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Outlaws: Inside the Hell's Angel Biker Wars: Inside the Violent World of Biker Gangs
An outlaw motorcycle club is a band of brothers like no other. Hidden away from mainstream society behind multiple layers of secrecy, mythology and a sophisticated campaign of misinformation that portrays them as nothing more than loveable rogues, the brutal truth about the biker world has long escaped public scrutiny. In reality, today's outlaw bikers are at the epicentre of a violent underworld subculture, enforced by a ruthless code of silence, and control a global criminal empire worth millions. Spanning the UK, Europe, America, Canada and Australia, OUTLAWS is a compelling, shocking and chilling story of how bikers are born and made, and how and why they die.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2011
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449 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 2, 2018
More brass balls biker adventures, this time in the U.K. This is the story of Daniel "Snake Dog" Boone, and the rise of the British branch of the Outlaws M.C. Lots of fights and mayhem, but a fair bit of padding, too. I suspect that author Tony Thompson realized that he didn't have quite enough material for a stand-alone book, so we get plenty of side trips to look at biker wars in Australia, Scandinavia and what have you. These aren't always relevant, but I suspect that the audience for this book -- and most biker books come to that -- won't really care. The more stories, the better, and don't sweat the question of relevance too much. From my own reading, and what I've learned over the years, I'm not convinced that he gets all his biker lore right -- there were few little points that gave me pause. Still, a fun few hours.
August 19, 2013
Thompson paints a vivid picture of a world rarely seen by the common eye. Daniel Boone is swept up into dangerously thrilling situations that left me on the edge of my seat at all times. The combination of action, suspense and drama throughout the novel was fantastic. I am extremely fond of Thompson's writing style and it embodied the feel of the tale well. This novel is a must-read for curious minds and thrill seekers alike.
Even though the glossary of slang words was a little difficult to use, it was helpful and appreciated for the rare times that context didn't do the trick.
I received this book for free through the Goodreads First Reads program.
Even though the glossary of slang words was a little difficult to use, it was helpful and appreciated for the rare times that context didn't do the trick.
I received this book for free through the Goodreads First Reads program.
February 15, 2024
Brutal, gut-wrenching and so graphic. Disturbing indeed how much people come together and decide to do bad things all in the name of ‘brotherhoof’.
October 8, 2020
Outlaws: One Man's rise through the Savage World of Renegade Bikers, Hell's Angels, and Global Crime by Tony Thompson is an account of of one man's experience in outlaw biker world. Thompson is regarded as one of Britain’s top true-crime writers and appears regularly on radio and television as an expert on crime. Previously, he was the crime correspondent for the Observer.
I grew up on the southeast side of Cleveland in a very safe neighborhood with many immigrant families, some didn't even speak English: only Polish. There was a clear dividing line where safety ended: Miles Avenue. Right on the boarder, just past the Harley Davidson shop, spray painted in large letters, high on a building facing Miles Avenue, was a sign reading “God Forgives, Outlaws Don't”. I never gave it much thought, the bikers were always "cool" with me, the paperboy. I grew up almost never seeing a police car in our neighborhood. It was peaceful. When a fire broke out in a house down the street, the house was quickly surrounded by bikers... manning hoses. The fire was out before the fire department arrived. That was the late 1960s through the mid-1970s. Things change: There was a war with the Hells Angels in the mid-70s, not in my neighborhood, but as the paperboy I read about it. The neighborhood is now barely recognizable. The Harley shop moved deep into the suburbs. Motorcycles were a big part of my life well into adulthood. I owned mostly Triumphs and worked for a Harley dealership while finishing up graduate school.
I knew there was a much darker side to the outlaw biker clubs. Most people know that. Creating a safe neighborhood helps its public image and more importantly for the club, keeps the police away. Biker culture has been documented, by people like Hunter S. Thompson. It also has been sensationalized by the reporting at Hollister and the Brando's role in The Wild One. Thompson's book does something that really hasn't been done since Hunter S. Thompson; it gives an insiders view not just of a local club but a world view. Although, centered on a English club formed by several small clubs coming together for their own protection. The book is based on the real life experiences of Daniel Boone.
