Chopper

by Peter Cave, Nigel Wingrove (Illustrator), Chris Bell (Illustrator)

"Chopper moved into position. The skinhead was still bent double. Bringing up his knee, Chopper felt with satisfaction the scrunch of broken bone as the kid's nose made contact. The kid went down, while blows from boots rained upon his body. He lay groaning, spitting out gouts of deep red blood and pieces of broken teeth.

" 'Don't ever pull a blade on an Angel.' snapped Freaky before they left the kid. 'It's not friendly.' "

This is the story of Chopper, of his bike, his pills, his girls and his violent bid for gang leadership. Author Peter Cave tells like never before how a greaser grows up to become a fallen Angel.

152 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1971

About the author

At various times, British author Peter Cave has been a reporter and an newspaper editor and a magazine editor. He is best known in literary circles for the number of novelizations he has done for television shows.

Reviews

[C.A. A. Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the way the reader is presented with this twisted society of a motor bike cult gang (Hell's Angels) It is a pulp novel, of course, but enjoyable nonetheless. Reality is all around in 1970 London as our rather disagreeable character called Chopper wants to become head of the Hell's Angel chapter. It culminates into a grand little showdown. I enjoyed this novel much more than I expected to. 😃👍

[Lyn Wycherley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would very much ch to read this again. Thought it was great x

[M. Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A difficult read in many ways, this was a fairly enjoyable read with some disturbing ideas and a central character who is mostly very unlikeable.

[Chris Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pure cheesy pulp!

[Gavcrimson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not recommended reading for the fuzz or the average pig citizen, Chopper did more than most paperbacks, when it came to demonizing the British Hells Angels in the eyes of the older generation, while no doubt making them look like the coolest people on earth to the young. By rights author Peter Cave should have become an icon to 13 year old boys back then. It's the perfect under the bed sheets, read with a torch, book full of rude words, violent run-ins with skinheads, gang bangs, drug use, drinking, pornographic descriptions of sex and anti-social behavior. All committed by bikers with names like Chopper, Big M, Danny the Deathlover, Grass, Freaky and err... Ethel.

Cave and his fellow travellers at New English Library successfully took American biker culture and gave it a 1970s brit-grot makeover. Relocating it to a world of greasy spoon cafes, council estates, rising racial tensions and run down holiday camps. Cave here also demonstrates an insider knowledge of Piccadilly Circus after dark with the references to cottaging and junkies congregating around Boots.

Rich in trashy incident, there is no padding or dull spots, and Cave did have a hilarious way with words "the plump cheeks of her bottom quivered like a jelly on springs", "grass rides a hog like a prick and rides a woman like a dog". It's a book that grabs you by the balls, then throws beer in your face....nuff' said, man.

Video extra: Me, Clive and Nick marvel at Chopper , while puzzling over the comparatively lack of British biker movies and imagining a world in which Cannon made movie adaptations of Guy N Smith's crabs books.

youtu.be/2VGoGw_XZ1k?si=ihiwppWImpBG_MTC

[Rob Wiltsher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this at school when all others were reading about skinheads and suedeheads. Never stopped reading it since but the follow-up ('Mama ') was absolute tosh.

[Marcus Blakeston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d forgotten how good this one is. It’s not as far fetched as the other 1970s UK Hells Angel books I’ve been re-reading lately, and the writing is above average for this type of book.