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The Mammoth Book of Bikers
Drawing on 17 years of studying and participating in biker culture, Arthur Veno has compiled the ultimate collection of original biker writing. Here are insider accounts of landmark incidents in bike folklore, plus reprints of classic writing from biker - originated magazines, handouts, websites, and books. Gangs featured include the Bandidos, Hells Angels, Henchmen MC, the Outlaws, the Mongols, Annihilators, the Diablos, Gypsy Jokers, the Rebels, the Straight Satans, and the Vagos. Contributors include Freewheelin' Frank (one-time secretary of Hells Angels), Edward Winterhalder (among the most powerful members of the Bandidos), and Sonny Barger (founder of the Hells Angels). Also included are those rare accounts by outsiders who have managed successfully to "look in" on the gangs: including Hunter S. Thompson in his Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Modern Saga; William Queen, the undercover agent who infiltrated America's violent outlaw motorcycle gang the Mongols; and Daniel R. Wolf's account of riding with the Rebels.
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 17, 2017
With a wide superficial variety and an evident lack of proofreading, this collection of essays tries not to pick sides and ends up being far too inclusive in terms of both quality and theme. Four primary viewpoints on outlaw motorcycle culture emerge from the rabble of disparate voices, on a spectrum ranging from club leaders' memoirs to second-hand warnings passed on by the most credulous of police:
1) That of outlaw bikers, who view themselves as participants in a rigidly codified yet freewheeling countercultural lifestyle that isn't inherently criminal, with the real focus being planning and executing semi-annual "runs" that amount to group camping with all-night parties.
2) That of journalists, for whom the more nuanced and long-form in their writing they are, the more sympathetic towards bikers and understanding of their ethos they tend to be.
3) That of sociologists, anthropologists, and other "experts," who seem to fixate on thoroughly debunked accusations of normalized gang rape and a fanciful notion that every biker has several prostitutes in his employ.
4) That of the law enforcement community, particularly the RCMP of Canada, who seem to feel that the cultural equivalent of Ghengis Khan's entire horde of mounted barbarians being sworn into the Sicilian mafia has occurred in Ontario.
Several of the essays were so sensationalist that it was difficult to finish them, while others were less self-serious (and consequently more believable) chronicles of an alternative lifestyle that were fun to read. The strongest writing belongs to Hunter S. Thompson, William Murray, Bob "Bitchin" Lipkin, and Ralph "Sonny" Barger (who had help).
An interesting pattern I recognized was regarding the apparent wave of violence that occurs when the big four clubs spread to new counties, as native clubs fight with each other to prove their right to a major charter, and then to delineate new territorial boundaries once those charters are granted, and how it's actually very much against the interests of the major clubs for inter-club "wars" between newly adopted charters to last for very long, as the only circumstance under which the clubs can exist is one in which they aren't literally outlawed entirely by a politically-goosed authority with the full mandate of a terrorized local citizenry.
In all, I could have done with a lot less Canada-centrism, no more than one article from the trade journal of Canadian Mounties (the RCMP Gazette), and half as many essays from PhDs who you can tell were drooling at their typewriters. The more evenhanded journalists and insider accounts made the journey worthwhile, but anyone who stands to benefit professionally from exaggerating a perceived threat should be read with suspicion, particularly when they're writing about a subculture as secluded, sensationalized, and popularly misunderstood as that of the outlaw motorcyclists. If there's one meta-takeaway from these 40 essays it's that perhaps no other subculture in the world has been so thoroughly overanalyzed, scapegoated, rendered larger than life, and generally bullshitted about as outlaw bikers, and the Hells Angels in particular, so tread lightly and carry a skeptical attitude. You'll need it.
1) That of outlaw bikers, who view themselves as participants in a rigidly codified yet freewheeling countercultural lifestyle that isn't inherently criminal, with the real focus being planning and executing semi-annual "runs" that amount to group camping with all-night parties.
2) That of journalists, for whom the more nuanced and long-form in their writing they are, the more sympathetic towards bikers and understanding of their ethos they tend to be.
3) That of sociologists, anthropologists, and other "experts," who seem to fixate on thoroughly debunked accusations of normalized gang rape and a fanciful notion that every biker has several prostitutes in his employ.
4) That of the law enforcement community, particularly the RCMP of Canada, who seem to feel that the cultural equivalent of Ghengis Khan's entire horde of mounted barbarians being sworn into the Sicilian mafia has occurred in Ontario.
Several of the essays were so sensationalist that it was difficult to finish them, while others were less self-serious (and consequently more believable) chronicles of an alternative lifestyle that were fun to read. The strongest writing belongs to Hunter S. Thompson, William Murray, Bob "Bitchin" Lipkin, and Ralph "Sonny" Barger (who had help).
An interesting pattern I recognized was regarding the apparent wave of violence that occurs when the big four clubs spread to new counties, as native clubs fight with each other to prove their right to a major charter, and then to delineate new territorial boundaries once those charters are granted, and how it's actually very much against the interests of the major clubs for inter-club "wars" between newly adopted charters to last for very long, as the only circumstance under which the clubs can exist is one in which they aren't literally outlawed entirely by a politically-goosed authority with the full mandate of a terrorized local citizenry.
In all, I could have done with a lot less Canada-centrism, no more than one article from the trade journal of Canadian Mounties (the RCMP Gazette), and half as many essays from PhDs who you can tell were drooling at their typewriters. The more evenhanded journalists and insider accounts made the journey worthwhile, but anyone who stands to benefit professionally from exaggerating a perceived threat should be read with suspicion, particularly when they're writing about a subculture as secluded, sensationalized, and popularly misunderstood as that of the outlaw motorcyclists. If there's one meta-takeaway from these 40 essays it's that perhaps no other subculture in the world has been so thoroughly overanalyzed, scapegoated, rendered larger than life, and generally bullshitted about as outlaw bikers, and the Hells Angels in particular, so tread lightly and carry a skeptical attitude. You'll need it.
September 16, 2022
Great if you are into biking.
October 16, 2012
Ignore the corny title. Edited by Arthur Veno this is a collection of over 40 accounts of bikers and the outlaw lifestyle divided into sections covering the birth of the phenomenon, through the lifestyle including women’s perspectives, crime, biker wars and finally police infiltration and snitches. It gives an admirably balanced anthology and makes for a good primer and pointer to other literature on the subject.
For more biker book reviews visit http://bad-press.co.uk/the-brethren-t...
For more biker book reviews visit http://bad-press.co.uk/the-brethren-t...
September 24, 2020
I enjoyed this book, it was purely a pleasure read, and that's exactly what I got out of it. There were some very intriguing, and often harrowing stories contained within. It was good to actually learn how biker club culture began, and became what it is today, as well as the histories of some of the more notorious of the outlaw motorcycle clubs. Recommended for those who have an interest on the subject.
August 23, 2010
I guess I finally got tired of reading about bikers. They don't seem so interesting anymore. Time to read something else. I did find the essay by the Martha Stewart of Biker Chicks to be both entertaining and depressing...
June 15, 2014
Loved this book. You dont need to read every page to get the jist because every chapter is someone new talking about another subject. Skimming helps. Also, reading other OMC material helps to understand what the hell is going on.
February 20, 2009
interesting, varying points of view of one percenter motorcycle clubs.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews