The Hard Way Out: My Life with the Hells Angels and Why I Turned Against Them

by Jerry Langton, Dave Atwell

The shocking true story of a Canadian biker turned informant, in the vein of Gangland Undercover and Under and Alone, now a national bestseller

Dave Atwell was a regular suburban Canadian kid who rose to the heights of society, rubbing elbows with billionaires as a personal security specialist before getting involved with some of the country’s most notorious gangsters as a member of first the Para-Dice Riders and then the Hells Angels. He was sergeant-at-arms for Toronto’s notorious Downtown chapter of the Hells Angels, and he saw it the drug trafficking, the violence and the structure of the organization. First his involvement with the gang cost him his career in personal security, and then it threatened to cost him everything.

Atwell opted to work with the police, becoming the highest-ranking Hells Angel in history to co-operate with law enforcement. Wearing the gang’s colours as a soldier among the men who called him a brother, Atwell reported the Hells Angels’ activities to law enforcement. He risked his life providing valuable information aimed at taking down the club.

In the harrowing and revelatory The Hard Way Out, Atwell retraces his days living a dual life as both biker and informant, surrounded by major drug trafficking and the violent, paranoid and increasingly suspicious bikers who stood to lose their livelihoods and potentially their freedom unless they found the rat they knew was hidden in their midst. Written by bestselling crime author Jerry Langton, this is a high-octane true story that will have you on the edge of your seat.

 

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Crime, Biography Memoir, Memoir, Canada

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2017

Reviews

[Chris Steeden · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘There are bikers, and then there are Hells Angels. Everybody, including cops, other bikers, women, everybody—looks at you differently when you’re wearing the death’s head patch. You get a lot of respect. And it’s a different life. It’s more than being part of a club; it’s a job, it’s a career, it’s a lifestyle. To put on the Hells Angels patch is to get something very rare and very valuable—something a precious few have ever experienced—but something that also comes at great cost.’

Atwell was from a suburb in east Toronto called Scarborough. His early life was that of just a normal family. He goes over his initial career choice which was working for a security firm protecting VIPs to then joining the Para-Dice Riders. He had not been a member long before the Hells Angels take over. This is from an article I read ‘There was a vote, and 51 per cent of the Para-Dice Riders decided to join the Hells Angels. The other 49 per cent could remain Para-Dice Riders, and many did. My friends were part of the 51 per cent, so I went with them.’

As I write this, I am 49 per cent through the book. No juicy Hells Angels stories as yet. Let’s see what transpires in the next 51 percent after a solid but no frills build up. There are some interesting insights about being in the Hells Angels, ‘We were not a motorcycle club anymore. Riding was barely on our agenda. It certainly wasn’t our focus. Making money was.’

That’s the rub to be honest. Of course, there is partying but no happy-go-lucky biker stories. It is all a bit stale but this seems to be because of this, ‘The guys weren’t Hells Angels because they wanted to ride bikes and have a good time together; they were all in it for themselves’. He means being drug dealers primarily and earning money through that.

The book is very readable though and you can whip through it at a fair rate but I was expecting more. To do what he did an turn against the Hell’s Angels was an immense undertaking as he details.

[Ian Coutts · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a big fan of what I call biker lit. Tell-all, no-holds-barred tales that rip along as fast as a Harley and hit harder than a biker's fist. Of course, the dirty little secret of the genre is that no one reads it to be better informed about the criminal menace these outlaws represent. Nah, they read it to live the life vicariously. I guess Dave Atwell's book (Langton is the ghost) delivers on that, somewhat, but there is a defensive tone to the book that bugged me after a while. I don't mind a guy trying to go straight, even if it means turning against his former friends, but I don't think Atwell had any kind of moral crisis or insight. Shopping the Hells Angels was the easiest way he could figure to get out of the life.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I grabbed this book, I was definitely hoping for a whole lot more about what goes on within the Hell's Angels and other bike gangs. Clearly Atwell wasn't involved in some of the darker dealings with which motorcycle gangs are typically associated. More time was spent on how he got into the lifestyle than the inside of the notorious world. If you want a book about how to become a security guard or a list of name droppings, this is the read for you.

[Byron Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been kind of fascinated with books about bikers. They are obvious criminals out in plain sight that somehow seem to get away with it.

This book does a nice job of showing the biker way of life at a fairly high level. It doesn't talk about a lot of detailed interactions between people. This one gives you a sense of what it's like at a high level instead. As a side effect, I suspect it sanitizes the experience.

You can't help but form an opinion about Dave Atwell the subject of the book. He seems to have a bit of a moral compass at the end, but at the same time, I'd have to say lack of a moral compass got him where he was. I wanted to like the guy but at the same time got the uneasy feeling that in the wrong circumstance he could be needlessly violent.

An interesting read overall.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, though not so much for the stories he tells (many are about being a security guard before joining the Hells Angels) but because it's strangely fascinating to see him make life and death decisions without giving much thought to the consequences.

[Marc · Rating 2 out of 5]

The hard way out of this book is finding that the author's time as a security guard is as interesting as he's gonna get

[Willow Grier · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting parts but overall not a great delivery. There is a lot of repetition and jumping around and it was pretty hard to get into because of that.

[Leanne Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. Honest and real, but not melodramatic. He provides a lot of details and explains how the MC’s operate. It’s all very interesting and fascinating. Also, he comes across as a truly decent guy. He never blames anyone but himself for everything that happened in his life. I respect that. I sincerely hope he is living a happy life somewhere now. It made me so sad to know he’ll never see his dad again.

[Jason Saunders · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book lacked content. Atwell and Langton portray Atwell's involvement with the Hells Angel's mc (as sergeant of arms none-the-less) as nothing more than an innocent bystander. Only breaking the law with with a little, occasional recreational drug use......come on!! Where are the details?!? You do not act as the sergeant of arms with the Hell's Angels without getting your hands very dirty.

If the Authors had been more honest and included stories of Atwell's experiences in his role with the HA this book would've been exponentially better. I compare this to Lorne Campbell's (Peter Edwards) autobiography, both were poorly structured and written. However, at least Lorne was honest about his illegal activity making it better than this one.

This book felt like a plea from Atwell to the Angel's members to try to understand his position as he attempts rationalize and even generate sympanthy for the path he has chosen.

[Harry Jayy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dave Atwell really tries to portray himself as a bit of martyr in here - and tries to make the reader believe that he really had no idea of what he was getting into with the bikers. Most of the book is Dave talking about himself with mostly just pointless and senseless stories. Finally when it gets to the juicy bits - it’s rushed; no real detail and no serious cliff hangers.

Terrible book to say the least

[Kristy Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read

Quick read and well written. Left me feeling really bad for him...even if he did Betray them. Hope his new life goes well

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

Had some interesting events. Slow story.Not much details on the real 1 % ways and criminal activities.Not Surprised no one got much jail time.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about Dave's progression through security jobs in shopping centres to VIP protection, mingling with the Para-Dice Riders, joining the club, drug dealing when he loses his security work, and his eventual patching to the Hells Angels, before his spilling the beans on his brothers to the Police, ending up with a life in the witness protection program.

What was achieved? Some Hells Angels ended up with prison sentences. The Hells Angels as an outfit was temporarily inconvenienced. Drugs will flow back onto the streets in no time. The war on drugs is a criminal waste of money. It is achieving nothing.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as memoirs go for this type of book, this one was light on the biker Intel ,
It was a good read just light on the darkness of what I have previously read with regard to gangs. Yes it was a memoir I get it ! Main characters rise into "life as a Hell Angel" and falling into the role of an "informant" could have used more detail and drama into why he needed out and/ or found himself in that particular situation . More on His grip, feelings in coming to terms with never seeing his aging father . A tiny bit more on life in witness protection too . Good read

[Ray Savarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read 1st person journey from Football/hockey player, who wasn't interested in college, worked thru several lower-level jobs until he got to "security" (bouncer) at a club, which led to getting to know bikers, to joining them, to them getting absorbed by the Hells Angels.
A look into a life very different from mine, but someone who is intelligent and basically good, being changed by his surroundings and choice of associates, slowly, over time.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always interested in tell-all books,I picked this one up because it brought back some childhood memories at a Brampton park. I really like how the story was told and although it was a look inside a biker club it really made me feel for anyone who falls into crime by circumstance. It was an eye opener but also a very true look at what people
perceive from the outside looking in.

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read but I can’t help but feel like Atwell is a coward for selling his brothers out just to get out of the MC. A lot of it seems to be post hoc moralizing and rationalizing of his decision when it seems to me that he pretty much just wanted to get out the best and safest way he could, which involved him screwing over his brothers and making a few dollars out of it.

[Jenna Bateman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the narrator quite cocky, which I guess is likely reflective of the personality of a Hells Angels member, but as a reader it initiated a lot of eye rolls. Overall the story was interesting but I can’t say I’d highly recommend it to a friend or anything.

[Chelsea Glasow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book:) 1/3 way through was a bit boring but other than that I really liked it, especially for someone who isn’t super into memoirs. Cool to see how the “life” really is and that it’s not what it’s chalked up to be in the end.

[Dave B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book, but author is clearly not an experienced writer and spent so long in the build up, that the actual subject of the book, I.e.that he turned informant was skimmed over in last tenth of book

[Sima · Rating 5 out of 5]

clear and honest view ibon life within athe Hells Angels and what he had to do to get out.

[Elise Harper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disingenuous, self-serving, lots of BS. Really only of interest to me as a local girl, not too much younger than Mr. Atwell.

[Philip Carman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly, very interesting

[Genevieve Quintin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many character with lack of emotional connections. They are "good guy" tot he writer so they all sound like the same guy. I wish there would have been more emotion described.

[Kori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a huge fan. Long winded and lots of details that really don’t go anywhere as far as the story goes. Boring and pretty uneventful considering what most would expect from a book about bikers.

[Matt Rochefort · Rating 1 out of 5]

RAT BITCH

[Mikey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look into the experience of a hells angels biker. It was a decent read, but I felt like it could have used some more fleshing out and the end of the book felt rushed through.

[Dawne MacInnis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and interesting read.

[Stephanie Newberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not at all what I thought it would be. A bit of slow reading at times.

[Virginia Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Atwell was a regular suburban Canadian kid who grew up to work as a personal Security specialist rubbing elbows with billionaires. A member of first the Para-Dice Riders, his life changed when the Hells Angels took over that club and Atwell became sergeant-at-arms for Toronto’s notorious Downtown chapter of the Hells Angels with its drug trafficking and the violence. After loosing his job in security, Atwell became disillusioned with the gang and agreed to work with the police undercover, risking his life to provide information aimed at taking down the club. Told to crime author Jerry Langton in a simple, straightforward style, this is mesmerizing story that will keep you reading even if you know nothing about gangs and motorcycles.