I agree wholeheartedly with the following Wall Street Journal Review of November 30, 2001: "Some of the best specimens of the human animal show up in "The Importance Of Being" by Christopher Felver. And by this I do not mean the "beautiful people" but the accomplished ones - writers, artists, musicians, activists. No pretense here, just straight-ahead, black-and-white portraits of a staggering 436 "creative revolutionaries," as Mr. Felver calls them, photographed by him over the past two decades. He presents here an incredible collection of the most creative spirits of our times and it is fascinating to see the immediacy with which the subjects posed for this bohemian photographer.

This is a special, limited edition of Hunter S. Thompsons' Fear and Loathing in America. To see more reviews of this title, look it up under the regular hardcover edition. What makes this edition so special is the signature, spelled out "H.S. Thompson" on the book itself, rather than on a bookplate. There are a number of instances in the past where the Doctor signed a bookplate "HST", or even a front page, yet even these are extremely uncommon. Collectors may note that full signature Hunter S. Thompson works are very, very rare indeed, and sell for up to $2900.00.

According to a Simon & Schuster rep, there are only 300 of the special signed edition in existence. It is a reddish, leather-bound volume with the knife-and-fist Gonzo trademark imprinted on the front cover. The edges are gilt, making this edition look rather more like a bible then other, more familiar Steadman covers. Obviously designed for the dedicated fan of an American legend, this edition will occupy a prize position on your bookshelf, next to other HST works that you would be wise not to lend out.

This is a really great book, one which I didn't want to put down until I'd finished it. The mystery is great and had me in suspense until the very end. I loved the characters, even the baddies. The whole thing was so easy to picture, thanks to really good writing. I look forward to rereading this and highly recommend it to everyone!

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.

Deep within the mind of the creative artist often lies the tendency to become destructive. Nowhere is this more apparent than in this brilliantly written work. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" describes the effects of alcohal and drugs in calculated journo-prose. Initially assigned to cover a motorcyle race in the desert, the emphasis soon shifts from responsibility to reckless partying. The book meanders between odes to opium, mescaline and other mind-altering substances to ethical issues and social commentary. The book is a true story, which recounts the adventures of Thompson, alias Duke, and his obese lawyer, alias Gonzo in Las Vegas in the early 70s. Generally regarded as a collection of infamous drug exploits, the book also captured critical acclaim for it's abrupt and edgy style, and has remained a favorite in journalistic circles. The drug concotions enable Thompson to comment carelessly on everything from social issues to personal exploration, providing an objective critique of modern American life. The language is edgy and vulgar, lacking refinement and dignity. As well he knows, Thompson himself resembles these remarks and at least in this instance, life does imitate art. Overall, it is an odyssey into the mind of a true gonzo-journalist, chock full of emotion and definately worth a few hours of your time. The brains cells are up to you.

Other books of interest: "Post Office," by Charles Bukowski, and "THe Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test," by Tom Wolfe.

Thompson possesses a magical way with words, and his writing style is a pure pleasure to read. Incredibly funny and surprisingly poetic and insightful; Hunter waxes on elegantly, with a perspective and intelligence that is astonishing. The first half of the book, and in particular the opening scene, is excellent, witty, and about the funniest thing in print. The latter half, while still intoxicating and good, is a bit chaotic, as the quest for the Dream winds down and the aftermath of the search is examined. The movie with Johnny Depp is also great; it is best to read the book and then immediatly watch the movie because so much is said in Hunter's unique way of talking, that without reading the book first, much of what he says is missed; also, everything takes on a greater significance, yeilding a better understanding of the rapid series of events. Thompson, with this book alone, proves his genius for all of time.

We must remember that people did actually emerge from the idealism of the 1960's. This book is about them; it is written with all of the necessary disillusionment, sarcasm, and bombasticness. Hunter Thompson writes about (his?) experiences as a journalist covering a motorcycle race ('An ominous assignment. With overtones of extreme danger') with his famous Samoan lawyer, Gonzo pulling the strings ('do you know who I am?').

It's worth a re-read if all that came through was the tripping and the halucinations. It is important to think of the characters as dedicated and well-educated activists who saw a political assasination, a terrible war, and Nixon (recall, the man who lost the election to their assasinated hero). Circuses, gambling, dusty tracks, and moronic Americans are part of a search for the American Dream - that's what's left when the decade of superficial cynicism and drugs overtook the decade of idealism and drugs.

