Hell's Angels was Thompson's first book and evolved out of a series of magazine articles he wrote while hanging out with the motorcycle gang in the mid 1960's. I would say half the book was about the Angels themselves and the other half about how the media covered them. In Hunter's view, the people who make up the Angels know that they are on the lowest rung of the social ladder, and know they will stay there. Only through wild acts of lewdness or violence does the world acknowledge their existence. The organization provides a sense of belonging and support for individuals who often exist without phone numbers or even addresses. The lifestyle is harsh and not meant for anyone cut from my cloth. I shouldn't have to tell you but some descriptions of Angel recreational activities are not for the squeamish. Hunter spent enough time with them he could have been guilty of participating rather than reporting. He addresses this point and I think he stayed on the objective side. What he did was get to know people rather than just names associated with police records, like most reporters of the time. One thing I came away with was the feeling that the media have a long history of misleading people. Today we have reporters talking about actions in Palestine while sitting in London hotel rooms. Very few organizations have people on the ground. Instead they get their information from the government. Clearly this practice predates newsroom downsizing for this book is over 30 years old. For example, prior to one 4th of July run, the papers were filled with headlines about the Angels heading to the resort community of Bass Lake. Predictions of widespread destruction and panic amongst the citizenry abounded. Yet almost none of them actually sent reporters to the cover the event. For another example, papers often reported arrests but never mentioned that all charges had been dropped. I enjoyed the book. It gave me some feeling for understanding people who simply live by a different code. I will however stick to tuning and polishing vehicles with four wheels. I checked with my Bay Area contact and former sugar smuggler, Frisco Joe. The Angels still exist, although their "reputation" is better nowadays. In fact they deliver toys at Christmas.