The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman

The Fear and Loathing Letters #1

by Hunter S. Thompson

Before there was Gonzo, there was just plain Hunter -- a precocious, earnest, and occasionally troublesome honor student in Louisville, Kentucky.

Before there was Doctor Thompson, there was Airman Thompson -- the military's answer to Grantland Rice, protecting America by covering sports for his Florida base's newspaper.

Before there was Fear and Loathing ,there was Dow Jones -- that is, Thompson's early reportage for that company's National Observer , which raised the standard for hip and provocative foreign coverage.

Before there was Rolling Stone , there were job applications everywhere -- in hopes of being hired by a paper, pretty much any paper, an obsession for the starving writer with expensive tastes in alcohol, nicotine, and room service.

In The Proud Highway , readers will find a Hunter S. Thompson they've imagined but never known. With the publication of these extraordinary letters, written from the time of his high school graduation in 1955 through the triumph of his first book, Hell's Angels , in 1966, critics and fans can finally trace the development and maturation of a singular talent, one of our era's most important voices. How Thompson changed the face of contemporary nonfiction -- and of America itself -- is the mesmerizing story of The Proud Highway .

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Journalism, Memoir, Politics, History, Biography Memoir

683 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 1997

About the author

Hunter Stockton Thompson (1937-2005) was an American journalist and author, famous for his book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to such a degree that they become the central figures of their stories. He is also known for his promotion and use of psychedelics and other mind-altering substances (and to a lesser extent, alcohol and firearms), his libertarian views, and his iconoclastic contempt for authority. He committed suicide in 2005.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as I love Hell's Angels and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, this just might be my favorite book with the name Thompson on the cover. These letters were my company and inspiration during a summer of frenetic traveling a few years ago. I read them in a small town in Russia, in a friend's apartment in Kiev, and in a Greyhound bus passing through the Rockies. When I revisit them now, they simply remind me to travel, write and live as fully as I can, before it's too late.

[Charlotte Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine having your dream job of writing, only to be fired 10 times in a row, to then squander in poverty for 10 years with your wife and child, following your dream.... only to become famous for putting yourself in the center of a true story about the Hells Angels where you were almost beaten to death. Hunter lived an extraordinary life, and this hilarious book gives a behind the scenes look from his own Letters. Incredibly, Hunter kept copies of over 10,000 letters he wrote - before photocopying existed - because he felt he was going to be famous one day and wanted to publish a book of his letters. This is the book, and they are unashamedly honest, from getting fired for attacking a vending machine, to skipping out on rent many times on unsuspecting landlords. All in the name of pursuing a dream of writing for a living. Often hilarious and always genius, I highly recommend this book. Give it a few chapters to get going, to the college and Air Force years.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Municipal Court Magistrate, Town Hall, West Milford, NJ November 6, 1959:

"Dear Sir,
Earlier today I was given a summons to appear before your court on November 9, on a charge of 'leaving the scene of an accident.' I shall have to decline this appearance, and I hope this letter will explain why. By November 9, I shall be well out of the state of New Jersey, but I don't want to leave without explaining my position..."

"So, faced with a choice of paying a minimum of $25 for falling off a motor scooter on a public road, and fleeing the state to avoid prosecution, I chose to leave the state. I am a free-lance writer and simply cannot affort to pay a fine of $25 or more at this time. And, since I obviously left the scene and am therefore guilty, I would have no choice but to go to jail in lieu of paying the fine..."

"So, we are all criminals: those of us who skid and fall on damp, unmarked roads, and those others who stop and give aid to the injured. If this situation is not patently ridiculous to you, then I can only congratulate myself on having the good sense to avoid an appearance in your court..."

To Judy:

"...P.S. Are you still getting fatter and fatter? My new address is on the back of this sheet. If you aren't too fat, how about sending me another picture of you. The two I have are a little old..."