Outlaws covers three continents and the internal and external politics of the major biker clubs as international organizations. The Outlaws (both British and American would eventually combine), The Hells Angels, The Mongols, The Pagans, The Banditos, and local English clubs are all included in the book. The story telling is outstanding and vivid. There were a few times that I thought I wanted to get back to that movie...uh book. Reading it gave the impression that I was actually seeing the events, something not very common in nonfiction. Thompson, through Boone captures the good and the bad of the the biker culture and it's growth and increasing criminal involvement. It goes inside the rules of the clubs and the relations between different clubs. It also goes into the day to day life of the bikers themselves.
An outstanding read and will show the reader the difference from the weekend Harley dress-up rider and an outlaw biker. It goes deep into a society that is closed off to most people. Simply an outstanding read.
I grew up on the southeast side of Cleveland in a very safe neighborhood with many immigrant families, some didn't even speak English: only Polish. There was a clear dividing line where safety ended: Miles Avenue. Right on the boarder, just past the Harley Davidson shop, spray painted in large letters, high on a building facing Miles Avenue, was a sign reading “God Forgives, Outlaws Don't”. I never gave it much thought, the bikers were always "cool" with me, the paperboy. I grew up almost never seeing a police car in our neighborhood. It was peaceful. When a fire broke out in a house down the street, the house was quickly surrounded by bikers... manning hoses. The fire was out before the fire department arrived. That was the late 1960s through the mid-1970s. Things change: There was a war with the Hells Angels in the mid-70s, not in my neighborhood, but as the paperboy I read about it. The neighborhood is now barely recognizable. The Harley shop moved deep into the suburbs. Motorcycles were a big part of my life well into adulthood. I owned mostly Triumphs and worked for a Harley dealership while finishing up graduate school.
I knew there was a much darker side to the outlaw biker clubs. Most people know that. Creating a safe neighborhood helps its public image and more importantly for the club, keeps the police away. Biker culture has been documented, by people like Hunter S. Thompson. It also has been sensationalized by the reporting at Hollister and the Brando's role in The Wild One. Thompson's book does something that really hasn't been done since Hunter S. Thompson; it gives an insiders view not just of a local club but a world view. Although, centered on a English club formed by several small clubs coming together for their own protection. The book is based on the real life experiences of Daniel Boone.
Outlaws covers three continents and the internal and external politics of the major biker clubs as international organizations. The Outlaws (both British and American would eventually combine), The Hells Angels, The Mongols, The Pagans, The Banditos, and local English clubs are all included in the book. The story telling is outstanding and vivid. There were a few times that I thought I wanted to get back to that movie...uh book. Reading it gave the impression that I was actually seeing the events, something not very common in nonfiction. Thompson, through Boone captures the good and the bad of the the biker culture and it's growth and increasing criminal involvement. It goes inside the rules of the clubs and the relations between different clubs. It also goes into the day to day life of the bikers themselves.
An outstanding read and will show the reader the difference from the weekend Harley dress-up rider and an outlaw biker. It goes deep into a society that is closed off to most people. Simply an outstanding read.
November 2, 2024
I didn't finish the whole thing for starters. I got to the last 50 or so pages and put it down. We follow Daniel Boone's story throughout his life of being a member or the U. K's section of the Outlaw's MC. It's nothing I haven't heard before other than it takes place internationally as opposed to the U.S. The book really isn't exciting and doesn't really develop; there is a constant reoccurring theme of an incident either in Ireland, Scandinavia or even Australia of a shootout pre and post five eyes gun control. A lot of it I already knew, like how "Taco" Bowman had the Warlock's president in Daytona Florida killed but it was interesting to hear the back story about that.
It was educational on how the M.C international scene arose but the stories were just plain and not really surprising after page 200. At this point I have read virtually every notable book on the top 1% biker gangs, and I have had enough. This book does have objective reporting which I will praise but it was too plain towards the end as to why I didn't finish it. When I was riding, I always kept an eye on the H.A's or Mongols and seldom saw outlaw or Vagos patches. Pagan's usually don't travel past Texas by my calculation`s as they have the reputation of being the under-intelligent types.
I feel this is the last book on biker gangs for someone who is studying them should read. Informative but very stale and repetitive.
It was educational on how the M.C international scene arose but the stories were just plain and not really surprising after page 200. At this point I have read virtually every notable book on the top 1% biker gangs, and I have had enough. This book does have objective reporting which I will praise but it was too plain towards the end as to why I didn't finish it. When I was riding, I always kept an eye on the H.A's or Mongols and seldom saw outlaw or Vagos patches. Pagan's usually don't travel past Texas by my calculation`s as they have the reputation of being the under-intelligent types.
I feel this is the last book on biker gangs for someone who is studying them should read. Informative but very stale and repetitive.
November 3, 2017
one of America’s most violent biker clubs’ code of silence, Daniel “Snake Dog” Boone spoke to Thompson or Reefer Men about 30 years after the he left the gang, luridly drawing the curtain back on the notorious Outlaws. Boone says, “To truly understand, you have to be there, you have to live through it, or at least hear it from someone who did. That’s why I’m talking.” The book is about the life he lived and what he saw while in the gang Hell’s Angels. In The book he talks about the kinds of crimes they take part of and how they do them. The book takes place all over the gang used to be small now they have gone global doing crimes everywhere. One of the nice thing of the book that I like most is when he talks about all the crimes that they committed. I find stuff like that very interesting and funny, because you have to be really dumb to do some of the stuff they did and still do. Another nice thing is the flow of the book it goes smooth and doesn't go from one topic to another then back to the first. I really like that the story is being told by a ex member of the gang, because that means he was there in person so you know the story is somewhat true. One bad thing about the story is that you can tell that some parts are made up and that kind of ruins the story. Overall it was a very good book and i would recommend it if you like to read about crime or biker gangs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. Often times we are given a romanticized version of outlaw biker life but this book does a great job of showing the more realistic side of things, like always having to look over your shoulder for fear of being attacked.
October 15, 2023
I thought this had potential, but like most books of a former MC club insider telling their story, they seem to white wash over anything that makes them or their club (former) look bad. Thompsons writing is fine, and the story is entertaining, but it definitely has that “edited for content” feel
February 7, 2019
👍
Great read.This book keeps you wanting to read more and gives you a good feel of what a back patch MC member goes through.
Great read.This book keeps you wanting to read more and gives you a good feel of what a back patch MC member goes through.
January 19, 2020
A real eye opener.
A fantastic, factual read from start to finish. You may have heard the rumours but now you can read the truth
A fantastic, factual read from start to finish. You may have heard the rumours but now you can read the truth
October 30, 2020
All time favorite book. Gets you hooked right away.such an interesting way to live
Read
August 17, 2023Brilliant
This was incredibly well written, keeping me gripped right to the end. I was sorry not to read more about Boone he was an extremely interesting personality.
This was incredibly well written, keeping me gripped right to the end. I was sorry not to read more about Boone he was an extremely interesting personality.
December 9, 2013
I won this book from Goodreads Firstreads. As a true crime novel, the story is told from a rebel biker member named Daniel "Snake Dog" Boone's perspective. Overall, I liked this book. I have never researched and have no prior knowledge pertaining to motorcycle clubs; I had no idea what the term "one-percenter" even meant. The man who tells his story was involved with a club called the Outlaws (from the UK). I felt that the author did a great job with the facts of many clubs' histories, but at times I became lost in dates.
