Hunter s thompson, the inventor and chief exponent of gonzo journalism, who has committed suicide aged 67, was a chronicler of american life. Thompson s most popular book is fear and loathing in las vegas. Thompson for his 1971 book fear and loathing in las vegas. Once youve read those two books, youve read the best two books he ever wrote and you can meander through his later writings as whim dictates. What he has come up with is an interesting sociological comment, particularly on the peculiar propaganda powers of the press. Books by hunter s thompson authors like hunter s thompson. The strange and terrible saga of the outlaw motorcycle gangs. The gonzo papers are a series of books thompson published between 1979 and 1994. Set in the post hippie era, this cult hit is loosely based on some of his own actions, mixed in with some imaginative, fabricated events. Thompson captures the crazy, hypocritical, degenerate, and worthwhile aspects of american society with razorsharp insight.
Oct 20, 2008 probably the best biography of the late hunter thompson s 19372004 life. He is the creator of gonzo journalism and, as such, is widely imitated a. Thompsons texts often utilized first person perspective, a device that inserted him into the narratives he was. In the mid1960s, thompson spent almost two years living with the controversial angels, cycling up and down the coast, reveling in the anarchic spirit of their clan, and, as befits their name, raising hell. But in over 45 years of writing, this prolific observer of the american scene wrote voluminously, often hilariously, and usually with deceptively cleareyed vitriol on sports, politics, media, and other viciously addictive pursuits. Hidden in plain sight during the spontaneous eruption of hunter s. Thompson s vivid account of his experiences with california s most notorious motorcycle gang, the hell s angels. New book about hunter thompson decades in the making news. Thompson 19372005 was born and raised in louisville, kentucky.
Play sporcles virtual live trivia to have fun, connect with people, and get your trivia on. For the first time, his photographs and archives have been collected into a visual biography worthy of his literary legacy. Thompson was an american journalist and author known for his flamboyant writing and for blurring fiction and fact. Thompson was a writer known for his idiosyncratic style of surreal and bizarre journalism which reflected on american life and politics. Hunter s thompson books biography and list of works.
Living on a 100acre farm in woody creek, colorado, thompson spent his life writing, listening to loud music, drinking, target shooting and motorcycling. This book is quite simply the best biography ive read since wired, bob woodwards biography of john belushi. Ive read most of the previously published biographies about him. Random house, 1967, trade cloth random house publishing group, 1975, isbn 0345248252 mass market random house publishing group, 1980, isbn 0345292383 mass market random house publishing group, 1981, isbn 03453017 mass market. But in over 45 years of writing, this prolific observer of the american scene wrote voluminously, often hilariously, and usually with deceptively cleareyed vitriol on sports, politics, media, and other. Gonzo presents a rare look into the life of thompson, whose groundbreaking style of gonzo journalism made him one of the greatest writers of his generation. Fear and loathing in las vegas is a classic of our time cormac mccarthy, quote taken from this rolling stone story about ol cormac and how he spends his time chillin with the brightest scientists in the world at the santa fe institute.
The four books in this series are 1979 s the great shark hunt, 1988 s generation of swine, 1990 s. Thompson, in full hunter stockton thompson, born july 18, 1937, louisville, kentucky, u. Hunter stockton thompson was an american journalist and author, most famous for his seminal works fear and loathing in las. Id definitely read hell s angels before you finish your adventure in gonzoland, though. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Thompsons second book, the embodiment of gonzo journalism, is a customcrafted study of paranoia a desperate and important book, a wired nightmare, the funniest piece of american prose since naked lunch books of the century, 27880. Thompson, including fear and loathing in las vegas. Thompson has 79 books on goodreads with 793336 ratings. A savage journey to the heart of the american dream, and hells angels, and more on. Discover book depository s huge selection of hunter s thompson books online.
Thompson, journalist, lived, rode, and even fought with them for a period of over a year. Thompson is thoughtful, and almost monkish in bearing, and exudes a calmness that is all the more shocking when you consider his father was hunter s. Suffering from health problems, thompson took his own life at his compound in 2005. An almost unnaturally poignant love story from the father of gonzo journalism and fear and loathing in las vegas hunter s. Id definitely read hells angels before you finish your adventure in gonzoland, though. A savage journey to the heart of the american dream, and hells. If a virtual private party is more your thing, go here for details. A savage journey to the heart of the american dream.
Join a live hosted trivia game for your favorite pub trivia experience done virtually. Hells angels first edition signed bauman rare books. Thompson in the red red shark driving through the desert chomping on his cigarette and muttering bad craziness while a space ship flies in the background. Rebel with a cause from nixon to napalm, carter to cocaine, hunter s. On february 20, 2005, thompson died of a self inflicted gunshot wound. Very readable, filled with funny, scary, blood curdling, and amazing accounts of possibly the most memorable and interesting author of the 20th century who also happened to be a selfconfessed drug addict and opium eater. Thompsons vivid account of his experiences with californias most notorious motorcycle gang, the hells angels. Hunter stockton thompson july 18, 1937 february 20, 2005 was an american journalist and author, and the founder of the gonzo journalism movement. Thompsons work is closely aligned with the new journalism school of writing, a genre that emerged in the 60s and 70s, which blended fiction and nonfiction, challenging the very principles of objective reporting. The brutal odyssey of an outlaw journalist 19681976.
Random house, 1967, trade cloth random house publishing group, 1975, isbn 0345248252 mass market random house publishing group, 1980, isbn 0345292383 mass market. Thompson s snapshots were a combination of the subjects he was covering, stylized selfportraits, and artistic still life photos. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. His books include hell s angels, fear and loathing at rolling stone, fear and loathing on the campaign trail 72, the rum diary, and better than sex. He was contributor to various national and international publications, including a weekly sports column for espn online. Thompsons books in order of when they were originally released. This was the gonzo gods first attempt at the great american novel, written during his early 20s when he was still naive and optimistic. Ive read virtually everything hes published, more than once. His books on politics and society were regarded as groundbreaking among journalists, and he was celebrated as one of the early practitioners of an outraged, irreverent for. Thompson, hunter s united states political science political culture infobuy hey rube. Feb 22, 2005 hunter s thompson, the inventor and chief exponent of gonzo journalism, who has committed suicide aged 67, was a chronicler of american life since the 1950s, and a compelling and original figure. One of 180 signed, numbered copies of steadmans image of a mickey mouselike character in american flag shorts as seen on the tshirt of the hitchhiking character played by tobey maguire in the film version of thompsons fear and loathing in las vegas.
Thompson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Thompson, a magazine and newspaper writer who also wrote almost a dozen books, was perhaps best known for his book, fear and loathing in las vegas, which became a hollywood movie in 1998. His magazine articles, essays, and booksof which he penned nearly a dozen, including hells angels, the rum diary, songs of the doomed, the great shark hunt, and the monumental fear and. He first rose to prominence with the publication of hell s angels 1967, a book for which he spent a year living and riding with the hells angels motorcycle gang in order to write a firsthand account of the lives and experiences of its members.
Thompson is a brilliant writer who manages to describe his days spent in las vegas with a surprising amount of clarity and lots of humour. New book about hunter thompson decades in the making. Also, on a somewhat related note, cormac mccarthy thinks you should read hunter s. Octavo, original black cloth, original dust jacket. Thompsons most popular book is fear and loathing in las vegas. What makes the romantic short story screwjack so touching, for all its queerness, is the aching melancholy in its depiction of the modern mans burden. Hunter s thompson 1937 2005 hunter stockton thompson july 18, 1937 february 20, 2005 was an american journalist and author. Thompson would recommend reading lucy tonic, yahoo contributor network nov 22, 2010 more. Thomsons meteoric rise to the pinnacle of fictitious nonfiction in the early 1970s was a man named warren hinckle iii, whose. His books include hells angels, fear and loathing at rolling stone, fear and loathing on the campaign trail 72, the rum diary, and better than sex. This was the gonzo god s first attempt at the great american novel, written during his early 20s when he was still naive and optimistic. Thompson, a magazine and newspaper writer who also wrote almost a dozen books, was perhaps best known for his book, fear and loathing in las vegas, which became a.
The hells angels are the outlaw motorcycle cult of southern california who have acquired an image of almost mythical proportions. Or as naive and optimistic someone who had been kicked out of high school and served time for armed robbery could be. Thompson 19372005 developed a style of writing about american life and politics that was so acerbic and overthetop, it earned its own nickname. His parents, virginia ray davidson and jack thompson married in 1935. Illustrated by ralph steadman, thompsons hallucinogenic saga became a metaphor for the state.
Thompson became a published author in 1966 with hells angels. One of 180 signed, numbered copies of steadman s image of a mickey mouselike character in american flag shorts as seen on the tshirt of the hitchhiking character played by tobey maguire in the film version of thompson s fear and loathing in las vegas. Thompson has undoubtedly become a legend all his own, as a writer he most certainly read tons of books from fellow authors and influences. 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. Thompson was born and raised in louisville, kentucky. Thompson list of books in the 2009 first edition of ancient gonzo wisdom, a collection of interviews published by his wife anita after his death, but theres no trace of it in my 2012 picador ebook edition of the same book. Thompsons books include fear and loathing in america, screwjack, hells angels, fear and loathing in las vegas, the proud highway, better than. First published as a twopart series in rolling stone, the book fear and loathing in las vegas was ostensibly about a trip taken by a journalist. Discover book depositorys huge selection of hunter s thompson books online. Thompson s books include fear and loathing in america, screwjack, hell s angels, fear and loathing in las vegas, the proud highway, better than sex, the rum diary, and kingdom of fear.