The Footloose American: Following the Hunter S. Thompson Trail Across South America

by Brian Kevin

An adventure-filled and thought-provoking travelogue along Hunter S. Thompson's forgotten route through South America

In 1963, twenty-five-year-old Hunter S. Thompson completed a yearlong journey across South America, filing a series of dispatches for an upstart paper called the National Observer . It was here, on the front lines of the Cold War, that this then-unknown reporter began making a name for himself. The Hunter S. Thompson who would become America's iconic "gonzo journalist" was born in the streets of Rio, the mountains of Peru, and the black market outposts of Colombia.      

In The Footloose American , Brian Kevin traverses the continent with Thompson's ghost as his guide, offering a ground-level exploration of twenty-first-century South American culture, politics, and ecology. By contrasting the author's own thrilling, transformative experiences along the Hunter S. Thompson Trail with those that Thompson describes in his letters and lost Observer stories, The Footloose American is at once a gripping personal journey and a thought-provoking study of culture and place.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Biography, History

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

I’m a writer who contributes to magazines, travel guidebooks, and the occasional website. I’m also a contributing editor at Down East magazine and the author of The Footloose American, forthcoming from Broadway Books in May of 2014.

I like the outdoors, public lands policy, American history, beer, people with interesting jobs, the Grateful Dead, and airport newsstands.

Some of my stories have been recognized in the Best American Essays and Best American Sports Writing anthologies, and I’ve received a Lowell Thomas Award from the Society of American Travel Writers. I grew up in Wisconsin and have lived in Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon. Home is currently a fishing village in Maine.

Oh yeah, and I really did write those gun books, which is kind of a funny story.

Reviews

[Patrick Sprunger · Rating 3 out of 5]

It should be noted at the outset that The Footloose American is an un-madcap, not-gonzo, anti-romp through South America. I think this should be established clearly, up-front. The book is, instead, the clear-headed, balanced reflection of a youngish American journalist, comfortably past the granola/Guevara-worshipping phase of middle-class wanderlust. Brian Kevin is out there gathering intel that - I like to think - all Americans would value - a fact finding mission that isn't simply designed to support preconceived notions or romanticize a "simpler" way of life still being lived a short distance from North American shores.

Like another reviewer, I am not keen on giving the book's tone or content away. But I need to point out something interesting about the author's gradual conclusion. It isn't surprising that Kevin eventually grows a callus against the aforementioned granola/backpacking/hostel crawling subspecies of middle-class Western bohemian types. It's more unexpected when he begins to react negatively - even viscerally - to many of the locals he encounters. For some reason, American gen-Xers and millennials tend to excuse all manner of bad behavior from other cultures, even foreign governments. However, my personal observation is that city people exhibit common behaviors, universally shared independent of cultural signifiers. So do country people. When the author imbedded with medical aid workers in Paraguay and met willfully ignorant hicks, he reacted the way any rational person would - with exasperation. Two things were happening, actually. It is only natural to pass judgment on a husband who will give his pregnant wife a black eye (or the wife who tries to cover for the husband). It's only natural to express frustration over the rural family who refuses medical care for their dying child because of the irrational perception that merely admitting the child is in need is somehow a sign of weakness or shame. It's also only natural to feel beaten down by protracted exposure to hopelessness.

Though I have not read Hunter Thompson's dispatches from South America - the pre-gonzo stage of his career to which the book is dedicated - it seems Kevin and Thompson each confronted the same grinding despair after so many weeks through so many thousands of miles of South American hinterland. Both men came away with as much material about (US) American identity as the South American experience. Bookstores and cable television are each saturated with exotic travelogues which perpetuate so many common errors. The establishment pablum of, say, Anthony Bourdain doesn't serve any purpose except to inspire late night cravings for spicy food and Asian beer. Books like The Footloose American, on the other hand, actually serve to elevate the conversation. A totally worthwhile read.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific example of a favorite sub-sub-genre of travel writing: following a famous author's path geographically . In this case, Kevin also sought what changed Thompson from a straight ahead journalist to a Gonzo journalist. A good narrator, South American countryside, and a revelation about HST that I have not read of elsewhere make this a must read for Hunter S Thompson fans.

[Peter Knox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book by Brian Kevin, as it's clear we're both fans of HST, travel, and travel writing. Kevin immerses himself into the letters, articles, and traveling timetable of a pre-gonzo Hunter S. Thompson as he covered all of South America in 1963 for various US publications, doing what no one else was doing at that time as a way to break through as a journalist and better understand America/life through seeing how they lived in South America.

