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Hell's Angel: The Autobiography Of Sonny Barger
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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
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Kindle Edition
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288 pages
Published
(first published January 1st 1975)
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Sonny Barger is a founding member of Oakland, California, U.S. chapter of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club, and well known personality from Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of The Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs.
Barger has had quite a life. Having a typical childhood of a rebel, he joined in the army at a young age just to get kicked out after officials finding out he had forged his birth certificate and was actually under the age of military requirements. He has been a ...more
Barger has had quite a life. Having a typical childhood of a rebel, he joined in the army at a young age just to get kicked out after officials finding out he had forged his birth certificate and was actually under the age of military requirements. He has been a ...more
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The Angel story told by the longtime president of the Oakland chapter. Bold and informative stuff, one would think, right? Wrong. Barger seems to be not only the most taciturn and non-introspective memorialist ever, but just plain dumb. He tells the reader nothing about what he feels, thinks, opines, or even guesses about any of the events of his life. Why did he rise to become leader of the Angels – not how, but why? What’s special about him? The book doesn’t reveal the answer.
What does he thin ...more
What does he thin ...more
I feel like I really I know Sonny Barger after reading Hell's Angels. Even though he is a convicted felon, drug runner, and violent man he really does seem like a stand up guy. The best way I could describe Sonny after reading his autobiography would be as a very loyal and honest friend. The founder of the world wide motorcycle club the " Hell's Angels" and the founder of a world wide brother hood, Sonny created an expansive sanctuary for those who wanted to be part of something. Regardless of S
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I like Barger. He's a blue-collar, no-shit guy from nowhere who became someone by virtue of simply being who he was. I have to admire that.
I don't admire some of the stuff he did in his life, but the book is like listening to one long and terrific tale from a guy you happen to start talking to in a bar, only to find out at the end of it that holy crap, yes, he's *that* guy. There's nothing false about him - he simply serves it to you, in his voice and from his point of view. Honestly, out of the ...more
I don't admire some of the stuff he did in his life, but the book is like listening to one long and terrific tale from a guy you happen to start talking to in a bar, only to find out at the end of it that holy crap, yes, he's *that* guy. There's nothing false about him - he simply serves it to you, in his voice and from his point of view. Honestly, out of the ...more
Sonny Barger's memoir of his life dedicated to the cause of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club is somewhat interesting, but poorly written, a bit on the redundant side and all-to-brief when Barger goes into some episode of violence/sex/philosophy of the biker that I wanted to know more on. He should of really juiced this up and gave even more sex and violence and given an insider's tour of what it's really like to live the "outlaw" biker lifestyle that he gripes about non-stop in the pages of the
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I had hoped for more. More sex, more drugs, more wild details. Sure, he mentioned all of those things but there were absolutely no juicy details. The only times he gave details were when he was arrested (I guess that makes sense seeing as the cops know those details already so it can't get him in trouble with the law if he gives details about what happened in any situation.) I am sort of glad that I read it. I was interested when he talked about his cancer and about his women. All of the talk of
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The life and times of Sonny Barger was a fascinating book that started with Sonny's true adventures of him riding across the country to different book signings for another book that he has written. This book quells many myths about how the Hell's Angels are out to hurt people and cause anarchy, but how most of the Gang are just normal people that love to ride and have a great time with friends. Sure, while most of the gang are not perfect role models, they aren't cold blooded killers that our so
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Jul 22, 2014
Rob Charpentier
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biography
,
california
As a general rule, I stay away from autobiographies simply because I feel that it’s absolutely impossible to be objective about the subject of oneself. That said, there are of course a few exceptions…only, this book is not one of them but I have my reasons nonetheless.
The biggest reason is that I have some personal history with Sonny that is admittedly a few degrees removed from myself. As a teenager, Sonny apparently would eat dinner over at my grandparent’s house who lived on E. 25th St. in Oa ...more
The biggest reason is that I have some personal history with Sonny that is admittedly a few degrees removed from myself. As a teenager, Sonny apparently would eat dinner over at my grandparent’s house who lived on E. 25th St. in Oa ...more
I suffered through the first 2/3 of the book about how badass Sonny Barger (president of the Hell's Angels) thinks he is. It was 150+ pages about beating people, earning respect, loyalty, and brotherhood. Boiling it all down it seemed to be hundreds of men who can't handle the masses of alcohol and drugs they ingest. Finally, by the last 3rd of the book I found it interesting and not so juvenile.
The government and media fascination with the Hell's Angels was interesting. I had no idea about the ...more
The government and media fascination with the Hell's Angels was interesting. I had no idea about the ...more
I read this book in one weekend, which means that it was captivating enough to keep me turning the pages, and the simplicity of the oral style didn't hold things up either. I'm no biker, but I am keenly interested in the alternative lifestyles and subcultures of the 60's, and the iconic legend of the HAMC is an obvious object of curiosity and fascination. The fact that the events are told from an Angel's point of view,(and not just any Angel but Barger himself) rather than that of a journalist o
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Aug 21, 2009
David
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
summer-09
,
baruch-2009-2010
Hell's Angel
, more or less, is the story of Ralph "Sonny" Barger, the leader of the notorious motorcycle group known as The Hell's Angels. Throughout the book Barger describes the inner workings of the motorcycle club, giving the reader a captivating, as well as extremely disturbing, idea of what the life of the most serious of motorcyclists is like. Undoubtedly,
Hell's Angel
will show you that the Hell's Angel's stand out among all other motorcycle gangs when it comes to the dedication to a gro
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I'm giving it 4 stars mainly because it's a dangerous subject written by an insider & founder. Barger ' s writing style could definitely be more warm & forthcoming, many key details or depth are missing. This is certainly not a tell-all book by any means but does include quite a few juicy tidbits, mostly involving deceased members.
Having been involved in one 9 what Barger called the big 4 (Outlaws) myself, I'm actually amazed this book exists at all. MC's are closed societies like the Ea ...more
Having been involved in one 9 what Barger called the big 4 (Outlaws) myself, I'm actually amazed this book exists at all. MC's are closed societies like the Ea ...more
Interesting history book. There have been lots of books about biker gangs esp. Hell's Angels by Hunter Thompson but this is done by Sonny Barger who founded the Hell's Angels motorcycle club. By the way Barger points to Thompson as a chickenshit and his book being fantasy crap. The Hell's Angels beat the daylights out of Thompson after his book was released and sent him packing. I think for me what was most interesting was getting the viewpoint of what for the most part are very violent thugs. I
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Sonny tells it like it is in this book, at least as much as is possible in a book about an organization surround by so much criminal activity. I was amused by how "Hollywood" the Hell's Angels were. Sonny's "job" was as a technical consultant for biker movies, and he held press conferences. You would think a group involved in so much crime would shun the limelight as much as possible, but it seems like we're all attracted to fame like moths to a flame.
It was interesting to me on one hand how se ...more
It was interesting to me on one hand how se ...more
Got this book for free... and I had a riot reading it. I think that Sonny Barger actually took his adventures in the motorcycle club seriously. He does believe that he is a well loved American Icon (even though I had never heard of him) and that the cops are out to get him. He believes that by riding his motorcycle and making a lot of money off of this book he is protecting America, and America equals freedom. That said, I read the book as a big fat joke, and appreciated that he did not make any
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Knygelė apie Hell's Angel's baikerių klubą, jo istoriją, nuotaikingam skaitymui prieš miegą: apie audringą gyvenimą, žudynes, narkotikus, seksą ir kalėjimą, o svarbiausia - laisvę, kai sėdi ant motociklo ir važiuoji kur akys neša, kas gali būti geriau, kai tuo metu gali pabėgti net nuo savęs..
Kaip sakė Lietuvos HD klubo prezidentas, knyga neatspindi viso klubo žiaurumo, nes angelų vengia net pasaulio HD klubų nariai. Galima įsivaizduoti, kaip JAV farai bandė susidoroti su visu JAV angelų klubu s ...more
Kaip sakė Lietuvos HD klubo prezidentas, knyga neatspindi viso klubo žiaurumo, nes angelų vengia net pasaulio HD klubų nariai. Galima įsivaizduoti, kaip JAV farai bandė susidoroti su visu JAV angelų klubu s ...more
A small part of the life and times of Sonny Barger and HAMC, from his point of view.