As this is not a book that I would have normally picked up at a bookstore, I am pleased to have won and read accounts of high profile lives in biker history. I found myself constantly trying to pull up images of the named individuals and concurrent stories. Well written and interesting read!
As this is not a book that I would have normally picked up at a bookstore, I am pleased to have won and read accounts of high profile lives in biker history. I found myself constantly trying to pull up images of the named individuals and concurrent stories. Well written and interesting read!
October 16, 2012
Firstly, ignore the various subtitles the publishers are attaching to this in order to attract sales. Secondly, if you are at all interested in knowing more about the outlaw biking scene, get yourself a copy, Tony Thompson was the crime correspondent for The Observer newspaper and knows how to write. This is the biography of an ex-member of a UK one-percenter club and shows how the club and its members grew and changed as the UK outlaw scene developed.
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...
May 20, 2015
Interesting look at the world of criminal motorcycle gangs. I wish the author had focused more on U.S. gangs (he spends a lot of time on Australian, British, Irish, etc. gangs). Luckily, from what the author says, all MCs are more or less the same beast. After watching a few seasons of, "Sons of Anarchy," was curious what was real/Hollywood. Apparently, the show's closer to reality than I had ever suspected.
January 28, 2016
Outlaws is an outline of biker history through Boone, formerly of one of the biggest MCs in the world. For anyone wondering about the biker world, but too scared to engage in it, this is a good way for them to become knowledgeable about it. I think that it does better than the show Gangland by going more in depth. The ending makes it clear that, after a while, devotion to the club can only lead to either leaving the club or dying for it.
March 1, 2013
With a style that never glorifies but doesn't illustrate any kind of personal judgement on the individuals documented Tony Thompson is probably my favourite true crime author. He lets the sequence of events speak for themselves. There is also evidence of novelists flare when recounting landmark events such as The Milperra Massacre & the murder of Gerry Tobin in more specific detail.
October 16, 2013
I loved this book because I am fascinated with how this world works. Not to mention that the book is very well written and it is easy to get sucked into the characters. I have been drawn into Sons of Anarchy on FX, but have felt that some of the scenarios seemed a bit too far fetched. After reading this book, SOA seems pretty spot on. Highly recommended.
October 7, 2015
A bikie book detailing how the bikie group The Outlaws originally formed in the UK, their history of how they were a bunch of small clubs that joined together to gain strength as a bigger club against the Hells Angels. There were some interesting bits, a lot of anecdotes and history about bikie groups in Europe, USA and Australia too.
February 3, 2012
An interesting, modern, perspective of biker gangs. Especially interesting because it is UK based. Read this after Jay Dobbyns and Hunter S Thomson's books. The same characters crop up and certain things will make more sense.
December 18, 2013
An excellent book if a) you like to live vicariously and b) you have ever wondered what your life would have been like had you decided to join a violent and criminal motorcycle gang in England. (I’m glad I didn’t).
May 7, 2014
Hugely engaging book. Thompson weaves a fascinating tale of the real life MC world that I couldn't put down. Even if you have no interest in this world, you will be drawn in completely. I highly recommend it.
September 30, 2014
This book was really interesting. a look into a violent criminal world of which I would never be able to live. interesting insight into the biker's way of life, conduct, and code. now I'm going to have to start watching Sons of Anarchy series.
February 12, 2014
Fascinating read :)
September 7, 2016
I am a huge Sons of anarchy fan and this book was a lot like the show, but true stories. Loved it.
March 1, 2014
Did not like it. Took forever to connect to the characters and the story lines then didn't really care what happened next. Two demensional and blah. Forget about this one and move to another book.
February 2, 2015
Enjoyable and easy reading, but I'm taking the stories within with a huge pinch of salt.
March 27, 2015
holy moly this book was the worst shit i've ever read. Definitly had some funny parts , but the whole thing was a fucking lie.
January 6, 2016
Absolutely fascinating look into the history of the Outlaws in England. I would definitely recommend this, although it would have been nice to see the pictures that accompanied the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews