Fear And Loathing At Rolling Stone: The Essential Hunter S. Thompson (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
The Essential HST? That's an awful lot of Hunter. This unedited (from the magazine articles, which differ from the book form) compilation of his Rolling Stone work is indeed his prime material. From the moving Battle of Aspen, where Thompson shunned the obnoxious humour of his ESPN work for an honest analysis (which in retrospect was almost prophetic) of American politics, to the fading and irrelevant sports pieces, the heart of the Doc's work is included. Unquestionably the highlight is Thompson's masterpiece, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, and this is reprinted almost in full. George McGovern, "the finest man in the Senate", regarded Thompson as a friend and a fine political mind. With McGovern's death this year, and Obama's administration stumbling through its final days, '72 is a reminder of how lacking current political analysis is. We lack the finest minds either side of the platform. I remember laughing at Hunter's books years ago. His gonzo stories may have been funnier back then, perhaps I've aged and mellowed. The dope and drugs don't humor me anymore, but the outrageous stories are still hilarious. Occasionally his stories are right on target. One of my favorite quotes is, "But the prevailing attitude among journalists with enough status to work presidential campaigns is that all politicians are congenial thieves and liars." Damn, this will never change.
What do You think about Fear And Loathing At Rolling Stone: The Essential Hunter S. Thompson (2009)?
I liked some bits and loathed others. Much of the sentiment expressed in the book still rings true.
—sdehavelyn
Interesting cat for sure. Enjoyed hearing all of his articles and the letters behind a lot of them.
—Rogeread
The man loved writing so much and believed in the power of journalism. He was the truth.-CH
—matt
