Book Description
"California, Labor Day weekend . . . early, with ocean fog still in the streets, outlaw motorcyclists wearing chains, shades and greasy Levis roll out from damp garages, all-night diners and cast-off one-night pads in Frisco, Hollywood, Berdoo and East Oakland, heading for the Monterey peninsula, north of Big Sur. . . The Menace is loose again." Thus begins Hunter S. Thompson's vivid account of his experiences with California's most no-torious motorcycle gang, the Hell's Angels. In the mid-1960s, Thompson spent almost two years living with the controversial An-gels, cycling up and down the coast, reveling in the anarchic spirit of their clan, and, as befits their name, raising hell. His book successfully captures a singular moment in American history, when the biker lifestyle was first defined, and when such countercultural movements were electrifying and horrifying America. Thompson, the creator of Gonzo journalism, writes with his usual bravado, energy, and brutal honesty, and with a nuanced and incisive eye; as The New Yorker pointed out, "For all its uninhibited and sardonic humor, Thompson's book is a thoughtful piece of work." As illuminating now as when originally published in 1967, Hell's Angels is a gripping portrait, and the best account we have of the truth behind an American legend.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
A Classic Account of a Classic Period.......2007-07-16
As a ripe young 16 year old, discovering the post beatnik era that was blossoming into the hippie era, this account of life with the Angels was hypnotic, gripping, and even influencial on my impressionable mind. As boorish, surly, dangerous and unpredictable as they were the Angels Thompson portrays were perversely attractive to many 60's youth who wondered what kind of life they might want to persue if they, in fact, failed in straight society.
This is a classic account of the Angel's during their classic period when they came of age in the mind of the world. Thompson's chapter "The Making of the Menace" could more aptly be called today 'The Making of the Legend"
An absolute must read.
This is my 3rd copy..........2007-05-12
I just purchased my 3rd copy of this book...I've given two copies away.
Very intersting reading!!!
Hell's Angels.......2007-03-31
started out good, then turned in to a whiny account of author complaing about not being treated right by the Angels.
On the road with the Angels.......2007-03-17
I'm a great Hunter S Thompson fan, and have read all of his books. Although "Hell's Angels" was his first book, it would be the last one, that I got around to reading. I was used to his later, gonzo style, of writing so I was actually expecting this to be more of the same. But it was not. He seems more objective and a bit more conventional in this volume, than in his later work. He is still biased, but not to the same degree as he would become later. Also he keeps his long rantings about everything and nothing with no connection whatsoever to his main subjects to a minimum.
He is still very eloquent and writes in an interesting way, just more sober. A bit like Tom Wolfe or such.
I'm not particularly interested in the subject of Hell's Angels or bikers, but I enjoyed this look into a culture that seldom lets in outsiders. Also it gives some contrast to the image the Hell's Angels have these days. Very interesting and highly recommendable.
DOCTOR THOMPSON LEARNS HIS TRADE.......2007-02-08
As Thompson aficionados are probably aware Hell's Angels is Hunter's first real foray into the sustained writing that would make us smile or be provoked to call for his head on a platter for the next forty years. Although the text clearly demonstrates that this is not a piece of `gonzo' journalism, as it later came to be known, one can see the outline of where he could be heading in this book on probably the most famous outlaw motorcycle gang in American history. The line between Thompson the reporter and Thompson the participant is still fairly clear but one can see just enough sympathy with the subject matter of his book to see where he might be heading. His major `gonzo' work and most famous book Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas thus did not just come out of the blue.
And what of the subject matter of his book, the infamous Hell's Angels that in my youth my mother warned me against incessantly? As noted above Hunter gained a grudging sympathy for them during his yearlong experience in and around their hangouts and their nefarious various doings in Northern California. Some of the antics that they were involved in like their `robust' partying in natural settings and scaring the `squares' seem a little dated, and juvenile. Their gratuitous violence, however, seems rather too familiar.
The more sociological aspects of their marginal social existence is far more interesting and Thompson does a good job of identifying the post-World War II American times that gave rise to such self-defining outcasts. This phenomenon enters the books as one of the outcomes that occur when the Turner thesis on the effects of the end of the frontier and land's end get fleshed out in sunny California. While these men, and they were almost exclusively white Anglo-Saxon men (the women involved with them are a separate and in some ways more interesting question although in the book a marginal one), came from mainly working class backgrounds the details provided by Thompson portrays a classic lumpenproletarian milieu. Thus, politics, protest or allegiance to other organizations meant nothing to them. Forget all that intellectual gibberish, it was about the bikes, man. Dr. Freud can read what he wants into that. Dr. Thompson gives it to us straight.
Book Description
The inside story of the ATF's infiltration of the Hell's Angels, one of the most notorious and violent outlaw motorcycle gangs in history.
Customer Reviews:
Couldn't wait to put it down........2007-09-09
After having read "Under and Alone", which was a well written and fascinating read, "Running with the Devil" was an utter disappointment. "RwtD" read more like a script to a B grade movie rather than an account of actual events. Save your money...
MC Club?.......2007-08-05
This doesn't sound like a "club" to me. Good book. Under and Alone by William Queen is a 5 star book on this subject.
M
Sonny Barger once boasted the Hells Angels would never be infiltrated.......2007-08-04
Sonny Barger once boasted the Hells Angels would never be infiltrated - but the ATF sting proved him wrong, with undercover agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives penetrating the mystique and clan. The author's access to confidential information allows her to follow ATF special agent Joseph Slatalla as he originates the idea and injects an ATF agent named Bird into the Hells Angels chapter. Bird's work would lead to the arrest of 50 people and seizure of some 650 guns: RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE ATF'S INFILTRATION OF THE HELLS ANGELS tells how in a riveting account which reads with the drama of fiction and will mesmerize general-interest readers at the public library level.
Not bad. An easy read that leaves some questions..................2007-07-24
I wasn't sure I should order this book after I read the reviews. But, I did and overall it was a good book. Yes, it does have some errors, like calling the Nazi Low Riders a biker gang. (They are a white, prison based street gang) But, those are few and forgivable.
The book does a good job of showing the difficulty in running what by its' nature has to be a mostly, "Seat of the pants," operation with the strings being controlled by a huge Goverment agency. Not a recipe for success, but the agents in Operation Black Biscuit did the best they could with what they had. The book did a good job of showing this to the reader.
I have a unique perspective on the biker subculture, crime, and society in that I was raised around bikers and biker gangs, yet today I am a 20 year Law Enforcement veteran. I have seen those bikers that lived the life, but actually were good people. But, most I met were out to take what they could get, as cheap as they could, even if someone else was victimized. This book showed that, even when the "victim" was another gang/club member. What a way to treat, I mean "honor" a fellow member.
In the end Operation Black Biscuit did not get the type of convictions you would think. And, many in the biker subculture are quick to point this out. I would like to have seen more info in the book on the who, what, when, where and why that happened. The popular answer is because of over zealous, sloppy, power happy Goverment agents and the agencies they represent. But, the answer is not that easy. The answer lies in the fabric of our society itself, in that how do you play by the rules established in the name of fairness in order to take down those who claim to not play by our rules. Just once, we should do it according to their rules.
This, and any other book about the biker subculture that I have read always will raise the question of why do those who claim to be wanting to live life outside of the everyday rules of society, quickly hide behind those same rules when they are applied to them ? Ex- Hells Angel turned informant Anthony Tait posed that question in his book, but nobody has really delved into it. If you think this isn't true, just try to use their copyrighted logo.
So, overall the book was fun andd interesting to read and it is well worth the time and money that I invested. However, it and other books like it leave questions that I think need to be answered. Not just because we need to effectively deal with those in the biker subculture who victimize the innocent (not all do), but because I would find it interesting to read about.
Inaccurate.......2007-07-13
I read this book.. Very poorly written, nothing new. Author, it is my opinion that you failed to do any independent research. I would expect more neutral coverage by an ATF agent. Your offbase allegations about the HA's as violent is just not factual based.
Book Description
Narrated by the visionary founding member, Hell's Angel provides a fascinating all-access pass to the secret world of the notorious Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club. Sonny Barger recounts the birth of the original Oakland Hell's Angels and the four turbulent decades that followed. Hell's Angel also chronicles the way the HAMC revolutionized the look of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle and built what has become a worldwide bike-riding fraternity, a beacon for freedom-seekers the world over.
Dozens of photos, including many from private collections and from noted photographers, provide visual documentation to this extraordinary tale. Never simply a story about motorcycles, colorful characters, and high-speed thrills, Hell's Angel is the ultimate outlaw's tale of loyalty and betrayal, subcultures and brotherhood, and the real price of freedom.
Customer Reviews:
Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club.......2007-07-19
I bought this book for my brother-in-law. So I had to ask him what he thought. He told me how much he enjoyed the book. So buy this book for anybody that is a biker or a biker at heart.
Best of Angels.......2007-04-30
I've read just about every Hells Angels book out there and this is by far the most interesting and easiest to follow.
"IF YOU THINK YOU'RE TOUGH INSULT A BIKER".......2007-02-17
A first hand and personal look into the life of a Hell's Angel.Where better to find out what the Hell's Angels are all about than from a founding member ,the President for many,many years and who has been in the center of the organization for 40 years. There is nothing he doesn't know about the organization since he was there through it all,and had a hand in everything that happened.
There has been much written and much coverage in the media over the years,some of it true but a lot of it pure fiction and legend.From reading this book ,you'll come to the conclusion,that by and large ,the fiction and legend is heavily slanted towards putting the Hell's Angles in as bad a light as possible.
More often than not,when violence erupted,it was started by law enforcement,town officials or other club riders who decided to hassle or take on the Hell's Angels. These people soon found out that their actions would not be tolerated and the Hell's Angels would stand by their own,to the end and if others wanted to " take them on " it was their choice. When the smoke cleared ,the media and police would alwys blame the riders.
The clubs were made up of men who were independent to a fault, to everything except the loyalty to each other,and the rules of the club. You learn that you didn't decide if you wanted to join,the club decided ;and either you obeyed or you were gone.The Hell's Angel's were tough men,who lived hard ,who gave no quarter and asked for none.
In all the years I've seen groups of Riders on the highway,I have always found them very courteous and well behaved.In later years, there seems to be a lot in the media about their illegal activities such as drugs;but everyone knows there is a lot of that,it's a tough business,of territorial disputes,beatings and killing;but there's a lot of people involved other than Moror Cycle clubs.Heck! even law enforcement and other officials turn up on the wrong side on those issues.
Some people get nervous with the sight of a group of Riders ;but if you give them respect,I don't expect they will give you any trouble.
As a personal experience,several years ago,I was attending a big outdoor event of Country Music.David Allan Coe was one of the star performers and everything was going very well.There were a lot of security types around that gave the impression that they'd just love to take you on if you dare get out of line.In other words,almost hoping something would happen,so they could "move in". Well,about an hour before David Allan Coe was to appear ,a large group of Motorcycle Club members arrived.I can't remember what club they were;Hell's Angels,Satan's Choice,Outlaws or whatever. The crowd seemed to get nervous and many even moved back and probably a few left. I noticed they drove their big machines into the parking area ,all in one spot,dismounted,took off their expensive helmets and simply sat them on their bike seats ;then proceeded to the concert. I did,however, notice several uniformed police officers (not the security personnel) remained in the parking area. It was obvious,that noboby was going to mess with thir "stuff". Coe came on,did his show,the Bikers and Women enjoyed the concert,and were very well behaved.A lot of them had a knife on their belts
(but never took them out),several smoked,and many were even friendly with the crowd.When Coe finished, the Riders had seen what they had come to see,everyone enjoyed themselves,and they got up and left very orderly.The next act came on and the concert continued as if they had never been there.The only thing thst changed was a lot of music fans obtained a different feeling for these people than they had developed from the media.
Of course,there,s a lot of people who would not like their lifestyle,but that's their problem,not the Bikers.
Of course,they break laws,so do a lot of businessmen,politicians and others.When they get caught,they pay in spades,as Sonny did,that can't be said of many other types of lawbreakers.
You will also find a lot of comments on other movies and books about the Hell's Angles but I found the contrast in what Sonny had to say about Hunter S Thompson ,and the reviewers comments on his book on the Angles ,very interesting.
A great read if you want to know what the Hell's Angles are all about.
Take The Patch & Scratch.......2007-01-13
Sonny Barger's tales are Slurs of Confabulations, False Recollections, Fuzzy Logics, basics of "FMS" (False Memory Syndrome). Sonny Barger demonstrates a "Limitless Capacity for Denail" therefore Distorting His Own Statements from Yesteryear. Mr. Barger was evidently under the impression, by placing his name upon a book that the reading public would be sensationalized into the Illusion Barger's some sort of an American Hero, Hardly. Mr. Barger speaks of Brotherhood & Freedom; Never Defining either. (Brotherhood was betrayal of silence after the RICO Trial. Freedom was before Barger's First Conviction, since he has never known real freedom.) All too-much in Barger's Book can be refuted by its mere statements. This book was obviously just put together for money and cover-ups. Publisher should have included an airsickness bag with each book. 10% of a book that covers over 40-years of Hells Angels History was spent taking cheap shots at the Government, over the RICO Trail 1979/1980. This was a Gamble by the Publisher, too-many have known otherwise. Publisher changing the title would help. (Hell's Angel: The Lies and Crimes of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club)
An interesting memoir and lifestory. .......2006-12-31
Love him or hate him, Sonny Barger has one interesting story to tell. In this book he chronicles his life as a child being kicked out of school for hitting the principal, the beginnings of his life on a motorcycle, the creation phase of what would become the Hell's Angels motorcycle club, his legal battles, prison time, and other related Hell's Angels stuff.
Sonny Barger is quite a writer, and this book is a well written look at an era in history of when the Hell's Angels ruled the biker world with an iron fist. You will not read another book like this, and you need not have an extensive education on the Hell's Angels to understand this book. While it's somewhat shocking, it has a lot of entertainment value and even some inspiration here and there.
Book Description
A woman named Cynthia Garcia is stabbed to death and dumped in the Arizona desert after partying at a Hells Angels clubhouse in Arizona; three bullet-ridden bodies of bikers turn up in a river in Holland; a retired policeman is killed when his car is bombed in Australia. Meanwhile, the world’s most famous Hells Angel, Sonny Barger, is feted by the media on his global book tour. Angels of Death takes readers to Arizona, inside the biggest American police undercover operation to infiltrate the bikers; to British Columbia, Canada, where wealthy bikers dominate the organized crime pyramid; to Australia where the “bikies” shoot-it-out with police; to Curaçao where terrorist organizations funnel drugs to Dutch bikers; and to the streets of Oslo, Copenhagen, and Helsinki where a murderous biker war saw rocket attacks and bombs turn Scandinavia into a war zone.
While the media has continued to toast the Hells Angel icon Sonny Barger as an American legend, the facts tell another story — they are America’s major crime export. With an estimated 2,500 full-patch members in 25 countries, the Hells Angels have inspired a global subculture of biker gangs that are among the most feared and violent underworld players.
Customer Reviews:
Riveting and Dangerous.......2007-07-08
The Angels of Death is riveting book about the Hells Angels quest for global domination. Reads like a thriller where the most exciting part is about ATF's undercover operation. Well recommended and hard to put down.
Angels of Death: Inside the Biker Gangs' Crime Empire.......2007-03-31
good account of the Hells Angels activity, related in an entertaining manner.
Angels of Death: Inside the Biker Gangs' Crime Empire.......2007-01-04
This is a great book - -there are a lot of facts so it isn't an easy read but very interesting just the same!
Yeah, but it's a solid 4 stars!.......2006-11-23
If this is your kinda subject matter, you'll dig it! I couldn't put it down, eventhough there's alotta names and dates, and this baby is global in coverage, it'll captivate ya. Exciting and in-depth, it's a ride from cover to cover. On par with the other Canadian OMG authors, both in depth of content, and their tendency to believe in known fallacies with mythical proportion, eh! I woulda thrown up a firm five, but they hadta print the rubbish. Still pretty damn good though.
Angels of Death.......2006-07-31
I bought this book for my boyfriend and he said he could not put it down - when I awoke the next day he was still in the living room reading!
Average customer rating:
- Visions Beyond the Vail
- Essential read!
- Inspiring and confiming
- Visions Beyond the Veil
- Visions Beyong the Veil
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Visions Beyond the Veil: Visions of Heaven, Angels, Satan, Hell and the End of the Age
H. A. Baker
Manufacturer: Whitaker House
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ASIN: 0883687860 |
Book Description
Originally published many years ago, this outstanding book, now revised, is still fresh and challenging to us today. It tells the story of a group of children—mostly street beggars and orphans—living in the Adullam Rescue Mission in Yunan Province, China, under the care of missionaries H. A. Baker and his wife —the grandparents of Rolland Baker, founder of IRIS Ministries in Mozambique.
These children experienced an immense and incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit—so great that they literally "experienced Heaven" through visions, were aware of the presence of angels, and were able to describe in great detail what they saw. The result of these experiences of God was fervent passion for worship, the Word of God, and prayer.
Customer Reviews:
Visions Beyond the Vail.......2007-09-19
My wife and I found this book to be very exciting as it depicts how orphan children in China where provided with a home in an orphanage; how they were fed and clothes and taken care of. This - in and of itself - is a dynamic testimony of how Jesus Christ brings victory into the lives of these children. However, their experience of seeing visions and dreams of Heaven, of God, of Jesus and of angels is one to be envied. We strongly encourage you to read this book. You will not be able to put it down.
Sincerely, Rev. Richard and Holly Lang
Essential read!.......2007-09-01
This is an essential read for those who want more of God.
Story of these Chinese orphans who experience a radical outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The book documents their experiences and visions which will stretch your brain and wreck your heart.
It's a short read that should be in all believers libraries.
Inspiring and confiming.......2007-08-26
I rate this book very high as it offers hope for the Christian and even greater hope for the Christian missionaries. H.A. Baker's journal account of what the children in his orphanage experienced just confirms many of the testimonies of others in different parts of the world, even as recent as 2007. God is alive and He still reigns! Books like Visions Beyone the Veil are inspiring to motivate anyone with a desire, to Ask, Seek and Knock knowing that God will answer, you will find and He will open the door to understanding.
Visions Beyond the Veil.......2007-05-12
EXCELLENT.....10 Stars. If one reads with thirst for the Truth, with an open mind, the reader will be excited as they read through this non-fictional account of the experiences of a missionary and his wife to China in the early 1900s. If the reader has wondered what Heaven will truly be like, to read the spiritual accounts, experiences through the eyes of simple, x-street children, will bring the reader joy and encouragement. The accounts of what the children were seeing regarding Hades, will also encourage and motivate the Christian reader to be an active witness for Christ daily.
Visions Beyong the Veil.......2007-03-09
Awesome eye opener. If you're hungry to know more of the ways God deals with us here on earth, don't miss this one. I've met the Bakers on a mission trip to Mozambique & know them to to be very strong, hard working missionaries that you can trust. They love Jesus and the kids and it comes through when reading this book, how true they are to the calling God has given them.
Book Description
The Hell's Angels. The name conjures up images of toughs on Harleys terrorizing the law-abiding; of wild brawls and wild sex; of drugs and cruelty, beatings, and even murder. Their lifestyle, we think, is horrifying, but it's also perversely fascinating, for there's an alluring freedom in such nihilism. Still, nobody knows what it's like to be an Angel except an Angel-an Angel like George Wethern, for many years the vice president of the Oakland Chapter.
Until he found himself in reluctant service to the courts, Wethern was the quintessential Angel, tough as they come, one of the most important drug dealers on the West Coast-a man who loved bikes, fights, women, and drugs; a man who knew the deepest secrets of Angel life. Arrested, strung out on drugs, in despair, he testified in several major trials against Angel members-and then went into hiding.
In A Wayward Angel, we witness killings, drug deals worth millions, "picnics" that are nothing short of orgies, the inner codes and inner workings of the club and its bizarre initiation rites. It is a vivid portrait of the chaos of postwar California, the awful early collision of the drug scene and the alienation of modern life, a story as American as can be. This is a powerful book, and not for the squeamish; but it's fascinating and important, terrifying because it's real.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting Read.......2007-06-08
I heard of most of the people he talked about. A little too much about him and not "them." But after all, it is an auto-biography, isn't it?
Very interesting.......2007-05-14
An interesting read, i see other reviews that think it isnt, but this was the thrid book i have read on the subject and i found it insightful, the glory days of the hells angela are what interest me the most and this book details them well. Worth a read for sure.
Just some what pleased.......2007-05-10
Old info about club. Club doesn't operate that way any more.
A Waste of Money and Time.......2006-05-22
Let me save you the money and time of buying and reading this book. Here it is.....I was an Angel; I used, bought, and sold drugs; I got caught and squeeled on my brothers......Thats about all this book says. It's a waste.
Not great, but worth a look.......2006-05-14
George Wethern may appear to be "coming clean" in this book, but just like in every book written by ex-OMG'ers, the bravado as he describes his days with the HAMC is a bit of a turn-off. As Sonny Barger used to say, "Why do they lie about us? The truth is bad enough." Well, neither Sonny nor George seems capable of just laying it out there for us to see in some un-trumped-up manner. At least Sonny's books don't purport to be tell-alls. What is Wethern's excuse?
This book really fell apart at the end. Wethern took a wrong turn. Rather than talking at length about the details of his cooperation with authorities, and his feelings about his "ex-brothers" as well as their feelings for him, he spends little time on it. Instead, we are treated to page upon page of trailer park-esque writings between him and his wife. Who cares?
I also believe that the book was not particularly well edited.
Still, this is sort of a landmark writing because it blows a little lustre off the mystique, and there is not a lot out there by ex-insiders that purports to tell any truth. I do recommend "Under and Alone" by William Queen if you want a little more honesty about what it's like "inside."
As for Wethern's being a "rat", the people in question were all criminals to some degree anyway, so why get hung up on that? I do like the brotherhood aspect of OMGs and I am not particularly fond of rats, but there are reasons why George turned. Wethern was not the only one to not live up to the "brotherhood" ideal.
Customer Reviews:
Yves. Again!.......2007-08-16
This is sort of a weird book. Yves starts the book writing in the style of a wannabe Hunter S. Thompson and then decides that he may as well just start "writing". I would say that the abrupt transition starts in maybe the first 80 pages.
I believe that Yves Lavigne is probably the most knowledgeable author in the world about the major motorcycle clubs, other than insiders like Barger (or even Wethern) or undercovers like Queen or Dobyns (through authors), or in-touch contacts like Thompson.
But Yves has some sort of agenda that makes him report every myth and fantasy that has EVER been posited as if it is a FACT. It doesn't take long to tire of this book if you have read everything else, because you have to believe, based upon acquired knowledge, that 30% of what he says is suspect, at best.
I respect Lavigne for his obviously superior knowledge of the topic as a whole. But read every other account and determine for yourself if he has some personal agenda, even if it is as simple as money.
Lame but not all bad.......2007-01-19
The guy that wrote this book was really trying to show how cool he is. I mean the the way he wrote it was over the top. You can tell he was trying to prove something. I have read Sonny's book and others and they much better written.
This guy skips around, repeats things he's previously talked about in the book. And the way he talks to the reader is just crude. I mean, sure he's dealing with a rough subject, but come on, use better english.
And I know what I am talking about. I lived the underground life for many years. I knew people like this, and this writer is someone who has never lived this life. He writes like a person who has never been around the people he is writing about.
This book is an over the top, stereotypical view of the big red machine written by a total sidewalk commando, or rather keyboard commando.
This book could have been a much better or clearer view of the HA than it is, but the writer's crude "trying to prove how cool I am" vocabulary, unfocused chapter organization, and other poor writing errors make this book a real dud. I'm still reading it, it's not so horrible that I put it down, but it came close.
This book should have never been published the way it is. The publisher should be ashamed.
If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand..........2007-01-10
Long live the Big Red Machine! 8181818181818181818181.......
I had a personal inside view into that world in my teens........2006-10-27
I grew up in the the near west suburbs of Chicago from 55-73, when we moved to DuPage County. There were 2 large biker gangs in the Lyons,IL area called the Chicago Outlaws and the Hells Henchmen. I knew several of the Outlaws as acquaintances, there were a few members who I had casually met that were not very nice and I was afraid of them. One member of the Outlaws was my best friends boyfriends older brother, John Klimes. He was always very nice to both me and my girlfriend whenever we saw him. He was murdered in McCook, IL in 1981. There was a huge biker funeral for him and it was on the local news. They never arrested anyone for his murder,but rumor has it that they wanted to kill both John and his girlfriend. His girlfriend worked at a local strip club, Michael's Magic Touch, she could placed the head of the Outlaws as the last person seen with a young woman the night before she was found dead in Busse Woods. There was also speculation that the head of the Outlaws was afraid that John was going to take over the Outlaws Lyons chapter. The talk around town at the time was that "they" were trying to kill both John and his girlfriend. A bomb was planted under John's Bronco and when he went over train tracks in McCook,IL it exploded killing him, his girlfriend was not in the vehicle at the time. I was saddened at John's death because he had always been very nice to me and came to my defense when one of the bikers was threatening me. During the news footage I discovered he had been under surveillance by the FBI for drugs trafficing, prostitution and other illegal activites. That side of him I had never seen. His younger brother was anti-drugs and a very nice guy, we did not meet him until he came home from Vietman in 70-71. John "Burrito" Klimes murder has never been solved. If you go the the McCook Police department website, the open murder is posted there. This book filled in some of the information I was not aware of. Interesting read!
fascinating........2006-09-12
Pretty good read, it did repeat the info quite a bit over and over.
But still a very good look into the lives of the Biker gang.
Book Description
Walter Stadnick is not an imposing man. At five-foot-four, his face and arms scarred by fire in a motorcycle accident, he would not spring to mind as a leader of Canada's most notorious biker gang, the Hells Angels. yet through sheer guts and determination, intelligence and luck, this Hamilton-born youth who had the nickname of "Nurget" rose in the Hells Angels ranks to become national president. Not only did he lead the Angels through the violent war with their rivals the rock machine in Montreal in the Nineties, Stadnick saw opportunity to grow the Hells Angels into a national criminal gang. he was a visionary—and a highly successful one.
Bikers are not known for their fondness for rival gangs. Stadnick and the Angels fought and defeated rival gangs, or used power of persuasion to patch them over. As Stadnick's influence spread, law enforcement took notice of the growing presence of the Angels in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. However, Stadnick's success did not come without a price. Arrested and charged with 13 counts of first-degree murder, stadnick beat the murder charges but was convicted of gangsterism and is currently serving time.
Fallen Angel details one man's improbable rise to power in one of the world's most violent organizations, while shedding light on how this enigmatic and dangerous biker gang operated and why it remains so powerful.
Customer Reviews:
Fallen Angel: The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick and the Canadian Hells Angels.......2007-06-08
good book with great, little known info about the Angels and there members
Boring.......2006-11-05
I knew Nurget and had the pleasure of riding with him in the mid 70's when I lived in Hamilton. He was a fun, smart and happy guy. I was surprised that he made such a name for himself. Langton seems to jump around throughout the whole book, leaving the reader confused at times. Perhaps he could have got some help writing the book from a real writer. It is obvious he sides with the police authorities, giving a very one sided view of the biker lifestyle. He has made several errors pertaining to the biker culture and some of the events that took place.
Horseshit..........2006-09-02
Not only is the author a bad writer.....jumping from timeline to time line...not able to tell a story in order.....he tries to pose the Hell's Angels as the bad guys. Anyone with a solid head on their shoulders will see thru his rhetoric and realize HA is a stand up orginization that takes care of business like any normal person would. The crimes they were accused of, weren't crimes at all......they were simply the exercising of human rights against agressors that would try to deny said so rights......in fact in the entire book, i found no fault with the Angel's actions, and applaud them for their efforts.
facts and names lacking storytelling.......2006-07-27
The author have gone though a great deal to find the facts in hundreds of events during many years. He covers hundreds of people. Hundreds of crimes and killings. He could have picked a few events, clubs or people and written their full story. Instead the book hops between people and clubs, between centuries and continents like a school book. Theres no story, but namedropping enough to confuse anyone. Stadnik is one of hundreds of figures skidding though events, none of them with depth. People are shot and stabbed, but you find it difficult to care, since none is in the book for more than a page, and you dont get to know them. It feels disorganised. If it was in cronical order, or at least with chapter names reveiling what every chapter will cover it would be easier. Perhaps its interesting and understandable for the surviving few who were there. If your looking for facts its fine, but its too packed with facts for me. I need a story.
Disturbing Errors for an .......2006-06-15
This book provides a lot of information on Walter Stadnick and the Canadian Hells Angels along with information on lesser clubs in Canada. The author, Jerry Langton, however, has made numerous disturbing errors in reporting on certain aspects of the Hells Angels and other clubs. Langton reports on page 26 that prospective members (prospects) are awarded the top rocker (Hells Angels) along with the center patch. Langton then states that the prospects recive the bottom rocker which identifies the chapter's geographical location upon earning full membership. THE OPPISITE IS TRUE for the Hells Angels and ALL OTHER CLUBS! It is hard to believe that Lanfton could make such an obvious error in his writing.
Langton goes on to say that newly minted members are forced to endure a ritualistic ceremony wherein [...] ect.... are spewed on the colors (patched vest) and that the new member is forbidden to wash it. This is absoulutely untrue. No Hells Angel would desecrate the patch and show such disrespect. The fact that Langton would believe and further this myth is a statement to his lack of knowledge.
Also, on page 224, langton refers to the Outlaws patch having a Deaths Head center refered to as "Charlie." This is true of the Hells Angels. The Outlaws center patch is a pair of crossed pistons. I would suggest that the next time langton writes a book, he should have someone with knowledge of the subject matter proof-read his work.
Book Description
The shocking confession of a five-time murderer
When I arrived at the restaurant, my boss gave me a wad of $20 bills, which amounted to some $2,000. He was acting as though money was burning a hole in his pockets. But this suited me fine. Melou often acted that way. He didn’t want me to run out of money. A happy killer is a productive killer.…
When he was fifteen years old, Serge Quesnel started hanging out in strip bars and committing minor thefts and burglaries. He soon became known to the police. He learned more about crime when he served time, first in a detention centre, and then later in the infamous Donnacona federal penitentiary. On his release, he was ready to realize his true ambition, to become a confederate of the Hells Angels.
To achieve this ambition, he set out to prove that he could hurt, maim, and kill people efficiently and without a qualm. His first murder victim was a drug dealer who was giving the local Angels chapter trouble. He and a friend beat the dealer to a pulp and then calmly wiped the crime scene clean of fingerprints. The Angels were impressed. He moved to Trois-Rivières and became a full-time enforcer.
Quesnel, having now “sold out” to the authorities and assumed a new identity, tells his story of violence and betrayal in chilling detail to Quebec journalist, Pierre Martineau. The resulting chronicle is a modern crime classic.
Customer Reviews:
I Was a Killer for the Hells Angles: The Story of Serger Quesnal.......2005-09-30
Not such a hot book. I would read other books on the subject.
sing loud and cash the check.......2005-02-23
A rat is a rat......is a rat. I guess this guy and others like him (see Henry Hill and Sammy the Bull) feel if they can make some money getting average citizens to read about their exploits maybe they can justify (to themselves) their betrayal of their friends and brothers. You'd be wise to save your money and not make these kinds any richer...especially one like this who is short on details when it comes to his association with the Angels. In my opinion he only used their name to help sell the book. Don't bother. Read Sonny's instead.
Money making scheme for author.......2004-08-08
Very poor insight into the Red and White which is why I bought the book.Comes across as a wannabe who could'nt cut it when the going got tough.
I was a killer for the Hells Angels: The Story of Serge.......2004-01-17
Not a very good or entertaining book. More of a ramblimg egomaniac's diary. The book did not contain much detail on the events and jumped around way too much. He tries to make himself into a heavy and when it got hot he turned.
Don't waste your time............2003-11-08
I thought this book would give a better insight into the world of the HA, but I came away disappointed. Quesnel's story is interesting and controversial, but I don't think his story reveals enough details.
Book Description
The Quebec-chartered
Customer Reviews:
Pointless and rambling........2007-06-28
Nothing new here. Tossed it in the trash can after 75 pages of dizzying detail.
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