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this four or five years ago, got about a fifth of the way through it and put it on the shelf. I guess I was wanting drug addled ranting at the time which is not really what this book is made of. However on picking the book up again recently in a more open and mature state of mind I found it to be a thoroughly good insight into the mans character and sometimes dire (mostly self-inflicated) situations he faced as a young man learning his trade.
The book is well edited with notes between the correspondences regarding the situations at hand and information on the characters involved.
I've read a couple of biographies on HST but this gives a much more in- depth understanding and altogether more complete idea not only of the man in question, but also the workings of the world of journalism and the general political state of the world at the time (which remains depressingly similar to the present).
For me the book started off as a bit of a slog but as progresses it builds into a compelling structure of HST's inner workings thats well worth the ride.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I can think is wow, what a crappy husband he was 😂

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't normally recommend a book of correspondence, but when it's Hunter S. Thompson the normal can be thrown out the window. As a young man in high school, he showed his incredible arrogance/confidence in saving almost everything he wrote, making carbon copies of his letters and noting that they would someday be published in book form, years before tasting any sort of fame. This book of letters reads almost like fiction. Hunter is forced to enlist in the Air Force to avoid a burglary conviction as a teenager. He talks his way into working as a sports reporter for the Air Force newspaper. He then talks his way into an early and honorable discharge to pursue his journalism career. Wasting no time, he writes letters to The New York Times applying for jobs which he is wholly unqualified for, telling them they will regret ignoring him (while often threatening physical violence). He also writes to prominent authors of the era, sometimes getting replies due to his incredible audacity. Included on this pre-fame Hunter anthology are letters to and from Tom Wolfe, William Kennedy, Norman Mailer, and of course the famous letter to President Lyndon Baines Johnson in which Hunter offers to be territorial governor of American Samoa, which was later withdrawn as Hunters protest for Johnson's Vietnam policy. In an early letter, written in a sense of desperation and depression due to his lack of success, Hunter says that he IS a writer, and will continue to write until he proves he is a writer or the world proves to him that he is not a writer but is, in fact, nothing. Reading this, I knew that Hinter was destined for fame and counter-culture glory, but I couldn't help but feel the desperation of continued failure of a young writer trying to make it, from Kentucky to New York and South America and San Francisco and Colorado. Towards the end of the book, Hunter lands on the best-sellers list with his wonderful book, Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga and does he double down and make a lot of money? No. He holes up in Colorado and gets into woodworking. A man who lives a life of paradox as a gun-toting, Governor Reagan hating, hippy baiting, Ayn Rand admiring, conservative/liberal, he continues to defy anyone's expectations of what he should be. The book closes, as it begins, with Hunter in desperate financial straights. But in the end we know that just a few years later the classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas will be written, ensuring that Hunter will be able to continue to waste his incredible talent by living on his iconoclastic personality and the idol of the individual (him), until he chooses to kill himself in old age (rather than fade away) and have his remains shot out of a cannon in his backyard with famous friends present, including Johnny Depp, Pat Buchanan, John Kerry, etc, etc, etc. Highly recommended for fans of HST, and lowly recommended for all other fans of literature. Avoid at all costs if you are trying to get by without making any waves.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My last exposure to Hunter S. Thompson was in high school, when I read the Rum Diary and of course Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; it's not to say I wasn't impressed, but after reading the Proud Highway I am completed..enamored..? by Thompson's writing. Nothing can be more insightful than this amazing collection of his correspondences, and of course his letters are incredibly well-written, politically charged at times and there are even a couple of love letters thrown in the mix. so good!

[Joshua O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides an insight into the private workings of one of the most eloquent delinquents god hawked up and spat onto our little blue marble. I would highly recommend reading for anyone with an interest in Thompson, but those that don't; STAY AWAY. Instead, hide in your homes, have boring sex with your spouses, watch your children rot their brains with VR in their rooms.

"Wow, what a ride"- Hunter S Thompson

[Ryan (Glay)]

I wasn't expecting too much, just a quick flick through for interesting nuggets but it was very entertaining. Thompson's 'IDGAF' authenticity blazes through the entire 600 pages (that I admittedly skimmed).

Some of the best parts are his tongue-in-cheek letters to Newspapers asking for jobs and to President Johnson asking if he could be 'Governor of Samoa'

[Max Becher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was introduced to HST by one of my college professors when he answered a desperate email of mine with the text of the letter to Hume Logan that appears in this book. That left me with a curiosity as to just whose advice I had received. So I looked him up, became intrigued, and soon found myself ordering this book of letters. Screw the fiction. I wanted to know who the man was or at least what he thought. And what I've found out seems to fit the bill, at least to my stunted imagination.

In a nut, it's fairly clear HST suffered from a severe breed of vanity: seeing himself as the smartest and toughest man to grace the planet. And throughout the book, his racist, misogynistic, and homophobic tendencies rear their ugly head in a way that would be most distasteful today, though maybe more commonplace in the 60s. And yet, I believe he was a good type of person, or, at least, good for his profession.

He was relentless about doing quality work and not sacrificing the truth for puff just because it may have been harder to get at. He did the work. That's part of his persona. He was willing to go anywhere and do anything as long as it was worthwhile. I'm so surprised at how long he was able to manage while being broke. If I were him, I'd have threw in the towel and worked a labor job long before chartering a smuggler boat out of Aruba with $30 in my pocket. But that kind of mettle to stick it out and make it by any means possible is laudable. Although, I'm still wondering if he ever paid his grandma back for that first car he bought in New York. He danced a fuzzy moral line and lived accordingly.

I admire his resiliency for as long as he had it. Who knows what happened in 2005? I wish some combination of Douglas Brinkley, Anita Thompson, and Johnny Depp would release the 3rd collection of letters. It's a duty to his readers in my opinion. He agreed, while he was still alive, to have the first two volumes published. So was it a change of heart before his death or are his inheritors just greedy with it?

A question that popped in my head as I neared the end: did he, or Douglas Brinkley, the editor, really go through every letter he had to choose a "best" selection? I say this because it seems that the longer the book goes on, the more the correspondence pertains almost exclusively to his business dealings. Few and far between are his letters to genuine friends or family. That made finishing this a bit of a slog. And all the while I'm thinking, "How has Sandy withstood all this?"

But what I really appreciated from this book was the sense of experiencing that time in history. I found the 60s through his eyes to be fascinating and informative. I have a kind of amnesia about the decades leading up to my birth in the 90s. I feel like my history classes blasted off from Nagasaki and charged through the following decades at warp speed before crash landing at the foot of the World Trade Center. So, it was fun to get first-hand perspective from what seems to me like one of the most ideologically revolutionary decades in history. I mean, come on. They had The Beatles, The Stones, Dylan, JFK, MLK Jr., civil rights, Vietnam, and so much more. This has all got me thinking about what I've been privileged to behold: Trump's presidency, COVID19, the Astroworld Festival disaster, George Floyd fallout, etc. I think HST would lose his mind. He was so much a part of the world and had such genuine reactions to it that it's no wonder why he retreated to the mountains.

[Ben Goodridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hunter S. Thompson is Decadent and Depraved

My entry vector to the world of Hunter S. Thompson was the film version of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," which I watched in a somewhat altered state, having been awake for nearly 36 hours on a bus trip from Georgia that left me too exhausted to take out my frustrations on anything. Possibly the only way to watch "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is in a state of severe sleep deprivation.

Later, after reading the book, as well as "The Rum Diary" and a few of his old Rolling Stone pieces, I was able to work up a grudging enthusiasm for Thompson. What we get in "The Proud Highway" is an epistolary look at Thompson's roundabout journey from Louisville, Kentucky to Haight-Ashbury. Along the road, we get to enjoy his legal issues, his casual dismissal of every trend from the Beatniks to the Hippies, his questionable influences, and the merciless beating he caught from the Hell's Angels. It's natural that a pile of letters wouldn't resolve into a narrative, so calling it "uneven" is probably unfair, but I found myself wandering in and out of the reading as if gathering its material at my own convenience. Given that these are early writings, it's natural that he wouldn't yet be at the height of his powers, so he gets three stars.

