time.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read that will leave them feeling cooler and more enlightened.

The book that truly solidified Thompson's reputation as the preeminent journalist of the crazed was当之无愧 so. Thompson spent a couple of years riding and associating with the Angels. At the peak of their notoriety, he presented them through his own cynical and paranoiac freak prism.

We see the Angels as bearded, drooling, and vicious outlaws, ready to rape or stomp on anything and anyone who gets in their way. However, we also see them as tired old goons, fully aware that they are losers and just trying to hold on to the little they have that distinguishes them from complete ruin.

Another journalist, less inclined towards exaggerating menace, might have told a more straightforward story. One with more facts and a greater intention of capturing the human side of the Angels. But ironically, that book probably would have been a distorted and misleading portrayal because the Angels wouldn't have permitted it. Thompson's wild ride includes a lot of terrifying things - the Angel who enjoys pulling out victims' teeth with a rusty wrench is a particularly vivid image - and ends in violence.

But despite all his Gonzo madness, he actually deflates the Angel image more than he builds it up. Twenty-five years later, although its subject may have declined in significance, this book still stands out as effective and vivid journalism.

I first came across this book while perusing Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail in a small bookstore located on the street adjacent to the east side of the Red Line in East Rogers Park, Chicago. It was precisely this edition. The price wasn't inexpensive. Regrettably, I chose not to purchase it at that time, and that decision has haunted me ever since.

Finally, after several years had passed and I had delved into more of Thompson's earlier works, I managed to get around to reading this particular piece. And I must say, I thoroughly relished it. It wasn't merely because of the author's flamboyantly excessive writing style, which was truly captivating. But also because of the unique perspective it offered on events that I had previously only read about from the viewpoints of Tom Wolfe or the New Left. This book provided a fresh and eye-opening take on those events, adding a new layer of depth and understanding to my knowledge.

I'm so glad that I finally got the chance to read it and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in Thompson's work or in gaining a different perspective on the events of that era.

This is truly superb. I can't fathom why I waited until now to read it. Now I understand the reason why there were a few guys in college with me who aspired to grow up and be like Hunter S Thompson (even though they were potheads). This is essentially a very powerful piece of embedded reportage, at least for the first two-thirds. In the final chapter, it expands into social commentary and a brief personal memoir about how his year-long friendship with the Angels reaches its somewhat bitter and anti-climactic conclusion. I wouldn't classify it as Thompson's later, better-known Gonzo journalism, that blend of fact and fiction that characterizes his later work. Although it is probably influenced by personal contact and perhaps can only be fully appreciated in the context of the widespread mainstream press coverage of the Angels throughout the 1960s.

The story commences with Thompson setting the stage. It is the mid-1960s, and the Hell's Angels, those Harley-riding brawlers, are acquiring a seriously bad reputation in the press due to various assault, rape, and riot cases. The style is magazine feature-like - a rotating combination of anecdotes, background information, and interviews with individual characters - but it is very fluid and well-paced. Before you realize it, you are a third of the way through and emotionally siding with the outlaws who seem to be getting a raw deal in the press. I believe the best-written chapter is the third (out of five), "The Statutory Rape of Bass Lake," where the central narrative describes the Angels' annual ride and party, and Thompson uses this as a springboard for discussing all kinds of disturbing things, mostly related to gang sex, drugs, and the destruction of property. The final chapter, I think, is the most interesting. He places the Angels within their broader social context in 1960s California: their tenuous relationship with blacks, with the anti-Vietnam War peace demonstrators, and with the equally chaotic but more peace-loving, acid-eating, Beatles-listening beatnik leftist liberals.

What should we make of the Angels themselves? The point that Thompson strongly emphasizes is that they are less deliberately malevolent than the early 1960s news reports made them out to be. Most had records for brawling or public lewdness, but few or none were ever found guilty of murder or rape. Their relationship with the cops also appears somewhat tame (at least compared to 21st-century terrorism). Theirs is a wary hostility that avoids getting arrested (since it's too expensive to get bailed out), rather than an active war. They are more of a social phenomenon than an organized mafia. But as Thompson points out, this doesn't mean they aren't mean-spirited, vindictive, or narrow-minded. The romanticized perception of the Angels as "basically good" Robin Hoods of contemporary America is severely shattered. For the most part, the Angels are essentially unskilled gangsters who can't even envision social mobility. There are some positive aspects - they have their internal code of laws/honor, and individually, some of them are married with kids, and a rare few even have jobs and can transition into a more normal and peaceful life. But on the whole, they are losers who wouldn't be noticed individually. Yet, as a group or when identified by their colors, they will instill fear. And there are moments of grace - after one of the leaders is run over by a truck, 150 bikes and 20 cars, along with an unplanned police escort, ride the 90 miles from Oakland to Sacramento as a funeral procession.

Despite being a relatively short book, this one should have been even more concise.

The writing has its moments of excellence, yet it often falls into a repetitive and circular style.

However, it still offers a fascinating insight into a counter culture. It has a great deal to say about how the media and society view minority groups in the present day and how these groups view each other.

It's as if the author is trying to untangle the complex web of relationships and perceptions that exist within our society.

The book forces us to question our own biases and assumptions, and to look more closely at the ways in which we interact with those who are different from us.

Overall, while it may not be a perfect piece of literature, it is certainly a thought-provoking one that is well worth reading.

***SPOILERS ALERT***

"Hell’s Angel’s" offers a detailed exploration of the exaggerated myths, the harsh realities, the origins, motivations, and the ethos of the motorcycle gang that terrorized American cities and small towns in the 1960s. A significant part of the book is dedicated to debunking the myths fabricated by a paranoid American media. Thompson investigates the negative news reports about the Angels and reveals their biases and hollowness. However, he has no illusions about the Angels either. He writes about them with a combination of fascination and disgust. While he is somewhat sympathetic to their cause (which includes riding across the country on motorcycles, getting extremely drunk, and occasionally raping women), he admits that he would have used a gun if the Angels ever entered the town where he lived. He also shatters any romantic ideas that hippies, anti-war activists (such as Ken Kesey and Allen Ginsberg), and student activists might have about the Angels by showing that despite their anti-social image, they were fiercely patriotic and also very racist. Thompson traces their origins to the Linkhorns who came to California as slave laborers. After World War II, many of these Linkhorns used their separation bonuses to buy motorcycles in a new rootless world.

The subject matter is indeed interesting, but a lesser writer could have made this book a failure. Although I found the first 100 pages a bit tiresome as Thompson refutes many negative articles about the Angels and their celebrity, there were some engaging parts. For instance, when he explains why California was the perfect place for the Angels. His description of the Angel’s machines (Harley 74’s) and their origin went over my head as I’m not interested in bikes. Thompson writes clear, medium-length sentences. His humor (and there is plenty of it) is contained, with occasional outbursts. His commentary on why the whole of America is fascinated with the Hell’s Angels is what truly makes this book enjoyable to read. For example:

“There is an important difference between the words 'losers' and 'outlaw.' One is passive and the other is active, and the main reason the Angels are such good copy is that they are acting out the day-dreams of millions of losers who don't wear any defiant insignia and who don't know how to be outlaws. The streets of every city are thronged with men who would pay all the money they could get their hands on to be transformed - even for a day - into hairy, hard-fisted brutes who walk over cops, extort free drinks from terrified bartenders and thunder out of town on big motorcycles after raping the banker's daughter. Even people who think the Angels should all be put to sleep find it easy to identify with them. They command a fascination, however reluctant, that borders on psychic masturbation.”

In conclusion, this book is as much about Hunter S. Thompson as it is about the Hell’s Angels. You have to admire this man. He was married with a child when he gathered material for this book. He got in his car and followed the Hell’s Angels across America, often sleeping in his car which had a large beer cooler. He became friends with some of the Angels and lived with them for almost a year, hanging out with them in bars, taking drugs, and even riding with them. It was a life well-lived.

This was an interesting book.

It seems as if the author couldn't quite decide on the specific type of book he intended to write. At certain moments, it takes on the characteristics of a work of journalism, striving to unearth the genuine truth about the Hell's Angels, away from the myths fabricated by the news media. We are well aware that the media has a tendency to exaggerate or even make up stories, but it is truly astonishing just how much false information they managed to get away with when writing about the Angels.

The book also appears to function as a nature documentary of sorts,描绘ing the Angels as if they were animals.

Hunter S. Thompson spends a significant amount of his time on edge, constantly ready to flee at the slightest hint of danger. Being in the company of the Hell's Angels means he is in a perpetual state of unease. He even goes to the extent of rolling up his car windows when sleeping in his vehicle, fearing that they might reach him. Some of the things they did to their "mates" when they had passed out were truly of a certain "class." They would cuff their arms and legs to radiators and then light a few boxes of matches and drop them on their crotch to wake them up.

I can't wait to give that a try at the next family gathering.

I'm a big fan of Hunter's books, and this one does not disappoint.

Hunter S. Thompson is the writer you should turn to if you wish to understand those cool guys. It appears that they all hold him in high regard. So, simply visit a trendy café, open one of his books, and wait to gain insights.

I didn't opt for the obvious "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" but instead chose to read his debut, a non-fiction account of his time with the Hell’s Angels, a motorcycle gang. This was also the book my book club was reading, leaving me with limited choice.

Growing up in the 80s and 90s in Poland, I had a fair understanding of what a motorcycle gang was. Their symbolism is everywhere, like a cultural key. The members wear cut-off dirty denim vests with their club colors, ride big Harley-Davidsons, have beards, and are intimidating. The message has always been clear - don't mess with them. Of course, nowadays, they are often used for comical effect when a big, dangerous-looking bearded thug turns out to love puppies and be harmless.

It seems that Thompson's main objective in this book was to demystify the Hell’s Angels (and some other motorcycle gangs). On one hand, he attempts to dispel the notion that they are the worst threat to American society by putting their (still quite shocking) hooligan excesses into perspective. On the other hand, he also tries to de-romanticize their image and make it clear that they had no real agenda and there was nothing glamorous about them. They were mostly a group of lowlifes with few prospects who found a sense of identity and belonging in the gang.

The most captivating part of the book was the role the media played in塑造 the Hell’s Angels. The media adored them. They were dangerous and flamboyant. A small Hell’s Angels riot in a California town was like an early Christmas for any journalist. No wonder the media fabricated stories even when there was none. The public craved it - they liked to be scared. And the Hell’s Angels felt compelled to live up to their reputation.

Currently, America has a new bogeyman - the terrorists. They are just as exciting for the media as the Hell’s Angels once were. They are just as unpredictable, unreasonable, and aim to destroy all that is good and true in America. Most of the public has now been whipped into such a frenzy that they would agree to almost anything to protect themselves from this terrifying threat. And I suspect we need another Hunter S. Thompson to write a book to put things into perspective once again.

This is one of Hunter S Thompson's first books, and it holds great significance as a historical document.

Today, we are all familiar with biker gangs. They have been a part of the world for so long that the concept is firmly established. However, in the 1960s, they were a new and emerging phenomenon. Rising out of the countercultural movement of the dispossessed youth, they were like a chaotically violent counterbalance to the love-obsessed hippy culture. At that time, no one really knew what to make of them.

Hunter spent a year riding with these biker gangs, socializing with them, and studying them. Based on his experiences, he wrote "Hells Angels".

The book not only skyrocketed Hunter's career but also earned him a beating from the Angels who didn't appreciate the way he had portrayed them. More importantly, it recorded a unique moment in history. Just like everything else Hunter has written, this book is a masterpiece. It should definitely be on your to-read list, although perhaps not ranked higher than "Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas".

4.5 Stars

Adam :D

This is still the best book ever written about bikers. What makes it truly remarkable is that it is completely unromanticized. It展现了their lifestyle in all its greasy and grimy glory. There are no rose-tinted glasses here, just the harsh reality of their world. And Hunter, the main character, takes a bad stomping at the end of the book by some vicious Angels. It's a brutal and unforgiving scene that leaves a lasting impression.

Written over forty years ago, this book still feels rawer than a lot of the stuff that's out there today. It has a gritty authenticity that is hard to come by. The author doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of the biker lifestyle, but instead shines a light on them, making us see the truth. It's a must-read for anyone interested in this subculture or just looking for a good, hard-hitting book.

I'd just read Jay Dobyn's extremely exciting and fully-involved

No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels. Dobyn was an undercover cop who became so deeply immersed in the Angels' culture that he effectively substituted his real life for what was supposed to be just a job.

It took me a while to get into Hunter Thompson's cool, cynical, and totally-detached account of his own year-long involvement with the Angels. While he was happy to share in their beer, drugs, and addiction to speed, the rest of their world was left behind when he drove home to his wife and child.

Although 40 years separate these two books, there is an enjoyable synchronicity between them. Some of Thompson's characters even turn up in Dobyn's book, and the philosophy or politics of rejection by society's rejects remains the same.

The writing in both books is stunning. There is no padding; every word of every sentence adds to the developing story. Oh, to be able to write like that, like an angel!

This is a damn' good read that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in true crime, undercover operations, or the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s.