The First Five: "High Adventure in the Great Outdoors", "Pissing in the Gene Pool", "Art to Choke Hearts", "Bang!", "One from None"

by Henry Rollins

The first five books by Henry Rollins combined in one volume. Includes High Adventure in the Great Outdoors, Bang!, Art to Choke Hearts, Pissing In The Gene Pool and One From None.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Music, Memoir, Biography, Essays, Philosophy

401 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 1997

About the author

Henry Rollins (born Henry Lawrence Garfield; often referred to simply as Rollins) is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, author, actor and publisher.

After joining the short-lived Washington, D.C. band State of Alert in 1980, Rollins fronted the Californian hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1981 until 1986. Following the band's breakup, Rollins soon established the record label and publishing company 2.13.61 to release his spoken word albums, as well as forming the Rollins Band, which toured with a number of lineups until 2003 and during 2006.

Since Black Flag, Rollins has embarked on projects covering a variety of media. He has hosted numerous radio shows, such as The Henry Rollins Show and Harmony In My Head, and television shows, such as MTV's 120 Minutes and Jackass, along with roles in several films. Rollins has also campaigned for human rights in the United States, promoting gay rights in particular, and tours overseas with the United Service Organizations to entertain American troops.

Reviews

[Ben Mcfarlane · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's tough. Henry Rollins is one of the people I admire the most but these writings are from a time before he had mellowed out and the writing is plagued by conventions adopted by most all disenfranchised young people.

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

For maximum enjoyment, read the whole book in Henry's yelling voice.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

something about if when having to burn, allowing onself to burn completely and all by oneself. made a lot of sense in high school.

[Robb Strothman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read the earlier works of Henry Rollins.

[Gnar Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Rollins is my fav so I can’t not give this a five star rating, BUT this is very dark content for the most part, from his earlier days. Not the upbeat Henry we know today. So don’t go into this wanting to walk away feeling good!

The big posi I took from this is how badass Henry Rollins is to have come from that dark of a place to where he is now 👏👏👏

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of Rollins's early work.

[Eric]

Real. Gritty. Awesome.

[Sonya s. · Rating 4 out of 5]

his first 5 books where pretty short so they put them all in this one book.

[Galen Kaback]

great read, once you get into it it goes fairly fast. but take my advice with a grain of salt. I'm a huge Rollins fan

[Shawn Fairweather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of Henry's first five works. Raw and personal. This is right up there with Get In the Van for me. See my individual reviews for each book contained within.

[Dina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I adore you, Henry, but this book is so dark and depressing it took me 5 years to get through all of it.

[Britt Freeman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite some wonderful historical context on the man, Rollins, here, is tough to read. A few promising passages here and there (Art to Choke Hearts)where you can see the insight, the wisdom, to come. However, his future sophistications are overshadowed by his anger and misanthropy. A great work of existential nihilism, but reading this from someone today, I can’t imagine we’d allow that person to purchase firearms.

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hit or miss collection of writings. There are some diamonds in the rough but there is a great deal of rough.

[Alex Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raw emotion and hard-edged truth. This was Rollins at his best. Apolitical and calling things as he sees it. Perfect for anyone in their late teens or early twenties (like myself).

[Pachyderm Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please see and re-read the reviews previously written for each separate individual volume in this (5) book collection. Needs no intoduction whatsoever.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like reading an "edgy" teenager's diary.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compilation of the first five books by Rollins. He maintained an audience by releasing books and doing spoken word shows when his band weren't performing. After Black Flag he was a sort of holdover from classic hardcore. Most of these books are collectors items now, not this reprint but the original individual books.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this book for many years and often, in my darker moments, open it to a random page and start reading about someone elses pain and raw emotions and rants for a while. Truly dark and twisted, and real. Be honest, haven't we all thought like this once in a while?

[Tuxlie]

Rollins, a singer for the hardcore punk group Black Flag in the '80s, has emerged as a '90s post-punk renaissance man and a prolific writer. This voluminous collection of Rollins' first five books shows the evolution of a man grinding his way through the challenges of the independent music circuit.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much too repetetive to be entirely meaningful.

It felt like Mr. Rollins was scribbling in his notebook when he was 15 while being kicked by a donkey in heat (do donkey's be in heat?)

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

needless to say, henry rollins scares me; but a person with more charisma, there isn't.

[Mary Beth Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic collections of Rollins.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Visceral.

[James]

about 40 pages in and i love it. this book is dark and hilarious.

[Blake Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Rollins can write about musicians.

[Chris King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of early works

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal caustic prose. I'm not sure it's great for your mental health to read this all straight thru.

[Melanie]

Henry Rollins writes some weird stuff.

[Reza Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

An anthology of Rollins' early works. Heart stopping beautiful and bleak in equal measure.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal, honest, and confessional. But what else do you expect from Hank?