These days, the world is rotten with charismatic iconoclasts who make phat stax pretending they're not part of the circus, and Hunter S. was happy to do his rock-throwing from safe within the confines of his own shiny glass house. (Witness how he turned "Fear and Loathing" into a brand.) The original Gonzo journalist brought a new perspective to the trade, but as I read through the hagiographic opening, I was left with a suspicion of anyone who "tells it like it is." This, maybe, isn't Thompson's fault, but falls in the lap of the biographer. God knows what Thompson would have made of 2017.

[Tommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favorite Hunter Thompson book. It's a collection of letters (he saved carbons of everything he ever wrote) from a young writer, not yet proven, but cocksure and brash as they come. He reaches out to publishers, politicians, and friends as he begins to carve a niche as a journalist and novelist.

It's his most honest writing, and as all these letters were written before his legend had surpassed his talent, you don't get the 'Gonzo' treatment, or the lazy indignation that fueled his later work, but a hungry, ambitious craftsman, pummeling his readers with words in an effort to impress, inspire, and intimidate.

Before the drugs and the madness, the fear and the loathing, there was a simple Southern Gentleman, trying like hell to become the next Hemingway.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book filled with personal letters and correspondence?!? Why would I want to read something like this? Well, because Hunter S. Thompson wrote all of them. The man is, was, and always will be an incredibly crazy human being (at least I think he was human). But, the excellence of his writing cannot be denied, and is always, always interesting, laugh out loud funny, and thought provoking.

I will enjoy most anything written by this man, but I think The Proud Highway is one of his best.

[The Equalizer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If theres only one thing youre ever going to read by this man, make it this. Its his life biography, written in real time in prolific letters to everyone and anyone who would listen in his life. if you want to learn anything about hunter s. here is the best place to do it with the most accuracy. its amazing.

[Austin Savill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to see Hunter's early life and reaction to some of the big events in his life from the letters perspective instead of as an article or story.

[Tina Platt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got it. Hunter was essentially a brilliant writer and a complete ass with relationships. Lost me after the many letters of ‘hi, haven’t heard from me for awhile, I need money.’

[Sarah Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967" is a collection of letters written by Hunter S. Thompson, one of the most celebrated and unconventional writers of the 20th century. The letters, spanning over a decade of Thompson's life, provide a glimpse into his mind and offer a raw and unfiltered look at his experiences, musings, and struggles.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the book is the candidness with which Thompson expresses his thoughts and emotions. The letters are unedited, and the reader is given a glimpse into the inner workings of Thompson's mind as he grapples with personal issues such as his relationships, finances, and his place in the world. His wit, humour, and irreverence shine through in these letters, and it is impossible not to be captivated by his voice.

The book also offers a fascinating look at the cultural and political landscape of America during the 1950s and 60s. Thompson's experiences as a journalist and his interactions with other notable figures of the time, such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs, provide a window into the counterculture movement and the more significant social changes that were taking place in America at the time.

[Ernest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book for those who love literature, especially Hunter S Thompsons work. The hundreds of letters that make up this book show his many moods and his honesty.
Thompson was critical of himself and others, but not in a nasty way. Well, yes, he could be a complete pain in the arse, but he always seems to apologise for rudeness if it's to people he cares about. Those who are called to account without mercy are usually unimaginative dolts who lack creative ideas.
I'm biased, of course. Many will find Hunter S Thompson abrasive and reckless.
I find his honesty refreshing and I'm thankful for his brilliance.

[furious · Rating 5 out of 5]

i started reading this when i was working w/ Suave at the library in glassboro over winter break junior year of college, & then i didn't pick it up again until about a month ago. now i am taking it slow, because it is fantastic. and i remember how quickly i devoured the letters volume 2 (Fear & Loathing in America). i wish i had had the foresight to save a copy of every word i ever wrote...

[I Contain · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to understand what it took to give birth to Gonzo journalism, read this book. Hunter S. Thompson, the man most people know as a drug crazed mad man who answers to no one, has to start somewhere. This book tells the story of a man trying to get his start as a writer and eventually succeeding in piecing together the beginnings of something beautiful. As a bonus, this book also reveals much about HST as a reader.

[Kyle Feuerbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a ride that was. Hunter S. Thompson could really write, especially when he was pissed off. His nasty letters, even to those he admired were my favorite. He would throw three jabs, then sprinkle a compliment or ask them for a job, only to quickly turn back to the punches.

His mind roared as aggressively as the life he lived... luckily for us, he wrote all of it down on paper to live on for generations to come.

[Hailey Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first (albeit short) review that I have written on this site: I cannot more highly recommend any book or collection of Hunter S. Thompson's papers, ephemera, etc. If you have read any of his work read this-- every letter that they have found of his, including return correspondence, is collected in this rather massive collection.

[Shannon Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunter S. Thompson, the man behind his brilliance. I have many favourite authors, but Thompson is at the peak. These letters of correspondence shed light into the world Thompson lived, whilst sweating over a typewriter, in his pursuit of literary fame. Hilarious, brutal, shocking, but always honest. I plan to enforce this read upon all I know, and all whom should. Enjoy, you will.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of Hunter S. Thompson's letters offers, perhaps, the best insight into his genius. His letters, even at a young age, were literate, exotic, interesting and wildly amusing.

[Hank Stuever · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this -- especially his letters and correspondence as a young man trying to find himself -- much more than when I read the gonzo journalism he became famous for.

[Jorge Moreira · Rating 5 out of 5]

did get a view inside his head and taught me how to properly write letters.

[Khalid · Rating 4 out of 5]

إذا كان وقتك ضيق فتجاهل كل ما كتبت هنا و أذهب لقراءة الرسالة التي كتبها كاتبنا لهذا اليوم.

https://fs.blog/2014/05/hunter-s-thom...

في هذه الرسالة كنز لن تجده في أحرفي البائسة و منها بدأ كل شيء..
بدأت هالكتاب في ٢٠١٩، وقتها كنت شخص مختلف في قارة مختلفة، العالم بأكمله كان مختلف(حط ألفاظ نابية على ذائقتك لكوڤيد). ٢٠١٩ اليوم تبدو للناظر لها وكأنها سنة من حقبة زمنية مختلفة بسبب اللي ما يتسماش 🦠
عمومًا، لأن رحلتي مع هنتر تومسون كانت أطول رحلة قطعتها مع أي كاتب، قررت أبدأ هذه المراجعة بذكر الصدفة التي عرفتني
عليه…

في أكتوبر من عام ٢٠١٩ كنت في رحلة ميدانية لمدينة فونتانا، مدينة تبعد ساعة و��وي عن لوس انجلوس ولا أحد يدري عنها الا سكانها، كنا في مستودع مخلفات و البروفيسور كان يتحدث فيه عن تاريخ المدينة، اثناء كلامه قال التالي:
“Mike davis once called Fontana the junkyard of dreams.”
‎فقلت أنا
oh it’s a junkyard all right
فرد علي وقال فيما معناه أنه حتى ساحة النفايات هذه كانت مكان ميلاد للعديد من الأشياء التي قد تثير الاهتمام فقلت له name one فقال أبحث عن "ملائكة الجحيم".
وذهبت ذلك اليوم وفعلًا بحثت، و أكتشفت أن ملائكة الجحيم عبارة عن عصابة يتنقل أعضائها بواسطة دراجة هارلي النارية و أثناء بحثي عنهم ظهر لي أسم "هنتر تومسون" الصحفي الذي كتب كتابًا عن العصابة معلنًا معه عن ميلاد أسلوب ومذهب وصنف كتابي جديد في مجال الصحافة أسمه "غونزو".
كل هذه المعلومات ما شدتني أبدًا و لم تكن كافية حتى تحفزني على القراءة لا عن العصابة ولا حتى عن هنتر نفسه، لكن كل هذا تغير عندما عثرت على رسالة هنتر لصديقه هيوم(الرسالة التي وضعتها في أعلى هذه المراجعة) رسالته تلك كانت ولا زالت أفضل رسالة قرأتها بحياتي ولما عرفت أن هنتر كان عمره ٢٢ وقت كتابته لها، على طول ذهبت لأمازون وطلبت الكتاب هذا والباقي is history

