Fear and Loathing in America : The Brutal Odyssey of an Outlaw Journalist, 1968-1976

by Hunter S. Thompson; Douglas Brinkley; David Halberstam

• ISBN13: 9780684873152
• ISBN10: 068487315X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-12-13
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary

Brazen, incisive, and outrageous as ever, Hunter S. Thompson is back with another astonishing volume of his private correspondence, the highly anticipated follow-up toThe Proud Highway.When that first book of letters appeared in 1997,Timepronounced it "deliriously entertaining";Rolling Stonecalled it "brilliant beyond description"; andThe New York Timescelebrated its "wicked humor and bracing political conviction."Spanning the years between 1968 and 1976, these never-before-published letters show Thompson building his legend: running for sheriff in Aspen, Colorado; creating the seminal road bookFear and Loathing in Las Vegas;twisting political reporting to new heights forRolling Stone;and making sense of it all in the landmarkFear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72.To read Thompson's dispatches from these years -- addressed to the author's friends, enemies, editors, and creditors, and such notables as Jimmy Carter, Tom Wolfe, and Kurt Vonnegut -- is to read a raw, revolutionary eyewitness account of one of the most exciting and pivotal eras in American history.Provocative and revealing,Fear and Loathing in Americacements Hunter S. Thompson's reputation as one of the great literary and cultural icons of our time -- the only man alive to have ridden with both the Hell's Angels and Richard Nixon.

Author Biography

Hunter S. Thompson's books include Hell's Angels, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72, The Proud Highway, Better Than Sex, Screwjack, and The Rum Diary. A regular contributor to various national and international publications, Thompson now lives in a fortified compound near Aspen, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xi
David Halberstam
Editor's Note	xiv
Douglas Brinkley
Author's Note	xxiii
Hunter S. Thompson
1968	1	(150)
Chicago: The Great American Slaughter-House
Public Murders & Private Beatings
Whipped Like a Dog with the Whole World Watching
Which Side Are You On?
Clandestine Meeting with Nixon, Coup de Grace for the Sixties
1969	151	(94)
The Battle of Aspen
Local Politics with a Vengeance, Death to the Greed-Heads
First Visit with Mescalito, Dangerous Fun with the Brown Buffalo
Death Trip to the White House, Nixon Uber Alles
1970	245	(102)
Thompson for Sheriff
The Freak Also Rises
Wild Victory in Horse Country, Disaster at the America's Cup
Nixon's Massacre at Kent State, the Nightmare of Ralph Steadman
Just How Weird Can You Stand It, Brother, Before Your Love Will Crack?
1971	347	(114)
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
Queer Nights in the Circus-Circus, Drag-Racing on the Strip
Brown Power in East L.A., Tom Wolfe Flees to Italy
Invasion of the Jesus Freaks, a Generation Run Amok
Shrewd Advice from the Sports Desk
1972	461	(44)
Freak Power Goes to Washington, Strategic Retreat into National Politics
Madness & Violence on the Sunshine Special
Getting to Know the White House, Learning to Fear Richard Nixon
Falling in Love on the Zoo Plane, Farewell Forever to Innocence
1973	505	(64)
The Great Shark Hunt
Marlin Fishing in Mexico, Killing Time with the Oakland Raiders
Rookie of the Year in Washington, Rube of the Year in Hollywood
Waiting for Watergate, Hatching the Plot to Croak Nixon
The Curse of Sudden Fame
1974	569	(36)
Back to Washington, Back to Work, Back to the Halls of the Evil Watergate Hotel
Collapse of the Nixon Empire, Revenge of the Brutal Freaks
Constant Travel, Constant Plotting, Summit Conference in Elko & Fateful First Meeting with Jimmy Carter
Senator Thompson from Colorado?
1975	605	(68)
Last Dance in Saigon, End of the War in Vietnam, Conversations from the Garden of Agony
Touring the Orient for Money, Sex & Violence in Hong Kong, Last Memo from the Global Affairs Desk
1976	673	(58)
Jimmy Carter & the Rise of the Rock & Roll Vote
Marijuana Goes to the White House
Crime Is the Long-Term Answer
Preferential Treatment for Journalists
Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride
The Fear and Loathing in America Honor Roll	731	(2)
Chronological List of Letters	733	(11)
Index	744	(8)
About the Author	752	(1)
About the Editor	753