Hunter S. Thompson's research on the Hell's Angels involved more than a year of close association with the outlaws - riding, loafing, plotting and eventually being stomped. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, he began writing as a sports columnist in Florida. He has worked on newspapers and magazines, becoming South American correspondent for the National Observer. His other books include Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, 1972 and The Great Shark Hunt.
'There are only two adjectives writers care about any more - brilliant and outrageous - and Hunter has a freehold on both of them.' Tom Wolfe 'The first rock-star writer' Guardian