After reading the book I can tell for sure three things:
- he is a tough, smart, energetic and charismatic asshole;
- he is cosmetically enhancing his side of the story, leaving aside details that would disgust people (he's good PR also);
- he can't write. The book is barely passable although it is written with two guys who apparently are doing it for a living (they wrote for some mobster and for the Mythbusters gu ...more
After reading the book I can tell for sure three things:
- he is a tough, smart, energetic and charismatic asshole;
- he is cosmetically enhancing his side of the story, leaving aside details that would disgust people (he's good PR also);
- he can't write. The book is barely passable although it is written with two guys who apparently are doing it for a living (they wrote for some mobster and for the Mythbusters gu ...more
Jesus Christ Man! What can you say about the man that has not already been said. He was a son of a bitch and I love him. Fascinating read that gets you excited about hooliganism. I can't say that I would want to hang out with Thompson, but I probably would have loved it. His relationship with the good Doctor is probably the only reason to envy Johnny Depp.
To the book, well, it is just an exciting and detailed peek into the lives of men so free that we will likely never know how on the fringe of ...more
To the book, well, it is just an exciting and detailed peek into the lives of men so free that we will likely never know how on the fringe of ...more
An interesting read because it provides a counterpoint to the works of Hunter Thompson and Stanley Booth's "Dance With the Devil" segments about the Rolling Stones at Altamont. Sonny Barger comes off media-savvy and often surprisingly charming and funny, though there are many moments in the book that history, documentary footage, court documents, other reportage and etc. just don't bear out. That said, it's a good read, and his insights on motorcycles are sometimes surprising (The Hell's Angels
...more
The book is basically a series of vignettes narrated by Sonny Barger, the President and one of the founding members of the Hell’s Angels Oakland Chapter. From a strictly historical viewpoint, this is a good overview into how the MC’s developed from returned vets in World War II up to today.
I did not read the electronic version of the book and so had the benefit of having access to all the pictures. These are a great addition to the read as many are photographs of the individuals Barger is tellin ...more
I did not read the electronic version of the book and so had the benefit of having access to all the pictures. These are a great addition to the read as many are photographs of the individuals Barger is tellin ...more
An interesting and entertaining little book that teeters a fine line between "I'm not really a bad man, honestly guvnor" and "Nobody f**ks with me, because I'm a c*nt". But it does leave you with more questions than answers.
It's not as free flowing and truthful as other autobiographies, like "Broadmoor" by Charlie Bronson for instance, where he's already paid the price and so can speak freely.
Barger comes across as someone who has got away with a lot more than he's letting on, and so can't say ...more
It's not as free flowing and truthful as other autobiographies, like "Broadmoor" by Charlie Bronson for instance, where he's already paid the price and so can speak freely.
Barger comes across as someone who has got away with a lot more than he's letting on, and so can't say ...more
The head of the Oakland Hell's Angels, Sonny Barger tells all in this biography. Cataloging the different decades, Barger honestly shares his scrapes with the law, fights with rival gangs, involvement in the movies, selling drugs, and the deaths of many of his closest friends. He talks candidly about his time in jail and the affect it had on his multiple marriages. He doesn't hide his disdain for law enforcement or the media, who he felt targeted the Hell's Angels without any warrant.
I picked u ...more
I picked u ...more
An entertaining read that reveals insight into the author/subject through what he writes about as much as how he writes it.
I like to the think of the reputation of OMGs like the Hell's Angels as something of a spectrum. On one side, you have the view described by law enforcement, Hunter S. Thompson's book, and the various memoirs of undercover agents and informants like Jay Dobbins' "No Angel." On this side of the spectrum, the Hell's Angels are the worst of the worst, murderers and rapists and ...more
I like to the think of the reputation of OMGs like the Hell's Angels as something of a spectrum. On one side, you have the view described by law enforcement, Hunter S. Thompson's book, and the various memoirs of undercover agents and informants like Jay Dobbins' "No Angel." On this side of the spectrum, the Hell's Angels are the worst of the worst, murderers and rapists and ...more
Very entertaining. I listened to the audio book. It was an excellent reading with great expression and attitude.
He started with his autobiographical background, and then moved into the formation of the Hell's Angles as a motorcycle club, weaving his story in with the story of the club and its members.
The way he describes his experience and the stories he chooses to tell give a great psychological profile of a motorcycle club member including their motivation to be in the club and what keeps th ...more
He started with his autobiographical background, and then moved into the formation of the Hell's Angles as a motorcycle club, weaving his story in with the story of the club and its members.
The way he describes his experience and the stories he chooses to tell give a great psychological profile of a motorcycle club member including their motivation to be in the club and what keeps th ...more
A first person account of Hell's Angels from the early days to the modern day from a founding member who was there through it all. The book has an unfocused quality to it as Sonny Barger wanders through a disjointed set of memories decade by decade; much like a human life, there's no particular single narrative or plot, only a series of events.
Throughout, from Barger's point of view, he is never at fault for the violence and destruction that surrounds him. The book would have been fascinating ha ...more
Throughout, from Barger's point of view, he is never at fault for the violence and destruction that surrounds him. The book would have been fascinating ha ...more
WOW !!!
Ralph " Sonny " Barger has a few amazing talents. First as an true outlaw Biker. Second is ability to tell an Amazing story of his up and down life. With the Wrap-Sheet of multiple people combined he is a true man's man. He tells his story without pulling punches and tells the truth no matter who it hurts. I don't ride yet but I plan to. If you want to see how a hard life is read this man's book it is definitely worth the price.
Ralph " Sonny " Barger has a few amazing talents. First as an true outlaw Biker. Second is ability to tell an Amazing story of his up and down life. With the Wrap-Sheet of multiple people combined he is a true man's man. He tells his story without pulling punches and tells the truth no matter who it hurts. I don't ride yet but I plan to. If you want to see how a hard life is read this man's book it is definitely worth the price.
I'm a fan of the TV show Sons of Anarchy and the show is clearly heavily based on the stories of the Hells Angels. For that reason I was pretty bored by this book, nothing was news, nothing was shocking or even interesting I've heard it all before.
The timeline of this book jumped all over the place, one page was the sixties then the nineties then the fifties, it got very confusing and hard to follow. It was a very basic telling of things that happened in the life of Sonny Barger, the occasional ...more
The timeline of this book jumped all over the place, one page was the sixties then the nineties then the fifties, it got very confusing and hard to follow. It was a very basic telling of things that happened in the life of Sonny Barger, the occasional ...more
This is first and foremost an account of a true American who believes in freedom, albeit not a very well behaved one, but the saying should be edited from 'American as Mom and Apple Pie' to As American as Mom, Apple Pie and the Hell's Angels.
Sonny, although not the originator of the most notorious and well-know outlaw motorcycle club in the world, was the hands-down de facto leader who propelled them into a force to be reckoned with.
I was not with them, but led the outlaw life for many years. Re ...more
Sonny, although not the originator of the most notorious and well-know outlaw motorcycle club in the world, was the hands-down de facto leader who propelled them into a force to be reckoned with.
I was not with them, but led the outlaw life for many years. Re ...more
I think Sonny Barger is a fascinating person. And this could have been a fascinating book.
The problem was, and I'm sure it's due to legal reasons, it just seems like this book was a summary. It doesn't go into detail over anything. And the whole time you feel like you're not getting the whole story.
Also the chapters were somewhat organized by a subject. Trying to keep all the stories of a similar subject together forced the book to jump around chronologically. And even the chapters themselves we ...more
The problem was, and I'm sure it's due to legal reasons, it just seems like this book was a summary. It doesn't go into detail over anything. And the whole time you feel like you're not getting the whole story.
Also the chapters were somewhat organized by a subject. Trying to keep all the stories of a similar subject together forced the book to jump around chronologically. And even the chapters themselves we ...more
An interesting read, well ghost written and organised well. A must read if you are a fan of HST's "Hell's Angels" or are interested in the anti-bikie gang "initiatives"" going on in Australia (it will end badly for the various governments).
Sonny is not a pleasant person and Hell's Angels are no angels, but he his captivating and you can see how a true leader with a trusted crew who hold the line can weather pretty much any storm.
The most interesting chapters for me were the one on defending aga ...more
Sonny is not a pleasant person and Hell's Angels are no angels, but he his captivating and you can see how a true leader with a trusted crew who hold the line can weather pretty much any storm.
The most interesting chapters for me were the one on defending aga ...more
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Ralph Hubert "Sonny" Barger (born October 8, 1938) is a founding member (1957) of the Oakland, California, U.S. chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. He is also the author of five books -
Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club
(2000),
Dead in 5 Heartbeats
(2004),
Freedom: Credos from the Road
(2005),
6 Chambers, 1 Bullet
(2006), and
Let's Ride
...more
More about Ralph Barger...