The drugs remain and, more often than not, expose the frighful characters who purport to distribute the dream of quick wealth, individualism, and fame. They were already as west as it comes; going east is always a bad idea.

Hunter S. Thompson is the craziest author that I have ever read. He has a specific style that I have never really seen before. He will go from one idea directly into a totally different one, and then back. The book itself is basically little stories composed on Thompson's experiences as a journalist. The stories take place generally in the 70's, and they are crazy. His constant religious metaphors are often hard to follow. My favorite story in the book is "Fear and Loathing at the Super Bowl." This is about a time when he was covering the Miami Super Bowl game. He is in a hotel and spends his time gambling and drinking. Drugs are a major influence on his life, which is one of the reasons he writes the way that he does. Throughout the story, you are introduced to many strange characters. These characters are described through the eyes of Thomson, which makes them all the more stranger. Thomson talks about preaching from his 15th story hotel room and in the lobby. The next second he is paranoid that the manager is after him. Thomson is an incredible journalist and writer, and his stories are outrageously interesting and thought provoking.

This book was FUN. It was the first Thompson book I'd ever read, and is now precariously held together with Scotch tape- but it has been well used and well loved. The Good Doctor's writing has gotten a little flimsy as of late, at least in comparison to these fantastic works on everything from the Hippies of Haight-Ashbury to the Kentucky Derby, but it is still strong and is still fun. That's the best part about Hunter Thompson- he may be a psycho but he's OUR psycho, and no matter what degradation of the human psyche he's detailing he still manages to make you laugh and shake your head at the same time.

I first read this book when it came out and it is one of the few books I return to read over the years. Of Thompson's "Best Of's" (he has three "best of" volumes the author titles as "Gonzo Papers"), The Great Shark Hunt is easily the best. The book has very rare articles by the author in his formative years in So. America, as well as his best work from the height of his talent and fame (the 1970s). A good companion piece to "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas" (the author's finest work and recently inducted as a Modern Library piece) and his insider look with "Hells Angels". The man has a mastery of the English language in a simple, flowing, humorous way

Follow Dr. Hunter S. Thompson on his manic trail of drugs, degeneracy, and discovery through the sixties, seventies, and into the eighties, a decade he has labeled the "Generation of Swine." The good Doctor is at it once again, and no one is safe from his hilarious yet amazingly accurate social commentary. Relax and let Thompson fill your body and soul with horrible tales from the death of the American Dream and other demoralizing corners of modern life.

Songs of the Doomed contains Thompson's famous article about the Pulitzer divorce trial, "Bad Craziness in Palm Beach: I Told Her it Was Wrong," which is the summit of ths poignant book. Dr. Thompson delves into a life reserved for the seriously rich. A place where "price tags mean nothing and pampered animals are worshiped openly in churches...the rules are different here, and the people seem to like it that way...there are bizarre trials over money occasionally and hideous scandals like a half-mad 80 year-old heiress trying to marry her teenage Cuban butler."

So relax, enjoy and "Let the good times roll!"

I've been digging the audiobooks version of this book for several years now.Dr.T. is a man who knows his limitations, and so most of the readings are done by people who by standards of technique might be considered better.His own sections are thereby thrown into relief. Repeated listenings of the "Cherokee Park" segment of "Prince Jellyfish" continue to be a revelation of fictional technique. Makes you want to read the whole book."Let The Trials Begin" is primo Thompson.

Great overview of all his work. Mike should buy it now and never look back!

Although not as thrilling as Hell's Angels and not as profound as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, F+L: on the campaign trail '72 does offer a brilliant analysis of the frenzied, unpredictable nature of American politics. With the McGovern/Nixon presidential race as its focus, this book gives the reader an insider's unflinching view of a year out with the candidates as they crisscrossed the USA. Unfortunately, Thompson takes some of the transcribed dialogue sections a bit too far and the inclusion of many irrelevant details was not necessary. The book should have been properly edited and cut down by about 100-150 pages. But having said that, the word for word transcription of an interview with George McGovern near the end of the book is priceless! What insight! The last 20 pages or so - the "Editor's conversation" - is also very good. If any foreigners want an understanding of the American campaign process, THIS IS THE BOOK TO READ. From no one but Thompson will you get such a realistic account. Gonzo journalism at its twisted peak, perhaps. Excessive at times, but worth the time and effort. Thompson's writing is more penetrating and entertaining than that of any tradional political journalist, period. Hell, you've got to give this guy credit. He's an original! The "football conversation" with Richard Nixon in New Hampshire and the "Sheridan"/Jerry Rubin incident on Muskie's Florida train are both hilarious!

Anyone wishing to truly understand the Age of Nixon should have three books in their collection: The Final Days by Woodward 7 Bernstein; The Arrogance of Power: The Secret World of Richard Nixon by Anthony Summers; and Fear & Loathing: On The Campaign Trail '72.

True, in this book Thompson focuses most of his attention and energy on the Democratic primary -- but that primary season was irrevocably shaped by Nixonian politics, and, in any event, Thompson did, surprisingly, manage to spend some time with the Nixon campaign.

F&L:OTCPT'72 provides a jaggedly sharp view of the inner workings of four Democratic campaigns: the primary efforts of Ed Muskie and George Wallas as well as McGovern's equally ill-starred primary and general campaigns. Thompson's writing is remarkably unclouded; he writes as he saw things, holding back no details and pulling no punches. Would that political reporting were always so uncritical and focused!

Of course, as with any Thompson book, this one is not without its moments of gut-busting laughter. The Doktor's savage daydream about convention delegate vote-brokering as well as a episode involving the "Boo-Hoo" -- a drunken maniac who harrassed Senator Ed Muskie during a whistlestop campaign tour of Florida -- are priceless moments of humor.

Thompson was never quite as crazed as he was in this book. Even in "Hell's Angels", Thompson was more of a reporter than a participant in the action. For this reason, F&L:OTCPT'72 is truly Gonzo Journalism at its peak.

Hunter S. Thompson became a self-described political junkie from his days on the 1972 Presidential campaign trail. Unabashedly throwing his support behind Democratic candidate George McGovern, Dr. Thompson takes on a dizzying journey from hotel room to hotel room across the country lauding his man McGovern and railing against his enemy Richard Nixon. The book provides as much detail about Mr. Thompson's activities as they do the campaigns themselves, but hell, Dr. Thompson is alot more interesting. One of the most poignant moments is when Dr. Thompson rides in a limo with his enemy Nixon and they discuss football, which is a passion of both men. Dr. Thompson actually sees some humanity in Nixon and breaks down the facade that Nixon and most politicians erect. He shows a human side to a man who is often looked upon as inhuman. Dr. Thompson still despises him and his views, but by peeling away a layer, he can expose things that lay beneath the surface. For people like myself who were too young to experience this campaign and the times, Fear & Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72 is a brilliant and amazing ride through the times.

This is a collection of letters written from Hunter's Childhood up to his successful Hell's Angels book. The most interesting thing about this book is the immense difficulty he had selling his stories and the desperate poverty in which he lived for years as a struggling writer. I guess like all people I kind of thought that someone this brilliant was just embraced by literary circles, and any problems he had was because he was a drunken, drugged out, crazy freak who upset everyone who tried to help him. This was not the case.
Like many geniuses Hunter was so far ahead of everyone that he had to wait for them to catch up.
The humor is so funny that it almost impossible not to crack up on every page, even in the midst of terrible personal turmoil Hunter was one funny man.
ONE problem, I wish that there were more letters FROM the people he wrote to over the years. Some of the funniest moments were the letters he received from people over the years. More of those exchanges would have helped and made the book much more interesting. That is why it is not 5 stars. It is still worth reading. Especially if you want to be a writer.

Perhaps, as Hunter Thompson suggests in The Proud Highway, people really do take more of a liking to his letters and not his serious work. This statement is easily endorsed by the fine contents that surround it. This is the perfect book for a typical Thompson fan, a collection of eccentric one plus page letters that suit a person with a short attention span. His sylistic prose is best received in short bursts, such as essays, articles, and letters. The letter format also allows us to see the evolution and experimentation Thompson has endured in his life. This pre-gonzo collection is Thompson as himself, not the "Raoul Duke" character he has personified in the past. While Hunter seems incapable of writing anything unautobiographical, the fact remains he is far more qualified to tell this story than any hack biographer seeking to romanticize and sensationalize Thompson's myth for a profit. The Proud Highway tells Thompson's story in a much more engaging fashion than the biographies, though there is no lack of effort and emulation in any of these books. This book should be required reading for aspiring authors.

I have just got through reading this collection of Letters and found it to be worthwhile reading. I received the book as a gift and was not aware of a Fear and Loathing Letters Volume. I found this to be a highway of following (if anyone possibly could) and watching Thompson grow as a writer. While at the Air Force Base working as an editor of the Sports Section, he wrote to his family and friends as well as ex-girlfriends. Probably because he was away from home for the first time.

As the years go on the more this book became more interesting. Between following all over this country we follow him to South America were some of his best articles came from. I have read Hell's Angels and The Great Shark Hunt and found this to tie in with those books. Through his consumption of Old Crow and god only knows what else, we see letters to LBJ, various magazine editors, and Mr. Semonin and start to see the Hunter we all know and love to come out. The thing that makes him "likeable" is his blunt honesty, since he calls them as he sees them. He is intelligent and knows a lot about everything. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read Thompson!

If anything this book offers a chance to see what makes this amazing mind tick!

Wow .... what an interesting read. From the beginning paragraph to the end it is one of the most convoluted books I have ever read. This book really is "A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream." Thompson and his "attourney" do so many drugs in this book, you would think that they were madmen. However, on this strange trip it's is Thompson's madness that carries him through his dangerous adventures, it's almost like a catch 22. I would recommend this book to anyone that is mature enough for the contents. Thompson may be no "Hemingway," but he has a knack of giving us a different perspective, as valid as it is skewed. Perhaps this is key, to understand and survive in a mixed up world one must be mixed up. Thompson's brilliant imagination (or perhaps reality) will propel you right through the book which is easy 1 or 2 day read. Have fun with it.

Hunter S Thompson's journey to find the American dream and consume as many ilicit substances as possible on the way is a fantastic, exciting and classic read through the drug hazed mind of Thompson.

He is heading to Las Vegas to cover the "Mint 400", a motorbike race where there is more desert dust than media story. Armed with a boot-full of drugs and his aggressive, slightly crazed Samoan lawyer Dr Gonzo, they rocket across the highway in their "great red shark" convertible in search of the fabled American Dream.

Thompson's graphically acurate descriptions of their drug binge across the buzzing lights and sounds of Vegas are truly remarkable and funny. He pokes fun at what is deemed the dream as they fraud their way through two 5* hotels and encounter many other fun and perilous adventures on the way. My favourite parts (the whole book is full of them) are when they pick up the hitchhiker, the bath scene with "White Rabbit" (a Jefferson Airplane song), the police anti-drug rally and the scene before entering and inside the Circus Circus casino.

A truly wacked out and crazy adventure story through the eyes of an original hippie tripper, whose analysis and derision of things around him is delivered in a fun and insightful manner. A thoroughly enjoyable read; laugh along at this audacious adventure. If you have seen the movie, you will enjoy the book; if you have read the book you will enjoy the movie. A mirror of each other...a total classic!

Never have I read a book anywhere near as intriguing as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Hunter S. Thompson takes us through his drug-crazed reporting trip to Las Vegas where he was sent to take account of the year's Mint 400, a world famous off-road race, with his slightly more demented attorney Dr. Gonzo. Whether or not you are an avid drug user in no way affects your ability to enjoy this novel.

Thompson wastes no time getting into his story, especially from the novel's famous first line, "We were somewhere over the desert near Barstow when the drugs began to take hold." He manages to keep the reader's attention with his very human and detailed writing style, and doesn't let go. Though the story itself is very demented and deranged, his unique style alone makes the book a good read. He is never confusing and gets his point across smoothly, no matter how far off the subject he may be. Not that he writes about matters as time-tested as Shakespear or Hemingway, but in some obscure way I compare Thompson to these greats just because his intriguing ability to channel his thoughts directly to the reader.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone. Either you will love it or you will hate it.