رسائل هنتر هذه جميعها كُتبت في النصف الأول من حياته أي فالفترة التي كان فيها مجهولًا لا أحد يعرفه وفيها تكتشف أن هذا الرجل عاقل بين المجنانين ومجنون بين العاقلين، هنتر واحد من الشخصيات النادرة جدًا التي تتخذ من مقولة tempting fate أسلوب حياة وشخصيًا أعتقد أنه
‏ the ultimate fate tempter
شخصيات مثل هنتر تجذبك لأنك تحس أنها فعلًا مستقلة و مختلفة عن كل ما صادفته أو قرأت عنه قبلها لأن مثل هذه الشخصيات حرفيًا ما تخاف و مستعدة تموت في سبيل هواية أو حلم أو رغبةٍ ما
في هذا الكتاب شفت هنتر ينطرد من مليون سكن لعدم قدرته على دفع الاجارات ورأيته يتحول لهوملس مع وزوجته وابنه في أكثر من مرة ومع ذلك جنون العظمة ما فارقه ولا ثانية حتى عندما وصل لقاع القاع. جنونه هذا جعله يفكر بالذهاب لأمريكا اللاتينية وفعلًا رغم أنه ما يملك شيء عبر المحيطات و تسلل مع قراصنة في رحلة موت كان ممكن ينسجن أو يموت بسببها فقط عشان يوصل لأمريكا الجنوبية. وصل هنتر وكتب من تلك القارة مقالات أغلبها لم يتم نشرها والقليل الذي نُشر كان عائده المادي ضئيلًا جدًا ولا يكفي حاجته.

عاد خائبًا لبلاده وقرر أن ينضم لعصابة ملائكة الجحيم بهدف كتابة تقرير عنهم و ذهب لهم و من البداية أخبرهم أنه صحفي جاء ليكتب عنهم وفعلًا وافقوا وعاش معهم سنة، نهايتها كانت كتاب شهد ولادة صنف كتابي صحفي جديد فيه لا يدعي الصحفي الحياد و الموضوعية بل يكون هو بطل المقالة وقلبها النابض، منه تبدأ الأحداث وتنتهي. طبعًا ما يحتاج أكتب عن نهاية علاقته مع العصابة بالتفصيل لكن خلينا نقول أنها أنتهت بتجمعهم عليه وضربه حتى شارف على الموت وهو ثمن دفعه تومسون بكل سعادة.
بعيدًا عن العصابة، الكتاب به أيضا رسائل فكاهية غاضبة كتبها تومسون-غالبا تحت تأثير المخدرات- للرئيس الأمريكي و مسؤوليه الذين عذبهم بجنونه وتقلباته وأفكاره. أسلوبه الكتابي وفصاحته وسهولة تلاعبه بالكلمات هو ما جعل قراءة الرسائل-التي محتواها غالبا ما يكون عادي بل وممل أحيانا- ممتعة، معه أحسست بأني أسكن أمريكا في ستينات القرن الماضي.
رحلتي مع هنتر تتوقف هنا لكنها لا تنتهي لأني أخطط لقراءة المجلدين الثاني والثالث لرسائله مستقبلًا وحتى ذلك الحين،
أترككم مع تعليق يوتيوب أعتقد أنه يصف تومسون تمامًا.

There is a fine line between genius and crazy. Thompson walked that line about as well as a man in the depths of an ether binge.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this, after reading Hell's Angels, which I enjoyed. He saved every letter. Passionate, intelligent and impulsive, his letter writing is up there with his best published writing. I highlighted a lot of quotes in it. A complex person, not easily categorized, he was a member of the NRA, a fierce opponent of the Vietnam war, a friend of Ginsberg, an Air Force vet, able and willing to offend with language, afraid of a fascist future, in the form of Reagan and Nixon. He loved and hated. He probably suffered from manic depression. He'd land big publishing contracts and then stop writing. He was terrible at the business of writing, losing money and struggling to find publishers, agents and editors with whom he could work. He really, really liked guns. He wore his heart on his sleeve, as they say. He was really funny. I would have liked to have met the guy. I saved quite a few to-read books that he mentioned, and immediately jumped to one of his favorite authors after this, William Styron, but a book that was published after Thompson died, _Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness_. They had a bit in common; self-destructive tendencies, a cessation of passion when the darkness came. There are singular people in the world. I liked this quote, in response to a 14-year-old boy who read Hells Angels and wanted to join the gang as soon as he could; "When I was 14 I was a wild, half-wit punk who caused a lot of trouble and wanted to tear the world in half if for no other reason than it didn’t seem to fit me too well. Now, looking back on it, I don’t think I’d change much of what I did in those days … but I’ve also learned at least one crucially important thing since then. And that’s the idea of making your own pattern, not falling into grooves that other people made. Remember that if you can do one thing better than anybody it’ll make life a hell of a lot easier for you in this world—which is a pretty mean world, when you get to know it, and a lot of people in it can ride big Harleys … especially in California. The best of the Angels—the guys you might want to sit down and talk to—have almost all played that game for a while and then quit for something better. The ones who are left are almost all the kind who can’t do anything else, and they’re not much fun to talk to. They’re not smart, or funny, or brave, or even original. They’re just Old Punks, and that’s a lot worse than being a Young Punk. They’re not even happy; most of them hate the lives they lead, but they can’t afford to admit it because they don’t know where else to go, or what else to do. That’s what makes them mean … and it also makes them useless, because there’s already a big oversupply of mean bastards in this world."

Thompson, Hunter S.. Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967 (Gonzo Letters) (pp. 627-628). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

[Steven Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is proof that HST was the ultimate Method writer. He was always in character, even when writing letters. For many of these letters, he was his gonzo self, writing and going on in much the same way he did in his books and journalism pieces.

There is no new ground broken here. Fans will love it. Especially entertaining are his letters to William Kennedy, Bill Seomin and Charles Kuralt. He goes off on the counter-culture, the writing business, relationships, the political situation, Vietnam, etc. Those who aren't HST fans will not be converted here, except there are some more shreds of humanity here. He is respectful of his mother, and tries to be a responsible big brother to his younger brothers and much of the book concerns him trying to scrape together a living as a fledgling writer. The book begins with him in high school and ends not long after Hells Angels is published.

One thing that struck me that I did not catch in his books was how much he was into the craft of writing. I always thought he was a bit of a spewer, writing in a crazy stream-of-consciousness manner (still right on that). I was taken in by his acid carnival imagery, his dark humor and his ability to see the BS behind everything. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail was one the best political books ever. But as for the art of writing in and of itself, his writing is meticulous. Sentences, sentence structure, punctuation, etc. Some of his crazier rantings don't play it out, but for the most part, HST was a very good writer.

If you are an HST fan, this is for you. If you enjoy getting in the minds of creative types, this is for you also. Anyone else, you probably want to move on.

[Richard Croner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be categorized as a stream of consciousness record of a bright, highly opinionated individual. This record occurred during a time when I was young and oblivious kid and carries thru the start of my military service. The latter period was when I was slowly becoming aware of this country and the world around me. Ironically, Thompson's observations and thoughts 50 years later were right on point. I vaguely remember people around me considered him a "wacko" but I was too busy with life to examine him and come to a conclusion. Looking back, that is too bad and my loss. The primary reason I decided to invest the time to read and attempt to understand this collection of letters was the movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". This gritty and real movie was my motivation to try and understand the mind of Hunter S. Thompson. I found this book interesting even though I did not understand many of his references. I think it is a toss-up whether or not to read this book; it hinges on whether or not Thompson interests you.