This crucial part of a developing writer's life is sorely overlooked by most HST coverage, where most of the focus is 1965-on with the publication of Hell's Angels on to Fear and Loathing in 1971 (the exception being The Rum Diary years in San Juan when finally published in the 90s). But starting with the correspondence in The Proud Highway of published HST letters, Kevin recreates the HST Trail himself, 50 years after HST blazed it himself.

Thusly The Footloose American is a fascinating read as Kevin successfully interweaves his own personal journey/travel experiences, his research and analysis of the words/artifacts HST left behind, and the historical/cultural context of the cities and people Kevin meets along the way. Kevin rides in pickup truck beds, on shoddy boats, in beat up buses, old trains, bumpy SUVs and Jeeps, as well as putting many miles on his own feet as he inquires into the 1963 version of Thompson's worldview and meets with the right person to get him up to speed on current day politics/economics in each city.

The result is as enlightening as it is compelling. Kevin writes well (you can sense his appreciation and knack for travel writing) and never stays too long on any topic, rant, investigation, conversation, or analysis. Oftentimes you'd wish he'd go even deeper into each. But there's a lot to cover and you come away from each city with a great understanding of how it fits into South America and HST's life (as well as Kevin's personal journey).

Anyone curious about this year in HST's life and how it shaped him as a writer for the rest of his career would greatly benefit from Kevin's on the ground reporting. Anyone that thinks about travel as a way of life and wants to hear from those making it work, as well as Kevin's knowledge on those doing it as well as the history of backpacking in SA, would love taking this journey with him. And anyone with a sincere interest in South American cities today with a yearning emphasis on cultural, political, and imperialistic insight would gain a great deal of that from this book.

I enjoyed it to the point where I know I'd love talking with Brian Kevin about HST and travel over a beer, much less ready to sign up for his next trip.

[I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.]

[Elderberrywine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful, entertaining, and frequently hilarious.

Kevin recreates Hunter Thompson's trip through South America, circa 1962 and prior to his gonzo stage. Thompson focused on the social/political aspects, especially vis-a-vis the connections with the United States, and Kevin does the same. But Kevin has a keen eye and a wicked wit, and the results are delightful as well as illuminating.

Here is a bit of his first day in La Paz, Bolivia. Bolivia is land-locked, very poor, and most of it sits at extremely high altitudes (oh, say 13,000 ft. or so). Tourists have an alarming tendency to suddenly pass out, dropping like flies on the sidewalks. Thompson described the place as serious weird, a sort of Never-Never Land, and apparently not much has changed over the last 50 years or so.

At a busy intersection...I came across another oddity: pairs of costumed zebras that dance and cavort at traffic lights during rush hours, distracting drivers so that pedestrians can cross. The city evidently employs about one hundred such plushies, and since their introduction in the early 2000s, they've helped alleviate the bottlenecks and road rage that often characterize urban streets in South America.

I watched a pair of them frolicking out the window when I stopped for breakfast at a small cafe, an otherwise normal luncheonette that played Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" on repeat for over an hour. The diner was out of coffee, so the waiter talked me into a Bolivian alternative, a bright-purple corn drink called api, which was sickeningly sweet and thoroughly awful.

Welcome to Never-Never Land, I thought, and I sipped my purple coffee while Michael Bolton crooned and the zebras formed a chorus line in the intersection.

The world, it is a wondrous place.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you very much Mr. Kevin for coming into my life right during finals prep week. I'm 20 pages behind on my paper and I hope you're happy!

In all seriousness, once I got into this book I really couldn't put it down. Kevin follows the trail a 25-year old Hunter Thompson took through South America in the 60s. Using Thompson's work as a map, a guide for his own travels, Kevin discusses aspects of the social, economic, political and natural histories of several South American countries in a very approachable, unaffected writing style. A lot of these sorts of travel memoirs turn into nothing but beer soaked memories of easy women, but thankfully - I am serious - thankfully this book is beyond that. He covers the difficulties of travel, how we struggle with our preconceived notions and the hard realities we are faced with, as we struggle to finding meaning in the absurdity that is real life.

I slightly twinged over his Peace Corp polemic. Not because I blame him, but because I didn't have his clarity about the situation until I'd been in service for a year. Your ineffectiveness kills you slowly and unfortunately most PCs (myself included 10 years ago) are too young and haven't been able to build the coping skills necessary to maintain their composure and remain productive.

Overall, I'd recommend this for those who enjoy travel books, Thompson's work or anyone interested in SA.

P.S. I was a Goodreads First-reads winner.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Footloose American" is a travelogue of sorts where author, Brian Kevin, follows gonzo reporter, Hunter S. Thompson's, footsteps through South America. Thompson wrote a lot about the culture and politics of South American countries and was clearly fascinated with it. Kevin blends Thompson's observations on the places he visited along with his own. We get to see what these places were like back when Thompson were visiting and what they were like relatively recently. If you like travelogues that are off the beaten path, this would be a great pick for you.

Again, I studied Latin America in college and am endlessly fascinated by it. Thompson was visiting Latin America during a time where there was great change. He lands in South America in a haphazard way and then begins writing. Kevin references a lot of the articles and personal correspondences that Thompson wrote and pulls it into where Kevin is visiting and what he is seeing. I loved how Kevin was able to make the connection between his own travels and experiences and what Thompson must have seen in his travels. I felt like I got a lot from this book. I was entertained and learned something too.

This book gives you a good taste for Latin America and for Thompson (I know that I want to read more by him now). This book definitely has some very funny moments. This book also has some great opportunities for armchair traveling, which I really enjoyed! Overall, this is a fascinating book!

[Richard McColl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is right up my street in an obvious way due to the Hunter S Thompson link and of course my voracious appetite for travel literature on Latin America. I will admit that the Footloose is not aimed at me as a reader since my knowledge is profound on the subject but I would recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone thinking of taking an extended journey through the region to get an idea of the realities of the Cold War in this part of the world and how these decisions and this era of politics have shaped SA as we know it today. Kevin has done painstaking research to find all the Thompson info and provides accurate and insightful observations which are refreshing when one considers so much of the repetitive dross now found out there.

[Colleen Mertens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book that I won in a contest here on Goodreads. It was interesting to read and would be fascinating to fans of Hunter S. Thompson since the writer followed in his footsteps through South America. I knew little about either of the main topics of the book so I learned much from the book. It took me a while to read though because I didn't know about either topic. Good book overall.

[Hal Brodsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent modern travelog. The writing is clean and the style New Journalism.

In theory, the author is tracing Hunter Thompson's South American travels in an attempt to learn why Thompson decided to change tact and explore the death of the American Dream. Kevin does come up with a theory, but really that's just a subplot to this first person study of North Andean South America and Brazil.

[Trevor Seigler · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1962, an upstart young reporter made his way to South America with a plan to report on the continent and focus on efforts by the Kennedy Administration to foster "brotherhood" and capitalism. Fifty years later, another young reporter went to that same continent to trace the journey of that earlier journalist, who had become an institution all his own. Both men came away from their journeys with a deeper understanding of themselves and their home country.

"The Footloose American" chronicles Hunter S. Thompson's year in South America as recreated by Brian Kevin, a fan of Thompson and a fine writer in his own right. In the early Sixties, Thompson talked his way into a foreign-correspondent role with "The National Observer," a new newspaper concerned with getting more international news into the United States. Fifty years later, Kevin (a travel writer) decided to follow Thompson's trail. Thankfully for his health, Kevin doesn't try to ape Hunter S. Thompson's writing style or wild lifestyle, preferring to write cogently about his efforts to track Thompson's journey across the continent and record his own observations about how different or similar South America is to when the Great Gonzo himself beat a path across the Andes to the Carnival season in Rio.

I liked this book a lot, but it isn't one that I'll likely return to either as a re-read or as one that I think about much. But for HST fans, it's a nice counter-balance to his own dramatic letters (collected in "The Proud Highway") that inspired Brian Kevin in the first place.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an author back in 1963, Hunter S. Thompson enjoyed an advantage that Brian Kevin author of "The Footloose American: Following the Hunter S. Thompson Trail Across South America," does not today.

That was the fact South America was an important part of President John F. Kennedy's foreign policy, whereas, ever since, the giant land continent to the south has fallen into something of a black hole.

When Thompson took off for a year of writing and life experience, he was after evidence that Kennedy was on the right path.

Launching into South America some 40 years later, Kevin has to come up with something matching that policy imperative.

What he came up with was the idea of shadowing Thompson's steps and doing a kind of compare and contrast project that often strays into a simple travelogue of his own ups and downs on the continent.

Alas, enough time has passed since Thompson's death that a brief explanation is necessary. He was the original purveyor of "Gonzo" journalism. It was a wild and wacky style that matched the time and his prime - the 1970s - in which he cast himself as a drug-addled, bald, hippy taking roundhouse swipes at the system and its flaws.

In "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," and "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail," Thompson delighted readers with manic and comic accounts of middle-American values and mores as seen through a prism distorted by LSD, peyote, speed, hard booze and anything else he could get his trembling hands on.

Thompson's writings about South America were not of the Gonzo type, rather straight accounts of what was going on with flickering hints of the emerging madman woven throughout.

It is Kevin's contention that a year on the southern continent helped bring out the Gonzo in Thompson's ensuing journalism.

Anyway, after reading "The Footloose American: Following the Hunter S. Thompson Trail Across South America," (TFAFTHSTTASA) this reviewer can't help but think the largely Latin land mass might have benefited from a more Gonzo-like account by either of these two writers.

Given its low place on the totem pole of American foreign policy, it's no wonder the continent is largely "terra incognita" for most in the United States, and an entertaining, booze-swilling, drug-fueled romp might have done something to help Brian Kevin garner more attention for his effort.

Which is not to say TFAFTHSTTASA lacks merit or quality writing. It's brimming with both. Kevin not only writes well, he thinks well.

By way of example and contrast, Thompson wrote during the Cold War and his chronicle took a long, hard look at Kennedy's Alliance for Progress, which was designed to combat communist incursion through a combination of U.S.-financed good deeds and propaganda.

Whereas the Alliance and the Peace Corps were designed to combat negative impressions of the U.S. generated by Cuban information outfits, today's "Propaganda Affairs Section" of the State Department is stuck with the task, Kevin observes, of "fending off the American culture machine itself, the more pervasive and not always flattering elements of our society that manage to promote themselves whether we like it or not."

The author endures an adventure like all adventures: ups and downs, hard lessons, and delightful surprises that he does not waste when turning his analytic eye and pen to transmitting intelligence about them.

We can only hope you care about his odyssey through Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil and think you should.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are revisits of the Silk Road, the Lewis and Clark route, de Tocqueville’s Travels, Che Guevara’s motorcycle trip and there is even a re-trace that debunks Steinbeck’s Travels with Charlie. Is this book a fore-runner of a new niche within this genre, that is, the tracing of lesser known routes?

Hunter Thompson went to South American in 1962 as a free-lance journalist and sent dispatches to the now defunct “National Observer”. Travel writer, Brian Kevin, loosely followed his route from Colombia to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil.

Thompson's year long stint in South America is not well documented. He wrote a few articles and letters. There are only a few “old timers’ who knew him there and then. While the text is anchored by the Thompson years, due to the dearth material, Kevin of necessity had to cast a wider net.

Kevin proves to be very unlike Thompson. He is not impulsive, addictive or a gun toter. A Gonzo journalist would never spend time in a Rio de Janeiro library boning up on Brazil’s inflation before writing (an excellent and readable piece, by the way) about Brazil's economic problems and recovery.

The new trip covers places where tourists do not usually visit such as working mines, favelas, and way out places that strike his fancy such as the town named Texas Arizona. When he goes to traditional tourist sites, he goes in an unusual way, for instance, he walks an illegal path to the Machu Pichu, takes an unsafe boat ride down the Magdalene, and as a loner, bike rides in Montevideo. He assists volunteer doctors, pretends to buy an exclusive condo just to see it, buys beers and cocoa leaves to strike up conversations with miners and more.

There are insights into the impact of historical events on South America. Kevin is at his best describing the look and feel of a city. His descriptions of people and places are unique in that his choice of material is not what is usually the subject of travel writing. This is an engaging book and is recommended for those interested in South America.

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just found out I won this book through a First Reads drawing. Will write a review once I've read it.

04-11-14 Just received this book. Going to put it high on the to-read stack.

04-29-14 Following the Hunter S. Thompson trail through South America is a great premise that gives Brian Kevin a structure for his travels through the continent. He does a good job weaving together information about Hunter S. Thompson and his travels in South America in the early 1960's, the history of various South American countries and the continent as a whole, and his own travels in the footsteps of Thompson.

I've never been a huge fan of Hunter S. Thompson, but this book gave me insight into the man and his writing. I'm now more motivated to read more of his work.

Of course, any one book under 400 pages could not possibly give an adequate history of the entire South American continent, but this book offers a small introduction.

What this book really begs for is a map. Actually, it could use several maps. I would like to see a map of the full continent, as well as smaller maps at the beginning of each chapter, showing exactly where Thompson and the author traveled. Maybe everyone else who reads this book has a strong understanding of South American geography, but I do not.

My favorite parts of this book are when the author tells of his own travels and introduces the reader to the people he meets. Of course, I am a sucker for the travel memoir.

While I appreciate this book and am glad I read it, it took me a really long time to finish it because I never really felt like I couldn't put it down, that I had to find out what happened next.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on a whim, having watched Fear & Loathing and enjoying it, I picked up The Footloose American by Brian Kevin. My first impression of the first chapter or so was "wow this is going to be a long one". I rarely read non-fiction, let alone anything about politics. As Colleen Mertens (a fellow reviewer) stated, I knew very little about the big topics of the book, so it took me a long time but I'm glad that I didn't give up, I learned a lot.
Brian Kevin gives an accurate account of what it's like to be poor and underprivileged in South America. Retracing Thompson's year-long trek through the continent in just over six months. Snippets from Thompson's articles to the Observer and his personal correspondence gives even a completely ignorant reader the understanding of what it was like back in 1962-3 compared to Kevin's experience.
Equal parts history, politics and comparative travelogue, Footloose American manages to give the untraveled reader a better understanding of America and its inability to be what it could have been, according to Thompson anyway.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was very much outside of my comfort zone, but Brian Kevin has a good voice. He injects humor and no b*llsh*t monologue just when you think he's getting just a bit too accepting of the situation. A solid 4 out of 5 stars.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for the Library Journal: When he was 25 years old, before he became a larger-than-life gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson (1937–2005) traveled across South America writing, indulging himself, and forming the opinions that would influence him throughout his career. Long intrigued by Thompson's early travels, writer Kevin decided to follow in his footsteps, not only to develop his own sense of South America, but also to discover how Thompson's travels affected him. What follows is a fantastic journey bouncing from one incredible scenario to another. Whether it's army crawling for 30 feet in a Bolivian mine, petting a piranha-bitten caiman in Mato Grosso, or a semidebaucherous visit to Bogotá, Kevin's vivid descriptions easily bring the reader along for the ride. He travels and writes from a perspective that has one foot in the past with Thompson, while the other is in the present, delving into philosophical questions about the impact of travel as well as experiencing all that South America has to offer. VERDICT An informative, captivating adventure across South America with a guide both searching for echoes of his antihero and seeking his own growth experience. Recommended for Thompson fans as well as travel buffs interested in a wide-ranging exploration of the region.

[Suzanne Manners · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brian Kevin is on a quest to visit South America's hinterlands. As an admirer of Hunter Thompson's work, this journalist compares the path Thompson traveled and wrote about in Dispatches from South America to his own journey down “the same road.” I personally haven’t read any of Thompson’s South American adventures but I had previously read about his times in Las Vegas. After reading the comparison these trips, I can say Kevin's visit to South America was eye-opening, but not necessarily “under the influence” to the degree that Thompson's Vegas trip was. Kevin analyzes notes and diaries Thompson left from his trip in 1963 while successfully engaging the reader in his own style of travel writing. This book will introduce you to South American life and culture as seen from streets, allies, back roads, and river ways across the continent. There are some interesting visits with locals … when in South America, do as the South American’s do. Those who enjoy travel memoirs will appreciate the journey, and hopefully the look at political issues will lend historical interest and explain how this country has evolved. I received this book from a Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.

[Lissa00 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Kevin was at a crossroads in his own life and in search of the same elusive enlightenment that Hunter S. Thompson found during his trek across South America. Thompson’s reporting from South America, while not as well read as his gonzo style journalism, proved to be a turning point in his view of America and the American life. Kevin endeavored to discover what exactly Thompson encountered in South America that made such an impression. Starting in Columbia and making his way through Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil, Kevin documents the people, politics and geography. The history of each country is interspersed with enjoyable interactions with both locals and foreign expats. I appreciated all aspects of this book, but I think the author exceled at describing his encounters with these people and how their lives intersect with the current social climate of the continent. Even though I am not a huge fan of Hunter S. Thompson’s work, that did not detract from my enjoyment of Kevin’s travelogue of his own adventures in South America. I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received The Footloose American as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

Author Brian Kevin retraces Hunter S. Thompson's little-known but influential yearlong trek around South America in 1962-63, visiting the sites references in Thompson's articles and seeking to understand how Thompson's experience as a journalist on the continent soured him so completely on America's future.

Each chapter generally focuses on a different country. Kevin visits with a wide range of people of different ethnic and economic backgrounds, from white gringos to indigenous activists. Out of the humorous and powerful anecdotes, which are compared against the realities and environments of Thompson's time, comes an engaging story. The conclusion Kevin reaches, which he freely admits, is unclear. While some readers may find this unsatisfying, I appreciated his candor. Sometimes the lessons that one learns from travel aren't entirely clear--wisdom isn't instantly bestowed like some magic force--and its a truth that many travel writers ignore. Really interesting read.

[Augusta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this while I was travelling around South America which made this book particularly interesting for me. Brian Kevin does an excellent job weaving his journeys with Hunter 's back in the 60s, as well as discussions of the political situations of the countries compared to how Hunter found the countries.

As a big-time Hunter fan, I really loved this because it gives a sense of what Hunter was like as a young man as well as reflecting on how his trip to South America helped to turn him into the acerbic, astute, Gonzo journalist that we remember to this day.

Kevin also makes some really astute observations about travelling along the way which also really stood out to me. For example, backpackers will often talk about having "done" things, like they are checking it off a list - "Have you done Machu Pichu yet?", another being that sometimes people will feel the need to hold you responsible for mistakes and failings of your country, and even though you might agree with that person, you feel an instantaneous need to fiercely defend your country.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Review from the Thompson Neophyte


While I do know a bit about Hunter S. Thompson, it's just a bit. I'm not a fan by any stretch of the imagination. But I love adventure and of rebellion. This seemed like the opportunity to vicariously live a bit while learning a little about Thompson.

From the point of view of a person who *isn't* a fan, Brian Kevin presents an engaging travelogue (sort of world's most dangerous places - lite!), a fascinating comparison between contemporary South American and historical South America, a glimpse at places way off the tourist track, and yes, a bit of the history of Hunter S. Thompson.

While the book did seem more about Kevin's own journey at times, for the Thompson neophyte, I learned a bit more about what made Thompson so fascinating. And I envied Kevin his journey.

The book offers an exciting adventure and a bit of inspiration.

4 Stars.

[katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part memoir, part historical research, part political commentary. Just the kind of thing I love to read. Follow Brian through the Hunter S. Thompson trail and learn about what has and hasn't changed since the Cold War, what South America is like, what it feels like to rip through a bumpy field in the back of a pickup truck, how US politics affect South Americans, or what it feels like to navigate a working mine with him. I seriously couldn't put this book down. Smart, engaging, occasionally funny, occasionally tragic. Brilliant.

[Kelly Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin makes for an enthusiastic and thoughtful travel companion as journeys through South America, retracing a journey Hunter S. Thompson made his gonzo days. Kevin's wry cultural observations helped me piece together a continent that I, except for a brief trip to Ecuador years ago, know very little about. Bit by bit, he weaves his small story against larger political contexts and the South America Thompson saw in 1963, creating a both entertaining and satisfying read. More than a dude abroad book.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I both read this book after watching the football World Cup reignited interest in South America. This book gave me some insight into the political history of some country's and the first half was lighter reading when he travelled with a friend . It seemed the author did learn some of what he was seeking . Worthwhile reading .

[Lucija · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read, yet somewhat frustrating. Instead of letting himself experience something new he was chasing past experiences that are impossible to recreate. I thought he will retracing the steps in geographical way and letting it happen. Instead he was searching for unreachable.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't care much for the all the Thompson juxtapositions but I did enjoy reading about the author's own travel experiences

[Kathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

very well written. unsurprisingly, I'm planning to backpack around South America. would have been interesting to read from a female perspective.

[Curt · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Bengt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little gonzo and lots of paseño geopolitics.

[Devan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m a massive HST fan so I scooped this book up at a thrift store as I was leery of the author’s intentions.

I don’t like giving bad reviews but this book was awful.. A very vapid man who enjoys meandering around, avoiding any authentic experiences with fellow travellers or any form of nightlife is trying to show his authentic connection to a man who dives head first into authentic experiences, night life, and the strange and odd? There’s no chemistry and it’s a bit insulting to the king of gonzo to even attempt to say that you have “pursued” his travel trails. Wow, you went to a few same places as someone and regurgitated some politics, you must be the very spirit of Hunter himself…. Stick to writing derivative guidebooks and keep HST far away from whatever you are doing.

The book died when Sky left. He was a glimpse into what should have been.

Using someone like HST to try and sell your book is just sad.

[Ernest Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really took me away from the quarantine. Brian Kevin not only pays tribute to Thompson, but creates an entertaining, thoughtful, well-researched travelogue with a keen eye for gonzo details. I learned a few things about Thompson, and now have a clearer picture of 21st century South America.
I'm curious about what he plans to do next, hoping for Search for (North) America book.